Our love was like wildfire. It burned constantly. Throw water on it and it simmered to a gentle flicker, but add a strong wind and it became an inferno. Ferocious and unpredictable.
“This is why I don’t have a girlfriend,” Griffin joined us. “Too much drama for my liking.”
“Dude, you don’t have a girl because you’re a walking, talking STI.” Gio exploded with laughter but it became muted when Griffin punched him in the arm.
“I had chlamydia once. One fucking time. She told me she was—”
“Rule number one, Griff,” I said. “Always wrap it.”
“Yeah,” he dragged a hand through his hair, “And what’s rule number two?”
“Get a steady girl and then you won’t have to worry about wrapping it.”
Gio and I shared a knowing smile. He wasn’t in a serious relationship like me and Felicity, but he had steady pussy.
“Nah, I need to sow my wild oats before I settle down.” Griffin grabbed some free weights and started pumping.
“You just haven’t met the right girl,” I said. I didn’t make a habit of sharing my personal life, but Gio and Griffin were my closest friends on the team. Both juniors, they’d taken me under their wing last year. It wasn’t the same as having Cameron and Asher—guys who had known me most of my life—in my corner, but I trusted them. And sometimes, when I needed to, I confided in them.
“You guys want to get a drink at The Gridiron later?” I asked them.
“Fee giving you a free pass?” Gio smirked and I flipped him off.
“She’s working a shift at the shelter. She’ll meet us after. I’m going to invite Asher and Mya too.”
He’d been nagging me to get together, but it had been a crazy couple of weeks.
“I’ll ask Jordan if she wants to come.”
“Pussy whipped.” Griffin coughed under his breath.
“We’re friends.”
“Friends with benefits,” I corrected.
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Count me out,” Griffin said. “But enjoy couples’ night.” He squeezed Gio’s shoulders before heading for the chest press.
“I hope his dick falls off.”
I chuckled. “He just hasn’t met—”
“The right girl, yeah.” Gio looked conflicted but I didn’t ask. If he wanted to talk about Jordan, he’d bring it up. “How are you feeling about being captain?” He changed the subject.
“It’s an honor.” It was. I’d come to Penn wanting to go all the way, and this was just another step in the right direction.
“But...” he prompted.
“Linc left some big shoes to fill.”
“Nah, you’ve got this. If it wasn’t going to be this year, it would have happened when he graduated. This spot was yours the minute you stepped foot into the locker room.”
“Thanks, man, I appreciate it.”
“No need to thank me, Jase. You’re one of the best; the kind of leader this team needs to go all the way. I have faith in you, man, even if you don’t.”
“I guess we’d better get to work then.” I smirked, brushing off his compliment no matter how much it meant to me.
“Yeah.” He chuckled. “We’d better.”
Felicity
“Fee, baby, get over here.”
“Asher?” I smiled, surprised to see him standing at the bar next to Jason and… “Mya!”
A high-pitched squeal broke from my lips as I bypassed Asher to go straight to his girlfriend. “It’s so good to see you.”
“Girl, it’s been three weeks.”
“Three weeks too many.” I hugged Mya tighter, uncaring that she preferred to keep PDAs to a minimum. “Tell me everything. How are classes? The new place? I want to know it all.”
“Are you okay?” She eyed me with suspicion.
“What? I can’t be happy to see one of my best friends?” I smiled, but it felt weak.
“Don’t worry about me or anything,” Asher grumbled, making Jason, Gio, and Jordan laugh.
“So needy.” I locked my arms around his neck and hugged him. “It’s good to see you, Ash.”
“Not as good as it is to see you.” He held me tight until familiar fingers pried me away.
“Okay, put my girl down, Bennet, before I have to snap your fingers and ruin your football career before it even gets started.”
Asher released me and Jase pulled me between his legs. “I missed you.”
“I want to say I missed you too, but the shelter had two new rescues, Pug puppies... they were so cute.”
“Great, I’ve been axed for goddamn dogs.”
“Aww, you still own my heart.” I kissed the corner of his mouth. “But these were some really, really cute puppies.”
“Well if you'd rather stroke those than…” he whispered the words only meant for me as he trailed a finger down my neck. A shiver rolled through me and I swallowed a whimper.
“Didn’t think so.” Jason kissed the end of my nose. “Hey, Hugh, get my girl a drink,” he called over to the bartender.
“Sure thing. Your regular, Fee?”
I nodded. “So, what have you guys been talking about in my absence?”
“Oh, you know, trying to deflate this one’s head since he got promoted to captain.” Asher pinched Jase’s cheek, and he batted him away. “How does it feel to wear the crown?”
“Asher,” Mya sighed.
“He knows I’m proud. I’m like the proud brother he never had. But that shit’s got to weigh a ton.”
“I was born ready,” Jason said, but I saw the tightness in his eyes. He was having doubts about his ability to lead.
We all knew he had nothing to worry about though because he was born ready.
“That’s the spirit, bro.” Asher clapped him on the shoulder. “Now Fee is here, we should toast.”
“We don’t need to—”
“To Jason,” he thrust his beer in the air, “may your leadership be firm and your game strong. Congratulations, man.”
Jason
I tried to heed Asher and Gio’s words. Every day we practiced, every day we studied game tapes and devised new plays, I tried to hold onto the fact that I’d waited for this day my entire life. But with the opening game finally here, I couldn’t deny I had a constant gnawing in my stomach.
It didn’t help that Felicity was spending more and more time with tutor boy. She was finding one of her classes, parasitology or something, particularly difficult. But it wasn’t like I was around much to help, or even could if I was.
The team had become my life the last couple of weeks. Everything building to this moment.
“Okay, ladies, look alive.” Coach Faulkner moved through the locker room, fierce determination etched in the lines of his face. “Tonight, we’re going to go out there and show everyone why it should have been us bringing that trophy home last season, you hear me?”
“Yes, Coach.” Our battle cry echoed off the walls, reverberating all the way down to my soul. Hunger pulsed inside me as adrenaline trickled through my veins. No synthetic high could ever replicate this; the moment you stepped out on that field. The second we became gods among men: worshipped and adored, immortalized in the chants of the crowd, every sigh and gasp and cheer. It was our oxygen, our life-force. And I would let it fuel me, push me harder and faster until we won.