Page 35 of Dear Future Husband (The Dearly Written #1)

Trey

The tailgate party was a mess.

Not at all what I imagined Maybelle’s first outing to be.

After being ripped from Maybelle, Juliette had cornered me.

She kept me isolated by bringing up topics and questions about the upcoming football banquet.

Reminding me that I would need a date and other stuff I didn’t care to pay attention to.

I only focused on finding Maybelle in the crowd and when I saw her stomping up to me and the cheerleader, I almost fell to my knees before her.

Once the cheerleader bailed, I could see the interaction had affected Maybelle more than she was letting on. I wanted to hold her, comfort her, tell her there was nothing to worry about. But all too soon, I was pulled away again with the team and she to the bleachers.

The scrimmage was a success.

Bear destroyed our opponent’s defensive line.

Larson was a commanding voice that worked well with the quarterback.

Even Williams got to take to the field for the first time this season as second string QB, proving to the coaches, the team and the rest of the school that he was far from a failed investment.

Liam would be proud .

The game ended, and friends, families and coaches rushed the field. I stalked about the flood of bodies, looking for Maybelle. I said “hi” and acknowledged the families of my brothers as they approached me, but I kept it brief.

I needed my girl. I needed to get her home, spend some much-needed time with her, and fix this confusion she had. Oh, I’d fix it alright. I planned to show her just how not confusing my feelings for her were.

My head was on a swivel as I made my way to the outside of the crowd. Hoping to get a better visual of the entire mass of people.

“Trey!”

In answer, I turned around to see a flash of a blue and gold cheer uniform before arms noosed around my neck and my face was being devoured.

My body tensed, and my lips were stationary as my brain tried to catch up with the assault. I latched onto the hips of my assailant, grabbing, pushing, fighting the urge to chuck her like a rag doll.

When she finally released my face from the steel trap, lips smeared in red lipstick, Juliette’s angular face filled my vision. The rest of the cheer team circled us, shaking their pompoms.

All the surrounding noises were a blurb of ruckus. The only distinct sound I could make out was the shouting of my name.

“Trey!” Juliette called over the tittering and cheering of the pompom girls around us. “Be my date to the football banquet!”

The proposal sounded a lot more like a command than an invitation, and I knew she intended for it to come off that way. The cheerleaders stopped shaking their sparkly pompoms, and the audience went eerily quiet.

So many eyes were on me.

I couldn’t make out any familiar faces in the surrounding crowd .

I was stuck.

At a loss, I managed to bob my head up and then down. Juliette’s freakishly long arms tied around my neck once again as she reached for another kiss on the lips. This time I was prepared and dodged with the turn of my head, letting her land one on my lower cheek.

Before pulling away, she spoke low enough that only I could hear her above the crowd, “Sorry, but I’m not that patient.”

She grinned, shot a wink at someone over her shoulder and bounced her way to the other girls without another word to me. As they trotted away, more of the faces in the gathering around me came into focus.

Maybelle’s face was hard, eyes misty, as she held to Williams’s arm like he was an anchor keeping her stable in the tsunami of emotions that were taking over her bright features.

She couldn’t have seen the whole thing… She couldn’t have seen Juliette kissing me. I glanced at Williams and by the worry lines in his face—I knew they saw everything.

Too fast… I couldn’t catch up with the mess unraveling before my eyes. It was too fast.

I made to approach her, to slow her down. I just needed one second. One second to explain, to fix, to ease her worries, and erase those doubts. I just needed a moment. I needed it all to slow down.

I managed a few steps toward her before she turned her back on me, walking away on wobbly legs. I kicked up my speed, getting myself between her and her escape.

“May, please, just pause one second. Let me explain—” The look on her face destroyed me. She peered up at me through tear-filled eyes, face flushed.

I did this.

God, this night was falling apart right through my fingertips, and I was helpless in salvaging it. I lifted a hand to her face, but she jerked away .

“I’m getting a ride home with Bear. I’ll see you at the apartment,” she said, avoiding my gaze.

No, no, no, she needed to stay. We needed to talk. I needed to take care of her.

I stepped toward her, and she immediately backed away. “Trey, please,” she implored, a small whimper escaping through her harsh tone. I wanted to die right there.

I stapled myself to the ground, against every fiber in my being begging me to hold her, to not let her leave me.

Instead, I saw Bear approaching. I faced my brother and nodded for him to join us. “Can you get her home?”

To ask made me sick, but if this is what she wanted—I’d do it. I’d give Maybelle anything she wanted. Even if what she wanted was less of me.

Bear nodded without hesitation or questions asked. He slung a burly arm over Maybelle’s shoulders, leading her off and away from me.

A hand landed on my shoulder, and I turned to look at Williams. “You got a little something right there,” he said as he raised a hand to his own lips. He placed his forefinger there, tapping, then to his cheek as he wiped his thumb across his jawline.

I followed his lead and swiped the back of my hand across my lips to find cherry red lipstick staining my knuckles. “Oh fuc—did Maybelle see?”

He didn’t need to answer me. I knew, but it still gutted me when he nodded before giving one last sorry pat on the back.

Williams also ditched me for a ride with Bear, leaving me alone in my Jeep. I sat staring at the steering wheel, baffled by the last half hour of a hailstorm I was just thrown through.

Right now, all I knew was I needed to get to her. I needed to talk to her, to plead my case.

I put my car in drive and sped my way home.

When I entered the apartment, there was a quiet, hollow feeling. The guys were all in their post-game lounge wear. Larson and Williams were at the kitchen counter. Bear was lying out on his beanbag.

I stalked in and dropped my bags on the kitchen floor. “Where is she?”

I turned for the hall, but Williams was up from his stool and there with a hand on my arm. “She needs some time alone. Give her a minute. Sit down and tell us what happened.”

Hesitating, my eyes darted from the hall and to my friend. I knew he was right, but it still took every ounce of self-restraint to follow him to the couch.

Bear sat up, resting his elbows on his knees while Williams and I sat on the minuscule sofa. Larson listened from his place at the kitchen counter.

I put my face in my hands, letting out a defeated groan. “If any of you laugh, I’ll kill you.”

The three men shared looks as I cleared my throat.

“I honestly don’t know what happened. All I know is that cheerleader practically assaulted me.

I was looking for Maybelle and then all I could see, and feel was Juliette.

She was like a muzzle I couldn’t get to release my face.

And while my mind was going a mile a minute trying to deal with what was happening and everyone watching, I agreed to be her date to the football banquet. ”

“Well, just tell her you change your mind,” Larson offered.

Williams shook his head. “He can’t do that.”

Sighing, Larson folded his hands together. “And why the hell not?”

Williams looked at me, like I would know what he was talking about, but I was just as clueless. “Juliette is Coach’s niece,” he said, as if that was explanation enough.

When Larson and I both continued to stare back at him, he slanted a pleading look at Bear.

With a resolute breath, Bear said, “One of our defensive linemen was benched tonight because he rejected a date with Juliette.” He paused, letting that sink in. “He has a girlfriend.” His dark eyes focused on me then as he asked, “Are you okay?”

I shook my head, more out of frustration than answer. “I’m fine. This—Juliette—none of it’s important. Maybelle is my priority. I need to make sure she’s okay.”

Williams shifted in his seat. “I’m gonna be honest and not sugar coat anything because I love ya.

But without knowing everything you just said that scene looked pretty bad.

Give her some space. She was pretty upset.

She didn’t talk the entire way home and locked herself in your room as soon as we got back. ”

I dropped my face in my hands again, muffling my loud, discouraged groaning.

I needed to at least try.

I stood from the couch. “Pray for me, boys. I’m going in.”

I was already down the hall when Larson called out from behind me, “God speed, brother.”

I reached my bedroom door and knocked. Nothing. I clicked my knuckles across the door a few more times, and finally heard a soft, “Come in.”

It was cold, but I was sweating profusely.

I nudged the door open to see Maybelle sitting on the edge of my bed. Her hair was damp from the shower. She was dressed in a fitted white tee and black yoga pants.

She didn’t look at me as I entered. I let the door shut behind me, but instead of approaching her, I leaned my back against the closed door.

“May. Can we talk?”

She sat up straight, twisting to meet my gaze with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“Sure,” she answered, her tone chipper, which terrified me more than if she were standing in the corner of my room with a knife. She patted the mattress next to her, inviting me to join. I cautiously approached, settling myself next to her on the bed.

She sat herself sideways, facing me fully. “What would you like to talk about?” she asked.