Chapter 39: Hurt - Cole

My addiction is getting worse. The little bit of glimpses and touches don't feel enough.

I only got to hug Monet briefly after the game before I had to go to the press conference, and we took showers, packed up, and got back on the bus straight to the airport. I know they have a flight back early tomorrow morning, so I call her on the bus.

"Are you okay?" She still sounds excited in the background. "Amy and I are headed back to the hotel right now."

"Yeah, just don't go out, please." It's a selfish request. "You saw how the fans were, so rather stay in."

"We weren't going anywhere anyway, we fly out at like six tomorrow morning."

Thank fuck.

"Okay, don't get a taxi or anything, I'll come pick you up at the airport. Bye." I end the call before she can argue. It's an hour's drive from the campus, which means I have to leave at seven, only giving me a few hours' worth of sleep, but I have to see her, touch her, even just for a little while. The only real time we spent together was last week Sunday, and I'm still pissed at myself for not kissing her back. I should've stolen that moment, it might have been the only time I got a chance, and if she regretted it afterwards, we could have pretended it never happened.

Wanting to touch her is like this incessant itch underneath my skin.

Antoine slaps my shoulder from the seat behind me, making me flimch. Those fuckers got some good hits in today, my body feels battered and bruised.

"It's by-week next week champ!" he says excitedly. "You know what that means!"

We are supposed to rest during by-week, but instead the guys always get some girls and go camping instead. It's become an annual tradition. Coach usually doesn't mind, as long as nobody got excessively drunk and he always says you don't sleep with a drunk girl either, because that's borderline assault.

What does that make me then? How many years would I get in jail if they found my little wireless camera that is hidden in Monet's room? I'm probably going to need to replace it soon if I don't want the battery dying. I still have the card for her door, would she think it's weird if I leave her another present in her room?

The worst thing is, she trusts me, so if I do leave her something she would probably think it's very sweet and brotherly of me.

"Are we gonna ask Amy and Stinker to come?" Luke asks nervously, his eyes darting to the front of the bus to check if Coach hears anything, but the guys are rowdy from the win against a very difficult opponent.

If I could only get Monet into my tent for the night, somehow making up some excuse for her to sleep next to me, that would be great. So that means I have to start planning right now.

"Yeah, I'm sure they would want to go." I try to sound nonchalant like excitement isn't running through my veins right now.

The flight back feels uncomfortable, my body sore as fuck, and I pop a few pain killers before forcing myself to go to bed.

I don't bother waking up Luke the next morning to drive with me to get the girls. He took more hits than me, it's a miracle we won that game at all, their defense was off the hook, and if I didn't change the game plan, we would've been left to the dust.

I check that the plane landed, dressed in inconspicuous clothes and a ball cap low over my brow. My face was plastered everywhere after that win, and usually I don't mind the fans, but today I'm tired and cranky. And all I want to do is see my girl, have her next to me, even for just a little while.

They look fresher than usual after a game day, meaning they heeded my selfish warning and didn't go look for a party.

"The man of the hour." Amy fist bumps me. "Dude, they hate you over there, maybe don't go there by yourself."

Monet walks into my arms, and I hold her just a little bit tighter than usual.

"Are you good?" She looks me over like she can see the bruises through my sweats. "You didn't have to come pick us up, did you even get some rest?"

I don't answer her, just take their bags and wheel it outside to where I parked. "I woke up early anyway, so it wasn't a problem."

She looks totally uncovinced as she gets in next to me in the truck. Neither of us have to talk, because Amy is yapping away about the game, and it's quiet inside the cab once we drop her off.

"So, what are your plans for the day?" Monet asks me after a while.

This is my chance. "I thought I could come visit you in your dorms for once, watch reruns of The Big Bang Theory?"

She scrunches her nose. "That would have been great, but I'm pretty sure my roommate is obsessed with the football team, and she's one of the most untidy people I've ever met."

"Maybe you should try getting into a solo dorm next year?"

"That's the plan."

"Do you wanna come over to my place instead?" I really wanted to plant that camera, but I'm going ot have to come up with something else.

"Don't you want to rest?" She scrunches her note. So damn cute.

"I really wanna watch our favoirte show with my favorite person." I tell her honestly. "Plus, I stocked up on all you favorite sweets."

"You should've started with that line." She grins, convinced.

So we end up on my bed with candy that I hardly eat, and my laptop open between us, exactly where I picture her every single day.

I take off my shirt after a while, and Monet gasps in shock.

"Jesus Cole! You looked like you were attacked by a bear!"

"Technically I was." I joke, opening my closet door and throwing the arnica oil at her. "Help a brother out and put that on my back."

I could've just got someone from the recovery team to do it, but why would I pass up an opportunity for her to touch me?