be.”
“If we get in trouble for this, I swear I’m going to—”
Placing a finger over my lips, he says, “Live a little. Besides, we’re just going to set this blanket in the middle of the field and enjoy the night sky. The lights go out in eight minutes.”
I open my mouth to tell him we should leave. It’s not worth the risk … neither of us can afford to get in any trouble. But I want to be here with him. I just have to decide if he’s worth the risk.
“What’s holding you back?” he asks, noticing my reluctance. His index finger rests under my chin, making it impossible to look away from him.
“I can’t afford to lose my scholarship.”
He removes his finger and breaks eye contact, grabbing my hand in his again. “You’re not going to get in any trouble. Let’s find a spot before it gets too dark.”
When we reach mid-field, he drops my hand and lays the blanket flat on the ground without uttering a word. I’d started to relax while walking across the field, but those doubts and worries are creeping back up again. Even when I was on my first date with Clay, I didn’t feel this way. And this isn’t even a date … I don’t know what this is.
He sits on one side of the blanket and pats the spot next to him. “I don’t bite.”
I smile in an attempt to ease the tension between us and take the spot beside him, careful not to get too close. “Do you come out here often?”
I feel him staring at me, but I continue to look at the empty bleachers behind the end zone. There’s nothing to see really, but it’s keeping my nerves in check.
“I do some of the maintenance work out here for some extra cash so between football and that, I guess you could say yes.”
And just like that, the lights flash off, leaving us alone with a better picture of the stars in the otherwise dark sky. I’m thankful the rain ended earlier because it’s giving us a perfect view.
“You know, when you asked me to leave with you, this is the last place I thought you would take me,” I admit, propping myself on my elbows.
He chuckles, and out of the corner of my eye, I notice him mimicking my position. “Where did you think I was going to take you? I’m just trying to score some originality points.”
Biting my lower lip, I turn to get a better look at him. “Mission accomplished.”
Sometimes quietness between two people can be awkward, but I’m finally getting to the point with Drake where it’s not as uncomfortable. Being with him actually relaxes me. Like when I’m with him, I’m free to think about other things besides my grades and how I’m going to write my research paper that’s not due for two more months. Even when we’re bickering, I’d rather be with him than most other places. It’s weird, and I know I’ve only known him for a short time, but there’s definitely something different about me when I’m with him.
“What are you thinking about over there?” he asks, resting his warm hand on top of mine. It sends those crazy butterflies loose again. The ones I’ve been feeling whenever I’m around him.
“How nice it is to do something besides study. Sometimes I overwhelm myself, you know?”
“I feel the same way. I stress out when I have a game but being out here now, like this, is one of the most relaxing things ever. I’m always working toward making the pros, and if I’m not throwing the football, I’m not any closer. School, work … it’s all necessary, but it’s not going to get me to where I’m going.”
I turn my head until I feel the worn flannel blanket against my cheek. He’s staring straight up at the dark sky, but I know he sees me from the corner of his eye. “I get what you’re saying. I wish I could skip undergrad and go straight to grad school.”
“What do you want to be when you grow up, Emery?” he asks, finally turning his eyes to me.
I swallow, feeling the empty pit in my stomach. Usually when I tell someone what I want to do with my life, they
“If we get in trouble for this, I swear I’m going to—”
Placing a finger over my lips, he says, “Live a little. Besides, we’re just going to set this blanket in the middle of the field and enjoy the night sky. The lights go out in eight minutes.”
I open my mouth to tell him we should leave. It’s not worth the risk … neither of us can afford to get in any trouble. But I want to be here with him. I just have to decide if he’s worth the risk.
“What’s holding you back?” he asks, noticing my reluctance. His index finger rests under my chin, making it impossible to look away from him.
“I can’t afford to lose my scholarship.”
He removes his finger and breaks eye contact, grabbing my hand in his again. “You’re not going to get in any trouble. Let’s find a spot before it gets too dark.”
When we reach mid-field, he drops my hand and lays the blanket flat on the ground without uttering a word. I’d started to relax while walking across the field, but those doubts and worries are creeping back up again. Even when I was on my first date with Clay, I didn’t feel this way. And this isn’t even a date … I don’t know what this is.
He sits on one side of the blanket and pats the spot next to him. “I don’t bite.”
I smile in an attempt to ease the tension between us and take the spot beside him, careful not to get too close. “Do you come out here often?”
I feel him staring at me, but I continue to look at the empty bleachers behind the end zone. There’s nothing to see really, but it’s keeping my nerves in check.
“I do some of the maintenance work out here for some extra cash so between football and that, I guess you could say yes.”
And just like that, the lights flash off, leaving us alone with a better picture of the stars in the otherwise dark sky. I’m thankful the rain ended earlier because it’s giving us a perfect view.
“You know, when you asked me to leave with you, this is the last place I thought you would take me,” I admit, propping myself on my elbows.
He chuckles, and out of the corner of my eye, I notice him mimicking my position. “Where did you think I was going to take you? I’m just trying to score some originality points.”
Biting my lower lip, I turn to get a better look at him. “Mission accomplished.”
Sometimes quietness between two people can be awkward, but I’m finally getting to the point with Drake where it’s not as uncomfortable. Being with him actually relaxes me. Like when I’m with him, I’m free to think about other things besides my grades and how I’m going to write my research paper that’s not due for two more months. Even when we’re bickering, I’d rather be with him than most other places. It’s weird, and I know I’ve only known him for a short time, but there’s definitely something different about me when I’m with him.
“What are you thinking about over there?” he asks, resting his warm hand on top of mine. It sends those crazy butterflies loose again. The ones I’ve been feeling whenever I’m around him.
“How nice it is to do something besides study. Sometimes I overwhelm myself, you know?”
“I feel the same way. I stress out when I have a game but being out here now, like this, is one of the most relaxing things ever. I’m always working toward making the pros, and if I’m not throwing the football, I’m not any closer. School, work … it’s all necessary, but it’s not going to get me to where I’m going.”
I turn my head until I feel the worn flannel blanket against my cheek. He’s staring straight up at the dark sky, but I know he sees me from the corner of his eye. “I get what you’re saying. I wish I could skip undergrad and go straight to grad school.”
“What do you want to be when you grow up, Emery?” he asks, finally turning his eyes to me.
I swallow, feeling the empty pit in my stomach. Usually when I tell someone what I want to do with my life, they
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