Page 33

noah

Sixty-nine percent. The messy handwriting stares up at me, mocking me.

Sixty-nine. Nowhere near one hundred. I can’t act surprised that I'm officially failing my Astronomy class. Between my other classes, all my extra practices, traveling for away games, and wanting to spend every free moment with Savannah, I haven’t spent any time studying for this class.

I’ve been getting by solely based on whatever my professor says in class, and even then, my mind drifts half the time.

I take a deep breath while rubbing at the pinching feeling in my chest.

Getting drafted and being told that I’m staying put for at least another year felt like a blessing at the time.

I needed to have a fallback plan after seeing how getting cut and being lost in this world affected my dad.

He had said, ‘Needing a fallback only proves that you’re not one hundred percent in this.

’ I didn’t argue with him. It was the league’s decision, not mine.

I just so happened to benefit from it. Unfortunately, the closer we get to the end of the season, the louder the voice in my head gets, telling me that maybe I’m still here because I’m not cutting it, and I possibly never will .

We’re three weeks away from spring, and yet, it’s the coldest day we’ve had all winter.

I hurry across campus, desperate for some warmth, and as I open the door to the coffee shop, I find it.

My grumpy ray of eternal sunshine. Savannah scrawls a name on a paper cup, her hair pulled back into two tight braids.

Her fluffy white sweater under her apron is a stark contrast to her usual all-black, but I like the way the color pops against her deep, tan skin.

The corners of her lips turn up in a polite smile when she hands the cup to Peter, and I smile to myself at how sweet and gentle she can be.

I like her unruly attitude and her sharp tongue. She’s cross and prickly, but I’ve witnessed the softer side of her. I’ve gotten a glimpse at who Savannah Alvarez is if you are lucky enough to be someone she opens up to.

The line moves forward again, and if I hadn’t been paying attention, I would have missed the slight shift in her demeanor. She recovers quickly, but she’s now wearing a phony smile for the guy standing in front of me.

“Hey.”

“Back at ya.”

Now I understand the facial switch-up. Who talks like that?

“What can I get started for you?”

“I don’t know.” He props a hand and his hip against the counter, giving me a view of his profile. “What’s your go-to coffee order?”

Grande, hot, flat white, with a triple shot of decaf espresso, whole milk, extra foam only on the bottom, two pumps of hazelnut, one pump of caramel syrup, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

He smiles, and something about his large, angular nose is familiar, but I can’t place him.

“Black coffee,” she lies.

“Badass.” He straightens. “I’ll take two. One for me and one for you. ”

Savannah’s forced smile and customer service voice never falter when she says, “How about just one? It’s a little too late for me to be having caffeine.”

That, partnered with the fact that you only drink decaf.

“Well then, how about another time?” When she doesn’t say anything, he continues, “Before or after we get dinner?”

‘I was thinking we could grab dinner sometime and catch up’

Tucker.

“Thank you, but… I don’t think either of those things will be happening.”

Tucker looks away once before leaning in closer and dropping his voice to a hushed tone. “Can I call you later? I really just want to talk. I’ve missed you.”

Of course, he misses her. I miss her from the moment she leaves my bed in the morning to the second I have her in my arms again.

Keeping what’s between us a secret is beginning to feel physically painful.

I watch her chew on the corner of her lip as she looks at him but when I can't stand to look at them anymore, I drop my gaze to the floor.

“I don’t think so.” Her voice is quiet but firm.

“Don’t tell me you have a new boyfriend.” He says it like the thought is completely asinine, and maybe for someone who doesn’t know her well, it would be. Someone who hasn’t been there long enough for her to open up to. Someone who’s only gotten to know the shielded version of her.

Nevertheless, my heartbeat hammers erratically as I wait for her response. I stare down at my hands, rubbing a thumb over my clammy palm. The blood feels like it's draining from my face the longer the silence stretches between them.

“I’m—”

Fuck it. My head whips up, and I find her eyes on me.

“Seeing someone,” she finishes, handing him his black coffee.

Relief floods my veins. I exhale a deep breath because, yeah, I want the entire fucking world to know she’s mine. It might be a dick move, but I can’t help myself. I’m feeling invincible at this moment.

I cup Tucker’s shoulder, stepping up to the counter. “Tough break, buddy.”

He curls his lip up in disgust before registering who I am. His eyes flirt back to Savannah until he finally tucks his tail between his legs and stomps off without another look in our direction.

“Hey.” I beam at her, and she responds with a little huff of laughter and a light shake of her head.

My fingers catch in the soft waves of Savannah’s hair. I’m trying not to be distracted by the fact that she's standing in front of me in nothing but a towel while I undo her braids.

“You seem tired.”

My eyes catch hers in the mirror, but I quickly look away, back to her hair before I shake my head.

Admitting that I’m tired feels like I’m admitting I can’t handle it. Plus, I don’t like talking about the extra training my dad has me on. Without knowing him, his style can be easy to judge, especially for someone like Savannah, whose dad has a much different approach.

The truth is, I am tired. I’m tired of feeling like I’m falling behind.

I’m tired of feeling like a failure in certain areas.

I want to have it all. I want to be able to train and compete at the highest level.

I want to pass my courses. I want to be a guy deserving of Savannah, someone that she doesn’t want to hide.

This new need to be the best for her, to want to give her my all and never disappoint her, it only adds to my growing list of places where my attention needs to be.

But right now, I don’t want to be anywhere else .

Her hair slips through my fingers before tumbling in soft waves down her back.

I run my hands over the soft slopes of her shoulders and place a gentle kiss on the pulse point in her neck, causing her head to drop lazily to my shoulder.

I instinctively wrap my arms around her, anchoring myself to her.

For a moment, in this bathroom, I can trick myself into believing that nothing outside exists. For right now, it’s just us.

Her body hums against me and her eyes catch mine through the mirror.

Her hands hold the plush white towel loosely around her breasts, and I drop my lips to her shoulder, breathing her in.

A gentle moan echoes in the small space as I slip my hand between the fold of her towel, and drag my palm up her inner thighs until I feel the warmth radiating from her.

She turns her head just enough, and my other hand cups the side of her face. I don’t deserve this right now, but she does, and I’ll always give her everything she deserves.

I kiss her and she shivers, letting go of her towel in response.

My middle two fingers slide between her warmth before I bury them inside of her.

Her lips part, allowing my tongue to explore deeper, and I press my palm against her, rubbing her clit.

“Yes,” she pants softly.

I let go of my hold on her neck and pinch one of her nipples between my fingers. Her chest juts forward, pressing more firmly into the palm of my hand. Her bare ass digs into the front of my jeans, where I’m straining against the unforgiving fabric.

Keeping one hand between her legs, I use my other to make quick work of my pants. They fall to my ankles and my cock springs free .

Thank fuck. I torture myself by stroking my length once, squeezing lightly at the base before I make my way back down and run my thumb over the tip, collecting the pool of precum.

I watch Savannah in the mirror, riding my hand.

Her perfect, pink lips hang open. I reach my hand around her, setting my thumb on her bottom lip, and she greedily sucks it in her mouth.

Her cheeks hollow out, and the mix of her soft, wet mouth around my finger, and her warm, dripping pussy on my hand is too much.

She lets go of my thumb with a strangled cry as I curl my fingers inside her. I look around the counter for a condom, knowing it’s pointless. Savannah’s whimpering moans only intensify, and I know she’s close.

“Fuck. I want to fill you up so badly right now.” I drop my head to her shoulder, continuing to curl my fingers inside her. “I’ve never been so jealous of my fucking fingers before.” I grit out, almost ripping the drawer off the hinges as I open it. Nothing.

I’m panting along with her, trying to bring her to her orgasm, my desire and need for her beginning to override every other thought.

My head is on a swivel, looking everywhere for a stray condom that might be hidden.

“I’m on the pill.”

My limbs go heavy as the blood rushes through my body. I look at her through the mirror, noticing how wide my eyes are.

Hers aren’t though. They’re dark and sure. She stops moving against my hand and bends forward, propping herself up on the mirror, and nods her head, reassuring me.

I look from my cock, fully upright against my stomach, to her ass, which she's shifting closer to me.

I swipe the head of my cock through her already soaked center and grind down on my molars.

Breathing slowly out of my nose, I press in only an inch, but it feels like my entire body is engulfed by her.