Page 73 of I Hear You

“Ms. Cartwright, I know they’re hard to see because my skin is getting older, but these tattoos on my arms–they each represent a pro-bowl or super bowl where I was part of the winning team. There’s over eight of them there.”

I look at his muscular arms and sure enough, the right one is covered in roman numerals. I don’t care how many games he’s won, it doesn’t make him impervious to error. I’m about to tell him what a colossal mistake he’s making having Josh on defense when he would do so much better as a wide receiver on the offense, but Ender is pulling me away.

“Hey! I was trying to have a conversation with the man,” I tell Ender.

“Babe. You know I love you, and I think all your ideas are brilliant, but you can not tell the coach that he’s doing his job wrong. Please, for me, go back and sit with Emmett and you can complain all you want to me later.”

He gently walks me all the way back to the bench and I sit, only throwing a small tantrum. Ender shakes his head at me, gives me a quick kiss and runs back onto the field. Emmett just sits there laughing at me.

“What?!” I ask Emmett.

“I did not say a word,” he says, trying to contain his laughter.

“You’re the one who shared everyone’s speeds with me! Did you not expect me to try to do something about this obvious oversight?”

Emmett hangs his head, no longer able to control his laughter. I ignore him. I peek back over to coach Davis, who is shaking his head and laughing too! I pout some more and turn my attention back to practice. Their first game is next weekend and I’m not sure we’re ready. Ender, of course, is ready and has been doing amazing at practice all week. Some of these other fools still look like they should be on a peewee team. The rest of practice goes fairly smooth, and by the end of it I’m at least a little more hopeful for our game.

Ender makes his way over to us, sweaty and without his shirt on, his shoulder pads in his hand.

“You did great today, baby,” I tell him, kissing his sweaty cheek.

He grabs me around the waist and pulls me to him. I squeal in protest but he leans down and kisses me on the lips. There's nothing quick about it.

“Okay, you two, get a room,” Jesse says, joining us, “Emmett, you picking me and Taylor up at 9 tonight?

“Yeah, you’ll both be at your place?” Emmett asks.

“Yup, sure will.”

Jesse and Emmett both give us a wave. Jesse heads to the locker rooms and Emmett to the parking lot.

Ender goes to talk to the coach before we leave. We’re planning to go back to his house. His mom won’t be home. She’s on a week-long vacation that Emmett’s mom is treating her to.

Ender and I have been taking advantage of having the house to ourselves and spend all of our free time either having sex or laying together naked and talking. After practice, I’m always extra horny. Those tight pants and him getting all sweaty does something to me. One time, I couldn’t stop myself and started taking off both our clothes in his truck before we even made it home. Luckily it was after a late practice and all the neighbors were asleep so we were able to run into the house half naked before anyone saw us.

Tonight we’re meeting up with our friends at the Barn. It will be my first time there and the first time all of us hang out since Ender and I got together. My relationships with Taylor, Jesse and Emmett have all gotten stronger over the past three weeks, each of them being supportive of everything I’ve been going through in their own ways. Emmett and I have gotten especially close since he’s been sitting on the sidelines at practice. I’ve enjoyed his company, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous he won’t be playing for the first game. He says the team doctor hasn’t cleared him yet, but I don’t understand because he doesn’t seem to be in any pain.

Ender comes back over to me, takes my hand and we walk to his truck.

“Babe, you’ve gotta leave the coaches alone or they won’t let you sit down on the sides during practice anymore.”

I start to protest but admit defeat and tell him I’ll keep to myself. As much as I’ve grown to love football, I never want to even come close to being the overbearing supporter Ender’s dad was. That wasn’t support, that was a demand for unrealistic perfection. My priority is ensuring Ender continues to love playing, and me causing trouble with the coaches wouldn’t help.

When we get back to his house, we take a shower together and then get ready to meet up with our friends. While I’m putting on a little makeup–Taylor’s been giving me a few tips on how to apply things–Ender makes us something to eat. He’s shuffling around the kitchen in just a pair of gray sweat pants assembling sandwiches when I come down stairs. I slide my arms around his waist from behind him.

“I could get used to this,” I say.

“What, me making you food?”

“Yes. But also, this,” I say, squeezing him tighter. “Spending time with you doing the mundane things like eating sandwiches.”

He leans back into me and inhales deeply.

“Me too, Mads, me too.”

We’re all sitting around the television in the barn while Jesse and Emmett play video games. Taylor in a big cozy chair, Emmett and Jesse on the couch and Ender and I are lounging on a loveseat.

“So this is the infamous barn?” I say. “Taylor, you kinda hyped it up–”

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