“Okay,” he said, kicking his hands forward into mine a little, my eyes zeroing in on his small touch. “I’ll be there, at your dorm, at 7. Wear something nice.” He smiled as he turned to jog back to the others.

He was coming to see me in person? I had expected a phone call. But he…was taking me out? My heart was flipping inside, full of possibility. But as I watched him walk away with Dylan, Jason, and Jenny, I caught myself a little, not wanting to fall too far. And when Jason turned to give me a small wink and a shrug, his head tilting to Jenny, I questioned everything all over again.

Chapter 12

Reed

When I left to join Dylan and Jason at the Hyatt restaurant for our business meeting, every single fiber of my body was fighting against me. But I knew I had to take this meeting. Dylan had arranged for an informal meeting with someone on the Chargers coaching staff. To make it all seem accidental and informal, we had to set it up to be like a real evening out…like a date. And when Dylan suggested that Jason and Jenny join us to just make it work, I didn’t fight her on it much. Dammit, I regretted that now.

Seeing Nolan’s face in the stands brought me home. I knew I’d owe Sarah hugely for sneaking me a text about where they were sitting before the game started. But damn if I wasn’t relieved to have her on my side this time. People say shit about your life flashing before you in moments of fear and tragedy, but I had my life play before me the moment I locked eyes on Nolan. I remembered every moment I’d done the exact same thing, sought out her face in the crowd, just to know where she was. I’d been doing it since we were kids, really. Before I was hers, and she was mine. I didn’t know what the pull was then, but I understood it now. And I’ll be damned if I was going to let it go without a serious fight.

I noticed the hurt on her face when she saw me leave with Jenny. I’d have to explain what really happened, where we went, and what she was doing there. I knew I would. But I had a lot of work to do before then. I had to make my girl whole again. And if there was anything that had broken on my watch, well, I was going to try my damnedest to fix it.

That’s what I was doing at my mother’s on Thursday, and why I had to put off my first step with rebuilding my life with Nolan until Friday. I had offered to take my mom out for dinner, hoping a public venue might soften her up a little, but she was excited to see me, and always hated to share our time together. She had a special dinner prepared, and we ate at her house with Sam. I liked Sam. I did. He was nice to my mom, and incredibly tolerant of her need to be in a spotlight. But he wasn’t a fighter, like my dad. He was the kind to roll over and let her get her way. And I didn’t need any extra players working against me tonight, so I waited to talk to my mother in private after dinner was done.

Sam had retired to his office to “Take care of some phone calls,” he said, but I had grown to know that was when my stepfather snuck in his cigars and brandy. When he left, I joined mom out on her patio for coffee. I didn’t really like coffee, but I’d drink it. I’d drink anything to make time for this conversation tonight. I was nervous, like a child asking their parent for something really huge, something that meant something to them, and required trust and faith. I think what scared me most was that my mom wouldn’t have either in me, not about this. But I also knew that if I didn’t try, I’d regret it for the rest of my life.

“Hey, Mom? I need to ask a favor of you,” I started as we slid into the comfortable recliners that overlooked the sprawling pool and water features near her patio.

“Of course, Reed sweetheart. Anything, you know that, right?” she said, and I hoped like hell she meant it…because the alternative would be ugly.

I sat up and turned sideways to face her, my elbows resting on my knees, so I could stare into the steam coming from my cup, almost hoping it would reveal some crystal-ball message that would guide me through this. Taking a deep breath, I looked up at my mom, the woman who raised me, and had always told me she would do anything it took to make me happy. “I need you to help Nolan,” I said, my stomach falling out of me, and my head getting light from the nerves that were now filling my body.

My mom’s lips formed a straight line, not a smile…but not a frown. Her eyebrows were low, considering perhaps? She set her cup down on a table and sat up to face me, but kept her gaze down. Afraid? “Reed…what kind of trouble is Nolan in?” my mom asked, her body visibly shuddering.

“She’s had some bad things happen this semester…sort of a really shitty run of luck,” I started, my mom smacking my knee at my curse word. “Sorry, I just meant it for emphasis,” I kept going, taking in another deep breath before getting to the meat of my request. “Anyhow, she’s been distracted—like, really distracted, Mom. And her scholarships are in jeopardy. And you and I both know how much those mean to her, how important they are to her…”