Chapter 49

The buildup to the scout coming to watch the game was taking its toll on Nick’s body. His ribs ached, and even with his mouth guard, he had managed to injure the inside of his cheek. Nick crawled out of bed, surveyed his naked, bruised body in the mirror before taking a hot shower and three aspirin.

All this for the Michigan scout who may or may not like what he saw. There was always next year to prove himself.

At football practice, Nick asked the trainer to wrap his ribs.

“What did you do?”

“I think I pulled something.”

“I’ll wrap you, but you should probably sit out and rest. That’s the best thing for bruised anything. Rest. Heat.”

“I’ve been working extra hard to get ready for the scout,” Nick said. But that didn’t account for all the bruises. He must have run into something and forgotten.

“If you don’t take it easy, you’ll be in no shape to play.” The trainer motioned for Nick to follow him to the office. “Take off your shirt.”

The trainer wrapped the adhesive around his ribs.

“Hey!” Bryan burst into the office and stopped when he saw Nick’s chest, and then he grinned. “Sorry.” He backed out. “I can see you’re busy.”

“I’ll be with you shortly, Bryan,” the trainer said.

“That’s okay. It can wait,” Bryan said, with a quirk of his brow.

During practice, Bryan tackled or pushed Nick every chance he got. Nick gritted his teeth with each impact, only uttering “oomph” once. Even with the tape, his ribs were getting a beating. He leaned over and rubbed them.

“Nick?” Coach Sullivan asked, coming onto the field. “What’s wrong?”

“My ribs. I must have done something.”

“The trainer said you were black-and-blue.” Coach frowned. “How could you forget something like that?”

Nick hung his head. “I dunno.”

“Sit out and take a rest.” Nick sat on the bench and watched. He wanted to get out on the field and perform, but his ribs ached even with the bandages. He tried concentrating on what the team was doing, but his mind kept going back to Emily and Cat. He knew it wasn’t fair, but the differences between them were vast. Cat’s kisses aroused him with soda fizzle in his gut. Emily’s kisses never caused that tingly feeling, but her kisses were safe and soft, and he liked them too.

Cat was smoke and mirrors, while Emily was real, reliable, and trustworthy. Emily had a solid family and was raised with the all-American girl-makes-good-on-life philosophy. Emily was someone his parents would pick for him. But didn’t he get to make that choice?

He knew if he chose Cat, he’d be ostracized, and if he stayed with Emily, he could go on as before. He knew in his head he should pick Emily, but his heart wanted Cat.

When Nick left school, it was already dusk, and shadows fell over the parking lot. As he got closer to his car, he noticed Cat’s Jag. She unfolded her body from her car and stood.

“Hi!” he said. “What’s up?”

“Does anything need to be ‘up’?” she asked with a quirk of her brow.

“I guess not.” Secretly he was happy to see her but swiveled his head to see who else was in the parking lot. Nobody to be worried about.

She gave him a hug, and he winced. “What’s the matter?”

“My ribs are killing me.”

“Is that something you did at football?”

“I can’t remember.”

“Do you want to go for a ride? I’ve got something to tell you.”

He was bone-tired and hungry, but the thought of being alone with Cat pushed those ailments aside. “Sure.”

“Get in!” She squealed out of the parking lot, and they headed for the main road. “Where to?”

“Get me a burger?”

She laughed and hit the gas. “Coming right up!” Cat slowed as they got to the drive-thru. “Two number ones with cheese,” she ordered.

After getting their food, they headed for the beach. There, they ate their burgers and watched the sun slip into Lake Michigan, a puddle of gold before being swallowed into the dark, chilly waters. For the first time today, Nick relaxed into the buttery soft leather of the seats.

He closed his eyes briefly before leaning over and kissing her, then pulled away, studying the shadows and planes of her face, and kissed her again. The fizzing-soda feeling returned, and he wanted more, before shifting in his seat to gather her close and deepen their kiss.

“Do you feel it too?” she whispered.

“I think so.” A remembrance on a cellular level of a closeness, holding them together, and a commitment. He didn’t know what it meant exactly, only the promise of a union many centuries in the making.

“Me too,” she said, kissing him further, running her tongue over his lips, exploring. Another car swung into the lot, momentarily lighting the interior. They pulled apart.

“I guess I should be getting home,” Nick said as the other car parked behind them. Their bright lights illuminated the interior of Cat’s car.

“I wish they’d turn off those damned lights!” Nick opened the door and got out and shielded his face from the light and walked forward. Nick jumped when Bryan laid on the horn. He shook his head and returned to Cat. “It’s Bryan being Bryan.”

“What does he want?” she asked.

“Who knows!” He fastened his seat belt. “Trouble.”

The lights behind them blinked off. There was no way he was fighting with Bryan tonight. “I should be getting home.”

She nodded, put the car in gear, and drove to school so Nick could retrieve his car.

****

Cat wasn’t at school the next day but texted:

—I’ve got something to tell you.—

—Tell me now.—

—No, in person. Come after school—

When Nick got to Cat’s house, he found the hallway filled with boxes. “Are…Are you moving?”

“Yes, for a few months,” Cat said, pushing one such box with her foot. “I’ve been trying to tell you.”

“Where will you go?”

“A project my parents need to finish in Oregon.”

“Do you have to go?” he asked, clenching and unclenching his fists, suddenly not wanting her to go.

She shrugged. “I have a couple of things I need to do in Oregon.”

He nodded. “Can you tell me what they are?”

“No.” She studied him. “Are you sleeping?” She touched his cheek.

“Not really.”

“You have dark circles under your eyes.”

He lifted his shirt and showed her his ribs.

She gasped. “What happened?”

“I dunno. The extra practices with Coach.” He shook his head and smoothed his shirt back into place. “I must have done something, but I can’t remember.” A memory of a kick to the ribs, but that was about it.

Cat’s mother came down the hall, carrying a stack of towels. “Why hello, Nick. Pardon our mess.”

“You’re moving?”

Cat’s mother let out her breath. “We regret having to go back to Oregon, but there are some problems we need to fix in our last project.”

He nodded and waved an arm over the boxes. “Need any help?”

She smiled and shook her head. “Catherine wouldn’t let us leave until after the last football game.”