Page 16 of Everything In Between

TWELVE

hayes

I don’t know what lucky star is looking down on me tonight, but I’m eternally grateful that they are. How else could I have managed to run into the one person I was itching to see halfway across the country?

Even in my wildest dreams, I couldn’t have imagined I would have gotten to spend tonight with Jersey Matthews. But I’ll be damned if I take it for granted.

The more time I’ve spent with her in person, the more I want to spend with her.

Jersey’s expression turns thoughtful and then she’s stepping closer to me, wrapping her arms around my waist and hugging me.

I’m frozen for a split second before my arms instinctively wrap around her frame.

I bend my head, resting my cheek against the side of her hair and closing my eyes as I breathe her in.

She smells . . . intoxicating.

In my periphery, I catch sight of a figure lurking. I glance up surreptitiously to see Corey watching the two of us with his arms crossed and a sneer on his face. I tighten my arms and turn all of my attention back to her.

“I like your perfume,” I mutter into her ear.

“It’s mine,” she says with a small laugh. When she pulls away, she tucks a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. My fingers twitch at my sides, itching to be the one to tuck that hair behind her ear for her. Someday I will.

“Yours?”

“My brand.”

“Hmm,” I murmur and lean into her again. My hands settle on her waist and I bend my head, running my nose along the length of hers. Her breath hitches and desire crashes through me. “Well, it smells good.”

“It does?” she breathes.

“Better than any other perfume,” I say, and run my nose along hers again.

Her eyes lift to mine, eyelashes fluttering as she gazes into my eyes. The pull I feel toward her is unbearable, urging me closer to her. Her lips are a breath away. It would be nothing for me to close the distance, to taste her for the first time.

I search her eyes, looking for any indication she doesn’t want that. But I find none.

I’m seconds away from taking the leap and crashing my lips to hers when the moment shatters.

In a split second, we’re surrounded by journalists and paparazzi. Cameras flash in my face, blinding me with the nonstop light.

“What the f—” I mutter, my grip tightening around Jersey, ready to protect her from the onslaught of intruders. How did the paparazzi even get entrance to the ballroom?

“Jersey, is this your new beau?”

“Jersey, what would Corey think about you being caught in such a scandalous position?”

“Jersey, are you trying to make Corey jealous?”

“Go!” Jersey pushes at my shoulders and I snap into action. I wrap my arms around her and push through the paparazzi. She keeps her head down until I find us a quiet alcove, away from the craziness.

Jersey is distraught, her shoulders shaking and her skin clammy. She’s muttering to herself, and I try my best to make sense of it all. “I should’ve known he’d do something stupid like this. That jealous asshole. I had to go and poke the bear, didn’t I?”

When I spin her around to look at me, she won’t meet my eyes. Again, I cup her cheek and tilt her face up to mine. “Jersey—”

Her expression falls. “Hayes, I’m so sorry.”

She turns away from me then, but I catch her wrist. “Sorry for what?”

She shakes her head and tries to pull away from me again. “For all of it. I shouldn’t have done that . . .”

“Done what?” I urge, pulling her to me again.

She looks horrified. “I almost kissed you . . . and—the paparazzi were there. It’s going to be all over the news outlets tomorrow.”

“Hey,” I say again, raising my hand to cup her jaw. My thumb traces over her cheek and I stare down at her. “It’s okay. I don’t care about any of that.”

“You say that now,” she whispers, but I get the sense that she doesn’t believe me. “I should go. My driver’s waiting for me.”

“Jersey,” I protest, but she’s already pulling away from me.

Before she runs out the door, she looks back at me, and her eyes are glassy. “I had a really nice time with you tonight, Hayes. We’ll talk later, okay?”

My shoulders deflate. I don’t want her to go, but at least she’s not completely running away from me. “Yeah, okay.”

“Bye, Hayes.”

“Goodnight, Jersey.”

When she walks away, my heart seems to go with her.

Scrolling through the headlines, it’s one after the other of Jersey and me at the gala last weekend, but they’re not flattering remarks.

The next big thing in the football world: Jersey Matthews spotted with her rebound, QB Hayes Vogt

Corey Shrader shocked by Jersey’s scandalous outing: “She never used to be this way.”

“She’s only acting out,” says source close to Jersey Matthews

And the worst:

Secret baby on the way? Milwaukee QB captured in a relationship he never wanted

And this from a reputable magazine! Jersey’s horrified expression stares up at me from my phone screen.

I’m standing right next to her, with my arm wrapped around her protectively, holding my hand in front of the cameras in a weak attempt to shield her from them.

My expression is one of pure annoyance and frustration.

Like how I’m feeling right now.

“Bro, look at this one.”

Jersey uses star QB to make Corey jealous: “Take me back or else”

Right below the main headline is an interview with her ex. I can’t help but notice he’s looking awfully smug in the freeze frame.

“Do you think she’s using you like this one says?” Beckett asks and I’m not sure if I want to gut punch him for asking or for sounding like he’s actually curious.

“I don’t think so.” I go for diplomacy. “She said they broke up. And you should’ve seen her. She was definitely annoyed when he showed up and tried to sit next to her.”

“Click the video.”

“No. I’m not going to click the video.”

Beckett leans over and presses his finger to my phone screen, clicking another link before I can snatch my hand away from him. I scowl at my friend. I don’t need to see this shit.

“You gotta know for sure. You’ve only been talking to her for a few weeks, not even a month yet. Can you confidently say you know she wouldn’t be capable of doing something like this?”

I want to tell him to fuck off, but I don’t. Beckett is just looking out for me, like he always does. Grumbling, I look down at the screen, pressing play on the video even though I already know I won’t like hearing what he has to say.

“Yeah, I don’t know what else to say other than she really let me down,” Corey says on the video.

“Tonight was supposed to be about us. Getting a chance to be out together, to mend bridges, and rekindle what we had before. I miss her. And I know she misses me, too. She doesn’t have to hook up with athletes to try to make me jealous. I’d take her back in a heartbeat.”

My irritation increases tenfold and I click out of the video before I can hear him spew any more of his bullshit. The media might be willing to fall for his story, but I’m not.

“Geez,” I mutter and run my hand over my hair.

“You’re sure you’re okay with this?” Beckett asks from where he stands at my side. “This is about to be your life now.”

I roll my lips together and glance down at the headline again.

I can’t lie. I don’t love the thought of being the center of the media’s attention all the time.

Scrolling down the page, I find more photos of me and Jersey at the gala.

The two of us are sitting side-by-side at our table.

She’s leaning one elbow on the table and has her chin propped up against her hand, looking at me as I tell her something.

Another captures us perusing the auction items. I’m looking down at her with a look of pure adoration.

My hand rests on the small of her back as her body leans into mine.

I felt so fortunate to get to spend that evening with her, even with the paparazzi crashing it at the end of the night, even with Corey Shrader running his big mouth.

“It’s going to be different. Take some getting used to,” I admit and Beckett nods. “But she’s worth it. I know that for sure.”

“How do you know that for sure?” I know he’s looking out for me. Beckett is a skeptic when it comes to love. “How do you know she’s not going to get in the way of your goals? Our goals?”

“I don’t.” I shrug. “But if that happens, then we’ll deal with it.”

“Come on, Hayes.”

I slide my phone back in my pocket and walk toward the squat rack to do my final set. “If the other night was any indication, there’s something strong between us. I’m not going to let that pass me by without taking a chance on it.”

“She’s so high profile. This could seriously affect your professional reputation.”

“Well then, it affects my reputation,” I say a bit too sharply.

“I’m just trying to protect you, man,” Beckett defends as he comes over to spot me at the rack.

“I know.” I grunt between reps. “And I appreciate it.”

“I don’t want you to jump in headfirst and risk being the one to get hurt in the end.

Tell me you’ll think about it. I know she’s beautiful, but you’ve got a lot on the line, too.

Like I said, you’ve barely known her for two seconds and already you’re all over the internet in a negative light.

You’ve never been involved in tabloids like this before.

Your name means something. To the sport and to the team. ”

I grit my teeth and do two more reps before racking the bar and sitting up.

I swipe my towel over my forehead and sigh.

He might be right. Associating myself with Jersey Matthews and all the publicity—good and bad—she brings with her could be detrimental to my career.

The career and the name I’ve worked so hard to build for myself.

Maybe he has a point. I do hardly know her. But I know Beckett, and I know he’s only looking out for me.

Begrudgingly, I look up at my best friend and give him a nod. “Fine. I’ll think about it.”