Chapter 28

It was Thursday and I was in the hallway with Graham. He played with my hand, lacing our fingers, tracing his fingers over my palm, and kissing my knuckles. He grinned at me widely when I blushed.

The school was vibrant with energy. That night was an important game and people were excited and overzealous about it. They were wearing the school’s colors, and they were congratulating the players and wishing them good luck.

The cheer squad was everywhere to enhance the atmosphere by singing and shaking their skirts and pom-poms.

It was quite lovely.

Graham wasn’t paying much attention to anything. He kept stealing glances at me and grinning. His hand kept touching me everywhere. I couldn’t lie and say I was paying attention either. He was distracting. Very, very distracting. His lingering touches were driving me insane.

Jackson appeared down the corridor and swung an arm around Graham’s shoulder.

“Focus tonight, St. Claire,” he said in a serious voice. “Stop thinking about your girl and her hand for five seconds, dude, okay? There’s more than Hazel’s sexy brains and nails.”

I pressed my lips together, fighting a smile.

Graham dropped my hand and punched Jackson on the arm. “Fuck off, Jackson.”

Jackson chuckled. “Hazel, control your wild man.”

I laughed as Jackson threw me an alarmed look. It was funny how he now talked to me like we were all friends who liked to banter.

“Promise me,” Jackson said, speaking to me. “You’ll make sure he shows up tonight, instead of at your place. We need the QB tonight. Big show tonight.”

“Won’t be a problem. She’ll be there,” Graham grumbled, and his statement made me confused. I was going?

I was surprised by the piece of information. Graham stated it like it was a fact when we hadn’t discussed it yet. I was already busy tonight—I needed to work. Also, I had to study since I wasn’t in school on Monday.

“Just make sure your ass is on the field when the game starts, Cap,” Jackson said. “I don’t want Coach rambling to me about your no-show.”

Graham nodded, serious. “Yeah, I’ll be there, Jackson. You can chill.” But I knew it was important to Graham and he wasn’t missing the game for anything in the world.

“See you tonight. I’m warning you.” Jackson narrowed his eyes at Graham. “Or I’ll text you like a clingy girlfriend until you show up. Trust me, I can be very clingy.”

“I know.” Graham rolled his eyes. “Relax, dude.”

“I would if it wasn’t such an important game. You’ve been warned.”

And with that, Jackson left us, and I raised my eyebrows at Graham.

Graham chuckled, shaking his head, and grabbing my hand again to play with it. I didn’t know what the fascination was with it, but I wasn’t complaining. I felt a little like Elizabeth Bennet and Graham being Mr. Darcy, flexing his hand.

“So, I’m going to the game?” I asked.

“You are. First row, screaming my name until your voice is sore,” he said with a wink. “You know, you should wear my jacket too. The one you never returned.”

I smiled at him. It was my favorite jacket, though it didn’t smell like Graham anymore. I needed to correct that. “I will return it, I swear.” On a very faraway day…

“Don’t,” he said with a grin, leaning even closer. Our mouths were inches away. “So, tonight?”

“I have to work.”

“Call them. Tell them the entire town will be at the game and that no one is going to be at the diner,” he stated with confidence, which wasn’t a lie. When there were football games, this town went crazy.

“It’s not that easy, Graham.” I exhaled, dropping my shoulders. I hated to disappoint him but going to the game seemed impossible. “I’ve been missing more workdays these couple of months than the entire time I’ve been there,” I said. I missed work after the party when we went to the beach. The owner/manager, Ashton, was okay with it, but I didn’t want to abuse his generosity.

Graham sighed, dropping my hand and staring at me. He leaned closer until he cornered me against a wall. His arms were planted on the wall next to my head. It was like he was putting a wall between us and the school.

“Baby, I need you there,” he pleaded. His voice was beseeching, and his eyes were intense, green, and dark. My body shivered at the contact.

I gave him a weak smile. “You don’t need me.”

I played with his shirt, running my hands up and down his chest. The chest I loved and adored to lay my head down on after an intimate moment or while watching a movie, or even when we hugged.

“You’ve been great without me there in the past,” I pointed out. “I’m sure you’ll do great tonight too.” Graham could shine alone. He didn’t need other people to do so.

Also, I didn’t know anything about football.

~Sorry, Dad~.

I’d be lost the entire time. Knowing myself, I’d end up cheering for the opposite team.

“No.” Graham shook his head vehemently. “I’ll be distracted the entire time, thinking about you. Where you are. What you are doing. Can’t have that; you heard Jackson. No more thinking about your sexy brain and nails.” Though he sounded as if joking, there was an honesty to his words.

I smiled softly because Graham was persistent. He really wanted me there. The realization warmed me.

“Also,” he continued when I didn’t cave. “It’s been scientifically proven—”

And I had to laugh at his attempts to convince me with arguments. “Proven by whom?”

“Scientists and physiologists, hence the scientifically.” He gave me a look like it was a clear statement. “It’s been proven that when there are people you like watching you perform, you focus and perform better.”

“Why is that?” I tilted my head playfully.

“To impress.”

“You don’t need to impress me, Graham. I’m very much impressed by you.”

Graham exhaled like he was irritated at my unwillingness to give in.

“Fine,” he grumbled. “Want to know the truth?” His eyes were startlingly clear. I didn’t see it, but it felt like he was pressing harder against the wall. “Here it is. I want you there because when we are exhausted, I’ll look at you and keep going. My team needs the victory for scholarships since scouts will be there, so when I look at you, I’ll know this isn’t about me but about them too. Because when victory is closer, you’ll be the next push. Because when we win, you are the one person I want to celebrate it with. Or if we lose”—he swallowed as if there was a bitter taste in his mouth to even think about such an outcome—“I will only want one of your hugs to make me feel better.”

My heart slammed hard against my chest.

Graham was looking at me intently, I was trying not to melt.

“I want you there because it’ll mean a lot to me,” he whispered. “Your mere presence is enough to change everything to more. I want to remember tonight as something grand, with you there.”

“Wow,” I could only say. I was floored. More than floored. He had stolen my breath.

“I’ll even call your workplace so you can go,” he offered. “Just go to the game.”

I nodded. How could I reject him after that huge confession? Even if I lost my job, I believed it was worth it.

“I will.” I swallowed.

I cupped his cheeks, caressing his jaw with my thumbs, and pulled him to me. I kissed him softly. He smiled in relief against my lips.

“Thanks, baby,” he muttered between kisses. “I also hoped that you could stay at my place after the game.” He eyed me sheepishly and bit his lower lip.

“That’s a hard one,” I confessed. Ever since my parents and I had the talk about Graham, I was sure the excuse of staying at Melissa’s was off the table. “I don’t think my parents will believe I’m spending another night at Melissa’s.”

They knew better. I rarely went to sleepovers.

Graham exhaled in disappointment. Something clutched my heart and squeezed it hard. I wanted to erase his frown. After that speech, I wanted to give more and more to Graham.

“But,” I said, “you can pick me up in your car late like last time. Like for our date.”

Graham’s mouth curled up. “Okay. I’ll take that.”

He pushed away but kept staring at me.

Our connection was broken when Christy’s pom-poms were brandished in Graham’s face, interrupting our moment. She squealed at Graham in her cheerleader uniform. “Graham!”

Christy didn’t even grace to look at me. She did everything to ignore me. The only time she spoke to me was before she knew Graham and I were involved. Now it was radio silence. Not that I minded. Her animosity could be smelled from miles away.

“Good luck tonight,” she said with a grin and bright eyes, like watching her hero. “Though you don’t need it. You’re going to be great as always. I—we—believe in you.” She smiled in flirtation and Graham only nodded politely.

“Thanks, Christy,” he said.

I cleared my throat. “I’d better head to class now,” I said, pressing my books to my chest and trying to move away, but Graham grabbed my waist and kissed me again.

“See you tonight,” he mumbled.

I could feel Christy glaring at me as I walked away. It didn’t waver until I was in a classroom, and even then, I could still imagine her killing me in her head.

I pressed my lips into a smile since it was funny how much she disliked me for dating Graham.

I wasn’t afraid of her. I didn’t think she would try anything against me now. She seemed more bark than bite, and I was sure Graham didn’t want her either.

***

I attended the game.

I decided to take my books, hoping to catch up, but it was impossible to focus. Everyone was hollering with enthusiasm, and it was difficult not to join them.

Also, I wanted to show Graham that I was watching everything. Even though I wouldn’t understand half of what was happening, or anything at all.

I stood up and cheered when I saw the cheer squad yelling and egging the crowd on to join their singing. Melissa was also yelling beside me, so it was a good sign I wasn’t making a fool out of myself yet.

The game started and I narrowed my eyes at Graham. I saw him moving around and running and getting tackled. I clenched my teeth, flinching when someone landed on top of him and sent him to the grass.

However, Melissa continued screaming enthusiastically like we were winning.

I had no idea.

Time moved on and I was mesmerized, watching Graham. I didn’t care about the rules or the points, only about his great figure sprinting around. His movements were graceful despite the aggressiveness of the game.

“Best game ever!” Melissa squealed after a break. “Are you even watching your man play? He’s on fire tonight.”

I hadn’t realized it, but smiled, proud of him. He could do anything.

Apparently, from the zealous conversation around us, we were smashing the rival team.

The game passed a bit slowly, but the ambience was entertaining.

Graham hadn’t looked at me throughout the entire game, too focused, but once the whistle sounded, marking the end of the game, he removed his helmet. He grinned, searching the bleachers. When he spotted me, his lips curled into a beam.

The entire team ran to him, congratulating him for his performance. Some of them slapped him on the arm, others on the back. Jackson smacked the back of his head, smiling.

However, Graham walked to the bleachers, undeterred. Even when the cheerleaders ambushed him, he nodded and dodged them without removing his eyes from me. My stomach fluttered.

“Get down there!” Melissa urged me, grabbing my arm and shoving me to the stairs.

I glanced at Melissa a bit lost, but she pointed to a place where I could go down the steps and be low enough to jump to the field.

I rushed down the stairs and before I could jump, Graham urged me to his chest. I leapt to him, and he clutched my waist and hugged me tightly. He was soaking in sweat, making the hug sticky, but I could feel him closer somehow. Then, he tilted my head with one of his large hands and kissed me senselessly.

“You were amazing!” I said, breathless. Graham’s face could crack from the size of his smile.

“Did you understand any of the game?” he asked and when I shrugged, he shook his head. “Do you know anything about football?”

I shook my head and Graham chuckled.

“We have to fix that if you are coming to all of my games.”

I was so dazzled with him that I didn’t mind going to any of his games, only to see him move and do what he loved. He was magnetic—no one could keep their eyes off him tonight. Graham kissed me more. His tongue plundered my mouth like he needed a taste. I could feel the enthusiasm in his kiss. He was ready to take it somewhere else.

Someone yelled, calling for Graham. It was Oliver. Next to him, Jackson stood, all sweaty and breathless.

“Oi, Graham,” Oliver said, his face stoic even though he had won an important game. “Going to my place tonight to celebrate?”

“Sorry, I have other plans.” He turned to me and squeezed me tighter to him.

Jackson looked at me, expectantly. “Hazel—”

“No, Jackson. Fuck off. I’m not sharing Miller tonight. She’s all mine,” Graham warned before Jackson could say anything else. He hugged me, removing me from Jackson’s view. I buried my face in his sweaty chest, which I didn’t mind at all, and laughed.

“Fucking pussy,” Jackson commented loud enough to be heard.

I continued shaking my shoulders with mirth.

Graham pushed me back so we could connect gazes.

“So, what’s the plan?” I asked.

“My place.” He licked his lips. “We get a nice bath. Together. Then we can get sweaty under the sheets again.” He winked at me, and I shook my head. However, my body was already throbbing and tingling. “Afterward, I bring you home and pick you up again.”

“What about your father?” I asked him. “Did he come?” It was an important game and from the way Graham played, I bet his father was watching.

Graham’s smile fell at the mention of his father. I wanted to take back the question.

“He couldn’t.” Graham cleared his throat. “He’s out of town, doing some interviews. But he’ll probably see a few videos of the game. Highlights,” he explained. “It’s you and me tonight. Do you want to meet him? Maybe sometime next week?”

The invitation meant a lot, even though my stomach churned at the thought of meeting Mr. St. Claire. Nonetheless, I nodded. “I would love to.”

“Great.” He perked up. “Now, time to celebrate.”

He took me to his place, and we celebrated.

A lot.

No complaints, though. If this was how it’d be after each game, I was more than happy to share the memory with him.