Page 77 of The Game Plan

He chuckles, drawing me into his hug. “That’s just basic human kindness, baby. I like spending time with you, and whether you’re conscious or delirious in pain, I want to be here with you.”

“Still. I appreciate it.”

He palms the back of my head with his enormous paw. “Take your bath. I’ll be here when you’re done.”

“Sit with me?”

“I’ll give you some privacy.” He closes the bathroom door behind him.

Discarding my clothes, I slide into the warm bath and sigh with delight. The hot heat of the water seeps into my bones, soothing my bruised and battered muscles.

Miles cracks the door open. He’s acting like he’s never seen me naked before. “You all situated?” He clears his throat, keeping his eyes above my chest. The bubbles can’t hide everything. Not that I have anything to hide from him. He’s seen everything, the good, the bad, and now the ugly. “Can I bring you anything?”

“I’m good, thank you.” I splash in the bubbles a bit. It’s oddly relaxing.

He sits back against the bathroom cabinets, his eyes drifting closed.

“How was practice?”

He sighs. “They have me working out with the third string guys.”

The guys who don’t get any playing time unless something goes terribly, desperately wrong.

“I’m sorry. That’s rough.”

Miles shrugs. “It is what it is. After the honor code meets on Wednesday, I’ll know more. I just want it to be over and done with already. I want to know my fate.”

I want to wrap him in a hug, to reassure him that it will work out. But I don’t know that it will.

He’s a first time offender. A model student, a great athlete. Will they show leniency? Or will they throw the book at him?

He clears his throat, clearly done with that conversation. “Are you feeling better?”

“A lot. The sandwich helped. The bath… it’s not making things worse.”

The soft smile he gives me is devastating. My knees go weak. It’s a good thing I’m already sitting down.

“Good. I’m glad.”

Chapter twenty-nine

Miles

I’mmindingmyownbusiness in the library when I hear it.

“Tubby! Hey, Tubby!”

O’Rourke.

He’s flanked by Josh Sinclair and another guy I recognize as being on the volleyball team. They’re towering over my study table, glaring down at me.

I ignore them and flip a page in my linear algebra textbook. Nothing good will come from getting involved with them.

He’s never been a kind person, he’s never had a good thing to say about anyone, but the last few weeks, he’s really stepped up the taunting. I don’t know what I did to catch his ire. Just exist, I guess. The broken nose probably didn’t help matters.

I have my honor code review panel tomorrow afternoon. I have to keep my head down and toe the line.

“Come on, Tubby, you a pussy all of a sudden?” O’Rourke smirks down at me. “You get laid for the first time and lose your balls?”

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