Page 7

Oliver

After my incredible night with Jenna, I’m on cloud nine. I arrive at the stadium early, earlier than I usually do. I’m so full of energy, so hyped up now that I’ve gotten the girl of my dreams, that I just had to get in and burn off some of this steam.

What I’m not expecting when I step into the locker room is to see Jenna standing there waiting for me.

At first, I’m elated. She must already want more, and I can’t say that I’m opposed to fucking her again before practice. In fact, my dick starts to get hard at the prospect. But then, I see the look on her face and my heart drops.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, dropping my duffle bag and crossing the room to cup her face in my hands. There are tears collecting in the corners of her eyes, and her bottom lip wobbles like she’s about to lose her composure. “Is everything okay, Jenna?”

“No,” she says, her voice wavering on the single syllable. “It’s not, I–”

She stops herself, averting her eyes. My hold on her remains steady, and I stroke her cheeks gently, encouraging her to continue. After she takes a few deep breaths, she looks at me again, an indescribable sadness in her gaze. It makes me ache, and I feel all of her pain.

“I… My dad knows,” she says, looking ashamed of the admission. “I didn’t tell him or anything, I just… I forgot I had this.” She gestures to the hickey on her neck. “And he saw it.”

Somehow, my stomach sinks even further. I knew this wasn’t something we’d be able to hide from Coach White, but I hadn’t expected him to find out so soon. And, truthfully, it’s all my fault. If I could have held myself back from marking Jenna up, her father would still be none the wiser.

It’s too late to think about things like that, though. The reality is that our secret’s out, and even though Jenna hasn’t shared any of the details about her conversation with her dad, I can tell that it didn’t go well. My job now is to comfort my girl and find a way to make things okay in her eyes.

“What did he say?” I ask, deciding the best way to comfort her is to address whatever outlandish, likely insensitive things her father told her in the heat of the moment.

“He said he’d take away my financial help, which–”

“I’ll support you,” I say, leaning forward to press my lips against her forehead. “You’ll never have to worry about money, Jenna.”

She gives me a watery smile as she says, “You’re too good to me, but…”

“But what?” I prod when she doesn’t elaborate. I think I already know what she’s going to say, though.

My suspicions are confirmed when Jenna sighs and says, “He threatened to kick you off the team.”

As soon as the words leave her lips, tears cascade down her cheeks. I brush them away, my touch gentle. Softly, I shush her crying. Somehow, she seems more upset by the prospect of me losing my job than I feel. I guess she doesn’t understand that I would throw away everything if it meant having her.

“You don’t need to cry,” I tell her, pulling her against my chest and wrapping my arms around her. I place another kiss on the top of her head. “Everything’s going to be okay, Jenna.”

“It’s not,” she whimpers, breaking down even further. “We’re– He’s– You’re–”

“Breathe for me, little girl,” I murmur, rubbing her back soothingly.

I could kick her father’s ass right now for making her feel this way. If he really cared about his daughter, he wouldn’t make her feel so hopeless. This isn’t about protecting her; it’s about controlling her.

“Daddy,” she stutters out, taking ragged breaths against my chest. “I— You’ll never want to see me again. You can’t– I can’t let you throw your career away for me.”

“Hey,” I say softly, pulling her back, needing to see her face. The way she called me daddy melts my heart and strengthens my resolve. She’s more important than anything else. I give her a reassuring smile as I say, “I’m probably five years away from retirement anyway. So what if I retire early, you’re worth it.”

“But–”

I shake my head, not wanting her to work herself up any further. I murmur, “I have more than enough money put back. I can support you through school. I’ve already got a championship under my belt. I don’t need another. As long as I have you.”

She sniffles, giving me a sad smile as she says, “I couldn’t ask you to do any of that, Oliver. Maybe… maybe in a few years, we can–”

“No,” I say, my tone sharper than I meant it to be. I just can’t fathom letting her go now that I have her. A few years might as well be a few decades. “Jenna, I love you. I would do anything for you because you’re the only thing that matters to me.”

She stares at me, her eyes wide as she processes my words. I let them sit between us. I want Jenna to absorb them, to understand their gravity. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I’ll be damned if I don’t let her know it.

“Oliver,” she whispers after a few seconds, her eyes full of affection and disbelief. “Do you mean that? Do you really mean it?”

“Of course I mean it,” I say, leaving no room in my statement for her to doubt my conviction, my devotion to her. “I’ve never meant anything more in my life. Jenna, I love you. I love you with all my heart. I’m as sure of it as I can possibly be. You’re my future, and I meant it when I told you I was going to make you my wife. You’re it for me, Jenna.”

The smile that breaks out on her face makes whatever hardships we’re about to experience worth it. She’s ecstatic. All that previous sorrow, the weight she was carrying that led her to meeting me here before practice, has melted away.

“I love you too,” she says. “I’ve never been in love before, but I know I’m in love with you, Oliver. It’s the only thing I’ve ever been sure of.”

Her declaration blankets me in an overwhelming calm. I didn’t know how badly I needed to hear her say that. Now, I know she’s mine – irrevocably and undeniably. There’s nothing that can keep us apart, not even her father’s threats on both of our livelihoods. We’ll find a way. As long as we have each other, we’ll be okay.

When I lean in to kiss her, Jenna meets me halfway. Her mouth is insistent against mine, and her confidence in us shines through. I groan, shifting my grip to her ass and pulling her even closer.

My cock starts to get hard in my sweats. The way her body feels against mine coupled with the knowledge that she feels the exact same way about me is almost too much to handle. I feel like if I stay here kissing her for too much longer, I might just explode in my boxers.

Grinding against her so she knows exactly what she’s doing to me, I pull back and look down at her. I take in her expression, her parted, kiss-swollen lips. Her pupils are dilated, and I know she needs me just as much as I need her right now.

And God, I need to show her just how much I love her.

“Come with me,” I say, squeezing her ass playfully before grabbing onto her hand and pulling her out of the locker room.

“Where are we going?” she asks breathlessly, a little giggle escaping her as I tug her along.

“Somewhere private,” I tell her, grinning at her over my shoulder as I pull open the door to a supply closet a little ways away from the locker room. “There’s no way I’m letting anyone interrupt us, little girl.”

Then, Jenna says, “Yes, daddy,” and I have no choice but to get her inside this tiny room and close the door behind us so I can have my way with her.