Page 65 of Our Secret Moments

TWENTY-FOUR

CAT

“IS THAT AN EIGHT PACK?”

You’d thinkthat college football players walk around with a halo around their head and have superhuman strength with the amount of special treatment they get.

I knew that they got flights covered by the school for their away games, but no one told me about the luxury suites, the fully catered meals, on-site spa and free transport to anywhere they need to go in Arizona.

Since we landed, the boys have been training like crazy and I’ve been working on my report and picking out new designs for the Titan’s Daily cover.

Whilst the boys trained with Coach Mackenzie, I spent the day with Olivia, the assistant coach, walking around a small town in Phoenix. It’s weird hanging out with someone who is considered faculty, but is only seven years older than me. She lets me in on all the inside gossip on the boys. She tells me about how she tore her ACL after she graduated from Drayton, which basically ruined all of her dreams of playing the sport she’s been coaching for the last three years.

It was fun hanging out with her. It felt like having an older sister who gossiped with you about boys and let you sneak yourparents movies into your room for sleepovers. I’ve never had that kind of figure in my life before. As much as Elle and Nora are like my sisters, their advice usually causes me to freak out more than I need to. Since we’re all the same age, our experience is very limited with things in the wider world.

Since Olivia and I are sharing a hotel room, I get the joy of watching her get ready. As thrilling as the game was earlier, I am preferring this so much more. The boys won, – which was no surprise – so Coach and Olivia are going out to celebrate and the boys are allowed to stay up past their curfew in their suite down the hall.

The second the game was over, Connor tried to pull me into him whilst he was sweaty and gross, but now knowing that he’s showered, I’m desperate to see him. I know the other night didn’t go to plan for either of us. He has a habit of tucking me into bed and weirdly enough, I want that to happen every night. As much as forgetting about our study date sucked, the forehead kiss and the sweet words made up for it.

“So, what are your plans tonight?” Olivia asks, talking to me through the mirror whilst she does her makeup as I sit behind her on one of the beds.

“Nothing at all,” I say, sighing. “I’ll see if I can get a few hundred words down. If not, I’ll probably crash before you get back.”

She shakes her head, pouting. “You should see what the boys are up to. You never know. You could actually have fun.”

I audibly laugh at that. “I saw the videos Wes posted on Snapchat an hour ago. I amnotstepping foot into that suite. It’s already a mess and we’ve hardly been here a day.”

Olivia throws her head back. I love that she has a good bond with them. So good that they only call her by her first name. Mostly because her last name is Hardon and she coaches a teamfull of teenage boys who no doubt would make her life a living hell.

“That’s fair,” she says through a laugh, applying a pink lipgloss which matches perfectly with the pink top she’s wearing. “I shouldn’t be back too late, but it just depends on how drunk Mackenzie gets.”

“Do you guys do this often at away games?” I ask, leaning back on my forearms as she packs away her makeup into her bag on the vanity.

“Not always,” she explains. Her eyes lock with mine in the mirror again. “It’s just nice to get out sometimes and feel pretty. We know the boys can take care of themselves and we’re only here for one night. Might as well make it memorable. This whole experience is for you to make memories as well, Cat.”

I end up taking Olivia’s advice and by the time she’s out the doors of the hotel, I pull out my phone and call Connor. He said that he and the guys don’t usually go out after away games after a fight broke out in Salt Lake once, so I know he can’t be too busy.

“Hey,” I say, holding the phone to my ear as I look through the same three outfits that I packed. All I can hear from his end is loud chattering which is the usual noise I’m greeted to whenever I have to meet the team on campus, so I’m not surprised.

“Can everyone be quiet! Jesus,” Connor exclaims over the phone. After a few seconds, it starts to quieten down. “Hi, baby.”

Oh, fuck.

How does that one word make my stomach dip? I’ve never cared much for words of endearment, but anything coming outof Connor’s mouth sounds so insanely hot that my knees almost go weak.

“Are you okay?” I ask when the team still talks over the phone.

“Yeah, the guys are just being annoying and loud as per usual,” he explains and I can imagine him shaking his head. He has this whole protective dad vibe about him that I happen to find sexy.

“Come to my room,” I say before I change my mind. I’ve got to make memories somehow. I want to be alone with Connor, awake, sober and in my right mind for once.“It’s a lot quieter here and it sounds like you could do with a break.”

“What?” he chokes out and it sounds muffled as if he’s covering the mic. “And do what, Cat?” he whispers.

“You were so desperate to hang out with me the other day, Connie. What’s wrong with right now?” I tease, playing with the hem of my shirt. Of course he has to make this difficult. “I’m bored and Olivia has gone out. I don’t know what else I need to say to convince you.”

I hear him groan slightly as he considers it. He worries too much — much like me — but I know when to break the rules sometimes. I know when to let loose and have a little fun. We’re basically alone in a hotel, the options are limitless and if the smutty romance books have taught me anything, I shouldn’t run out of any ideas.

“I’ll be there in twenty,” he says before ending the call.

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