Page 27

P er usual, Mav went too hard last night, so I’m currently driving to Georgia, trying not to stare at Bellamy’s exposed thighs and the way her green-painted toes look hanging out the window. All while my twin naps in the back seat of his Tahoe.

Bellamy sits up in the seat, leaning over to look at my phone. “Don’t get me wrong, I love nineties country, but can I change the Spotify station for the last few minutes of the drive?”

I shrug. “Sure.”

The second she swipes up on my phone, my mistake hits me.

“What’s your password?”

I swallow, debating between snatching it from her to do it myself or confessing the truth.

It’s reckless, but I find myself wanting her to know.

Confusion mars her face, likely because of my hesitation, causing her to tilt the phone in my direction. “Welp, this is awkward,” she huffs, assuming I don’t want to give it to her for other reasons, I’m sure.

But I don’t reach for the phone, instead, my eyes find hers. “040404,” I whisper and quickly turn my attention back to the road.

April 4 th 2004. Her birthday.

I feel her green eyes watching me curiously from the passenger seat, then her fingers start to move across my screen.

She barely whispers the numbers as she types them in, “040404.”

When my home screen clicks open, she whips her head in my direction again. I keep my eyes on the road, unsure of what she’s thinking.

What feels like five minutes later, she whispers, “Why?”

“Why what?” I ask, even though I know exactly what she’s wondering.

“Why would my birthday be your password?”

I turn my hat around backwards, trying to think of a way to avoid the real answer to the question. “I don’t know...”

She shakes her head, a shaky breath leaving her lips. “That’s not good enough.”

“I know it’s not, but…”

“But what, Cash? This is so confusing.” Her words come out with more bite this time, and it has me swallowing past a lump in my throat.

My palms are sweaty against the stirring wheel as I try to decide what all I want to share with her. “I never changed it from three years ago.”

“Because you just didn’t want to learn a new one?” she asks immediately.

I shake my head, briefly turning to look at her. “No, because I didn’t want to.”

“Cash.” My name is a whispered plea. One I feel deep down in my soul.

“Bella, look…” I pause again, getting my thoughts together.

And, of course, in that very second, my phone dings in Bellamy’s hand. All it takes is one glance at her face to know exactly who it was from.

Her jawline tenses, and her expression turns to stone as she tilts her head to look out the passenger window, and without looking at me, she holds my phone out. “Your girlfriend said she hopes you and Mav have fun on your road trip.”

I contemplate what to say, not wanting things to be even weirder this weekend, so I decide to be honest with her again.

“I understand it doesn’t make any sense, and it sounds kind of stupid saying it out loud, but small things like my password and jersey number were pieces I could still have from my time with you. Things no one would know but us.”

We come to a stop sign, and I’m able to turn and look at her. Really look at her. I see the way her eyes soften at my vulnerability, so I take the chance to continue.

“I already had to give you up, I couldn’t bring myself to give those up too.”

She surprises me by reaching for my hand, and tingles spread up my arm from the soft touch.

“I get it… Trust me, I get it.” Her lips pinch together, and just when I think she’s about to say more, a horn blares behind us, and a startled Mav sits straight up in the back seat.

I look up and find the red light has turned green, so I press the gas, heading farther into town.

“What? Where are we?” he asks sleepily, looking around, trying to get his bearings.

Bellamy gently squeezes my hand one last time before pulling her own back into her lap. Just the feeling of her palm in mine has my body buzzing.

My eyes meet Mav’s in the rear-view mirror. “We are almost there, sleeping beauty.”

I don’t miss the way he looks between Bellamy and me before he meets my eyes in the mirror again. He must have noticed her hand in mine.

Yeah, your bubs is fucked.

Again…

Or maybe I always have been…

Since Bellamy Clark moved to Cane Creek Ranch, that is.

“Nate really is the legend people make him out to be,” Mav says, impressed by our new roommate and his latest win as QB1 against Georgia today.

“Honestly, all three of your roomies are really freaking good at football. Like, Graham’s talent is old news to us, but who knew baby Nola was that good?” Bellamy says from where we’re leaning against Mav’s Tahoe, parked near the football bus.

“He’s only one year younger than you,” I deadpan. That’s the third time tonight she’s talked about how good he is.

“Little cousin.” We hear Graham’s loud voice boom through the parking lot, a huge smile on his face.

“Little my ass,” Mav hollers back.

“I’m talking to the pretty one… Not you.” He nods toward Bellamy.

“She’s not your cousin,” I whisper-growl, feeling even more possessive of her tonight after our moment in the car earlier.

But Bellamy must hear me because she turns slightly. “It’s better than being his…something else, isn’t it?” She raises her eyebrows suggestively, and then she walks over to him as he swoops her into a hug.

My body aches for just a simple hug.

“Gigi said to tell you that she and Papaw watched it on TV, and she’s so proud of you,” Bellamy beams up at him.

“She’d be proud of me if I rode the bench,” Graham says, just as our other two roommates walk up.

We congratulate them all on their win, and then Mav asks the guys, “So what’s the plan for tonight? Y’all sneaking out of the hotel?”

Nola chuckles. “Of course we are.”

“Apparently, our linebacker, Williams, has a cousin who’s a sorority girl here, and they’re throwing a party for us.” Graham raises his eyebrows toward the group.

“Them hoes ain’t loyal,” Bellamy sing-songs, shaking her head playfully.

“I don’t need loyal...” Nola responds, nudging her arm.

“Oh, I know all about you, playboy.”

I grind my molars at her flirty tone.

“I may stay at the hotel,” Nate says, glancing down at his phone.

“Nah, superstar, we came all this way. You better come out and celebrate with us,” Mav chides, patting Nate on the chest.

Nate holds his hands up. “Okay, okay.”

Maverick smirks, proud of how easy that was.

One of the assistant coaches calls out for the guys to get on the bus.

“We’ll see y’all back at the hotel,” Nate says, waving over his shoulder.

“I’ll text y’all,” Graham says as he gives Bellamy one last hug.

“Bubs, you sure this is a good idea?” Maverick asks me as he finishes getting dressed to go out.

I glance at the closed bathroom door. “Yes, Mav, not really my scene anyway,” I defend, even though we both know the real reason I’m not joining him.

When Bellamy said she was tired and didn’t feel like going to a random sorority party, I happily said I wanted to stay back, too.

“Okay, I just know…” He pauses for a second, and I want to know what he’s thinking.

“Say it, Mav.”

“I’ve noticed a shift between you two lately, really ever since she got hurt, and I just want you two to be on the same page before anything happens that can’t be undone.”

“She won’t allow anything to happen,” I respond, trying my best to mask the disappointment in my tone.

“I’m not so sure about that anymore, Cash. And I remember how bad you both were hurting after the last time. It took forever for it not to feel awkward as shit when we were all together.”

“I know that, but I’m good. Go have fun,” I lie as the water turns off in her shower.

I’m far from good, because just the thought of her in their naked and wet has my mind conjuring up all kinds of fantasies.

A couple of minutes later, she’s cussing at herself in the bathroom.

“You good in there?” Mav asks her, eyebrow quirked as he listens for her reply.

“Yeah, I was so worried about packing clothes to wear for going out that I forgot something to sleep in. Do either of you have a big t-shirt?”

“I do,” I answer quicker than I should have by the look Mav gives me.

She cracks the bathroom door, and I pass her one of my hockey shirts.

Property of MRU Athletics, with my number 44 printed across the front. A number I chose to keep even when I could have changed it. A number she now knows is incorporated into my phone password as well.

“Thank you,” she says before quickly shutting the door.

“Or you could just say fuck it, put those going out clothes on, and come with me,” Mav teases her through the door, giving me a knowing look.

I take a deep breath to seem unaffected, but if she agrees to go with him, then it’ll be pretty obvious how full of shit I am. There’s no way I’m staying back while she goes to some party filled to the brim with college athletes.

Her answer saves the day. “I’m good. Maybe if we were going to a club, but I don’t want to go to some sorority house with all of you so every girl there can give me the stink eye all night.”

Mav looks at me, finding me smirking. “Fine. Well, I’m outta here. I’ll crash on the couch when I get back so I don’t disturb either of you and your beauty sleep,” he says, pointing to the pull-out couch in the corner of the room.

“Be safe,” Bellamy calls out.

“Call me if you need me,” I tell him.

“Be good, you two,” he says with a chuckle before leaving.

As soon as the door closes, Bellamy walks out of the bathroom. Her hair is on top of her head in a messy bun, and even on her 5’6” frame, my shirt drapes to her upper thighs.

I can’t help but stare at her.

Breathe.

Don’t look at her long legs on display.

Did she remember to bring panties?

I’ve been enraptured by her beauty many times over the past few years, but Bellamy in nothing but my shirt with a bare face and hair pulled up has me reminding myself to breathe, just like the first day I met her.