Steeling Her: A Romance Novel

Nick

My phone has been ringing all morning. I know it’s Maya, she’s been constantly on me since the whole car incident, which was entirely her own fault. It has nothing to do with me, that’s between her and the Steels, but I feel like she’s grovelling to me, hoping I can talk Carter into not pressing charges against her. Which is not going to happen. She brought this on herself. I didn’t think she’d stoop to this level of psycho, but she did, and I’m backing away from her. I’m no longer putting myself in that position again.

It has nothing to do with me, although I know I’m the reason behind her smashing up Carter’s car. I’m staying out of it. I know Carter doesn’t want me involved, even though I already am.

It’s exam season now, and the library, coffee shops, and restaurants are full of college kids cramming for their tests; me being one of them. Although I’m in my room, sulking about not being able to see Carter, as pathetic as I sound. She’s been isolating herself so she can study for her exams too. She fell behind, and now she has to make up for it. I’m itching to text her right this second to find out what she’s doing.

I’m laying on my side with my book propped up on my stomach, making it go up and down every time I breathe. I peer over to my phone, hoping she magically morphs out of it and climbs on top of me.

I shake my head, trying to get myself to focus on my book, but my eyes drift back to it. “Come on, Nick.” I focus back on to the book that’s acting as I barrier between me and the phone sitting teasingly on my desk. I can almost hear it whisper to me. Biting my lip, I take the risk to glance at it once more.

“That’s it.” That was the final straw. I give in and push myself off the bed. I bulldoze my way through the clothes piled on the floor and snatch it from the desk that I should be studying at. I start typing out a message asking Carter where she is. I need to see her, just for a few minutes.

Carter: I’m not telling you, you should be studying ’’ xx

Me: Oh come on!! Just for a few minutes. Pleeease xx

I beg her to tell me where she is. I want to see her so badly today. It’s really fucking desperate. It’s like an itch she can only scratch when I’m like this.

Carter: Nick, study. Now! xx

I can practically hear her chuckling at me. I smirk to my screen knowing where she is now.

Me: You’re in the library, aren’t you? Xx

The fact that she didn’t reply confirmed that, that is where she is right now. I’ll be there soon and surprise her. I grab my laptop, charger, stationery, and notebooks then make my way towards the girl that I haven’t stopped thinking about since our first meeting.

Finally grabbing my black Snapback, I bolt out the door. It’s hot as hell outside for me, the sheen of cold sweat greeting my skin already. Maybe wearing a black shirt wasn’t a good idea. It’s starting to cling to me; like Maya. I laugh at that thought and proceed to make my way towards Miss Steel. I have never been so obsessed over a girl in all my life, and I can’t tell if that’s a good or bad thing?

I’m walking by houses with Ole Miss’s flag perched on their porch, some of them waving with the country’s flag. The people around here are proud of the college and most likely went to college here.

The smell of freshly cut grass and the sound of sprinklers surround my senses. I slip my earphones on and turn up the music as I make my way towards the campus. Reaching the outskirts, I’m greeted with the usual stares but avoid making eye contact them and proceed towards the building. Cutting across the quad and nearing the building where the best air conditioning system on campus is, I can see that there are lots of people outside enjoying the sunshine and fresh air.

As I reach the doors people are coming in and out of, one girl holds it open, knowing I’m coming inside. I thank her for holding it open for me, but I know she can’t hear me; she has her earphones in and continues her way towards the coffee shop inside. I start walking toward the library. I don’t think I’ve been here since sophomore year?

I scan my card along the machine to allow entrance, the beep signalling me to move through the barrier. I look at what floor she could be on. Deciding I’ll start with the science floor, I make my way up the escalators.

I will find you, Steel.

***

Carter

Nick: You’re in the library, aren’t you? Xx

How does he know that? It’s like he can read me without seeing me. I hate that. I’m like an open book with him.

I smile at the message and put my phone back down onto the table, Ignoring the excitement in my belly. There’s a part of me that wants to see him, but the logical part of my brain is telling me that I need to study.

I’m playing soft guitar music to help me focus on studying for the exams. My stress levels are through the roof, and I know it’s not good for me right now. I need to get good results, I can’t afford to slip and disappoint my parents. I don’t want to upset them, I’m the only one that didn’t get a scholarship. Austin and Chris did, they had to pay for me, and I don’t want to let them down.

I flick back and forth through past papers that I’ve done for the module and decide now is the time to actually understand it all. Minutes go by, and I already feel like I need a break from all of this.

I look up in front of me, sighing heavily and slightly panicking at how I’m going to remember all of this. Then, I notice there’s a lot of movement on my floor. Looking around, I see some cheeks blushing and some girls fixing their hair and applying lip gloss. Some girls are pulling their tops down ever so slightly to get their assets out. Just from the look of lust in their eyes, I know one thing for sure: There’s a hot guy on our floor.

I watch all the girls stare at said hot guy behind me. I look over at Kevin, who’s sitting beside me. His hoody sitting lazily on his upper body as he takes notice of all eyes on someone else. He shakes his head with a chuckle and looks over his shoulder to see who they’re staring at. His eyes widen and sits up straighter in a flash, so I swivel in my seat to see who it is that everyone is looking at.

The blond hair, the denim blue jeans wrapped around those muscular thighs and calves, the tight black shirt showcasing his deliciously toned stomach muscles and pecks. I suddenly feel my mouth water at the sight of Nick standing there looking like a dreamy Greek god in his sexy cap. He looks so sexy. Along with every girl on this floor, I’m under his spell.

I think he’s trying to look around for someone. Craning his neck to find this person, he finally meets my eyes and we lock stares. He smirks and walks over to me, and I feel really hot all of a sudden. Knowing that I’m the person he’s looking for, I feel the attention from people as he bulldozes past them to get to me. The hot flush gets worse and worse with each step he takes. Closing the distance between us, I forget how to breathe.

Sweet Jesus, he looks so freaking hot right now. How can anyone be that good looking? With that thought, I start looking around the large table and then notice that there are no free seats around me. Every one of them have been taken. I don’t know where he’ll sit.

Stopping in his tracks beside me, he bends down and speaks to the guys sitting next to me. I can’t hear what he’s saying, so I lift my headphones off. Once I do, the guy starts gathering his things, laughing and smiling back down at me. I bite my lip and furrows my brows at him, wondering what Nick had said. He pats him on the back when he walks away and waves at Nick, shaking his head once more and leaving to find another spot.

I’m so confused. What just happened?

Nick then pulls the chair out from beside me and plonks himself down on it. Leaning over, he gives me a kiss on the cheek. I immediately blush at all the stares we’re getting. I know a lot of girls are watching us with their mouths hanging open, ready to catch flies. I start to hide my face from everyone because I’m so shocked that he did that in public. I can feel their eyes watch my every move, like a hawk watching its prey.

I forget just how popular Nick really is on campus sometimes. Then I’m reminded when someone speaks to him or looks at him like he’s the golden ticket; especially the girls of the college, the older ones that he “knows.” Every time I see him talking to a girl, I know what their intentions are and they don’t care about any other girl that gets in the way of that. All they want is to be that girl who gets the popular guy to fall for them. The girl who ends up getting married to an NFL player. The girl who gets the guy to change from being a player to being loyal.

I see the weighted lust in their eyes; it’s as clear as day. Sure, Nick looks like a model all of the time, sure he plays football for the college and can get into the NFL no problem; but none of them know him like I do. He’s sweet, kind, funny, and very considerate. He’s not what I thought he’d be when I first met him. I thought he was going to be this rude and arrogant asshole who never gave a crap about girls or their feelings.

Enjoying my embarrassment, he leans in again, capturing my lips this time. “I missed these lips,” he whispers huskily making a sharp shiver run up my spine.

“This is the library,” Kevin scolds mildly.

Nick leans forward, resting his elbow on the desk in front of us. “Then shouldn’t you be studying?” Nick quips, unimpressed by the intrusion. Silence surrounds us once again. Nick goes back to focus on me and I smile at him, which makes him plaster the grin he walked in with back onto his face. I get butterflies at the thought of him smiling just because I am. God, he looks so dreamy right now.

“What did you say to that guy?” I point at the direction he left in and Nick smiles again, larger than ever. Now, I definitely want to know.

“I told him if he moved I’d hook him up with the head cheerleader.” I bury my face into my hands, laughing at his wild proposition. I’m now trying to keep the chuckles to a minimum since we are in the library after all. “What? It was a really good proposition. I have the means to make that happen for the kid. He knows it, too, that’s why he let me have this seat.” He places his face into the crook of my neck, and I laugh again thanks to the ticklish feeling. I lean my head onto his shoulders, still laughing at the deal he made.

“Are you a pimp or something?” I tease him and he starts to laugh himself. I can feel his breathy chuckles on my neck. Hot and humid, just like the weather outside today. Then he kisses the skin, effectively shutting me up.

“I only use the power I have when it comes to you, Steel. Nobody else.” He then leans back to kiss my forehead. I love when he does that to me. I feel the warmth of his lips and breath encase me into a huge hug. He’s like a warm, fluffy cloud that wraps me up and holds me tight.

Waking up in his arms felt amazing. Him holding me full stop felt amazing. It’s something I’ve been craving ever since I woke up next to him. The rush of warmth from him is something that I’ve come to enjoy and quickly have become addicted to. Who wouldn’t become addicted to Nick Jackson’s arms around you while you fall asleep next to him?

But it’s time to focus back on my study. I have to memorize all of these terms. Once I do settle back into it, I hear him shuffle his chair closer to me. I’m trying my hardest not to smile but my cheeks start to hurt because I’m trying to keep my grin to myself. Once he’s finished, I feel his hand on the back of my chair and his fingers brush my top. Tingles is an understatement to what I’m feeling. I’m on fire right now. Dear Lord is his hotness radiating into me, too bad it’s not being soaked up.

The pads of his fingers making circular motions on my back is sending me into a trance like state. It’s so relaxing, I feel my eyes start to drift a little. So, I start shaking to wake myself and my body back up. I need to get back and focus on this. I have to learn these or I’ll fail, and I can’t fail anything.

When I feel the table vibrate, I reach out to check my phone and see my dad calling me. I smile and stand up to answer it, careful not to disturb anyone. “It’s my dad, I’ll be right back,” I tell Nick and Kevin. I walk out into the main area where people chat and take phone calls. Once I reach it, I tap my phone to answer the call.

“Hey, Dad!” I beam. I can hear my parents down the line kissing. Not exactly what you want to hear, so I cringe a little at them sucking faces with each other.

“Hey, baby girl!” I can hear the southern accent coming out slightly when he speaks. “We just landed here, your brothers came with us too. We’ll be over soon. I take it you’re studying right now?” he asks me, and I’m starting to get excited at the thought of seeing my family. This semester has been really tough lately, and I’m trying to keep up in my studies too.

“Yeah, I’m in the library with Nick and Kevin right now. I was in early so I might leave soon enough. Maybe in the next hour or so?” I tilt my head from side to side, weighing out the decision. But knowing me, I’d kill to climb back into bed.

“Alright, honey. Well, whatever suits you. I’ve got some stuff to sort out with your car and the cops, so we’ll be doing that. But afterwards, we’ll come over to the dorm room with takeout. That sound good? I miss my little girl,” he coos. I smile at the wall opposite me, knowing that I’ve missed him so much too. He’s my rock, and I hate being away from him.

“I miss you too, Dad,” I whisper back.

“So, invite the guys and whoever else to come for food and we’ll treat you all, because I know how hard you’ve been working this semester and I’m so proud of you. Tonight is on us, alright?” I smile at the kind proposition. My dad knows how much I enjoy my food, and it’s sweet to know he’s comforting me with it. He knows me all too well.

“Okay, Dad! I can’t wait to see you guys! Tell everyone I said hi, and tell Chris I have a batch of cookies for him at the apartment,” I inform my dad and listen to him transfer the message to my older brother.

“YES! Now, I’m excited!” Chris bellows. He’s worse than me for food, he’s like a vacuum.

“Alright, baby girl, we’ll see you soon! I love you,” he finishes and I tell him I love him back. I end the call and walk back inside with the biggest grin on my face. Nick is engrossed in his study but looks up at me because I’m walking towards him. He smiles up at me and gives me his famous, toothy smile that has all the girls around him swooning at him.

“Everything alright?” he asks me and I nod.

“Yeah, everything’s perfect. My dad asked if you both want to come for food back at the dorm. It’s their treat. It’ll be at six or seven, I think?” I propose to them both, and I see the pained look on Kevin’s face.

“Shit . . . I have a group meeting to practice our presentation at that time. I’m sorry Carter. Rain check?” I nod, letting him know it’s fine. “Save some for me later.” he teases and I laugh.

“My two brothers are coming too. You’ll be getting nothing because they’ll eat it all.” He chuckles and nods, understanding that my two brothers are like horses. “You want to come?” I turn back to Nick, who is already facing me. I didn’t realize how close he is until now. He’s a hair’s breadth away from me.

“Definitely.” That cheeky grin on his face makes me grin too. When he smiles, I smile; when he laughs, I laugh; when he’s angry, I’m angry. It’s like a chain reaction between us. I awkwardly tuck a loose piece of hair behind my ear. Both of Nick’s hands start to rub the outside of my legs and my skin feels scorched from his touch.

He really is so stunning, and it takes me aback how a guy like him is interested in a plain girl like me. “You’re so adorable,” Nick says, his eyes flickering between mine. I purse my lips and try not to grin like an idiot. “I hate to ruin our little staring contest, but we should study.” He winks and we both get back into focus mode.

Two heavy study hours later, I feel myself slip into a state of exhaustion. So, Nick and I decide it’s time to leave. I wave Kevin goodbye and head out the main door to leave. We trudge our heavy feet down the steps, and I text my dad to tell him that I’ve finished my study for the afternoon. I have my laptop in my arm and my handbag on my shoulder.

“How’s the whole car situation? Has it been sorted out?” Nick starts the conversation as we swipe out of the library barriers.

“My car has been fixed and is as good as new. My dad sent the bill to the girl’s parents too.” I giggle at how much my dad went papa bear on me. “I have to go to court after the holidays though. Once that’s settled, I have to go back at get a restraining order against Maya, but my lawyer says he might not get that over the line because there’s no physical proof other than the car thing. Unless she messes up again in the meantime.” I shrug, understanding that this system is so messed up. We can only do things when it’s too late in this country.

“I’m sorry this has happened to you,” he says again. I glare at him because for the past while he’s been apologizing like it was his fault. “Don’t give me that look, Steel. I am to blame—”

“You’re not to blame, Nick.” I take his arm in mine and rest my chin on his upper bicep.

“I am, if I hadn’t introduced you two or if I hadn’t liked you so fucking much, none of this would’ve happened.” I stop him and take his waist to stare up at him.

“Nick Jackson, you listen to me and listen to me good!” His eyes widen at my sudden change in mood. “You are not to blame for Maya hating me just because I like you. You are not to blame for her going nuts and taking it out on my car. You are not at fault here. She is, not you. Is that clear?” I send him my best pointed look because I mean business. I watch his head bounce up and down, telling me he understands me.

“You’re so sexy when you’re mad,” he blurts out and I roll my eyes, thinking he’s such a guy sometimes. “No, for real, that was so hot.” I drag him with me and he obeys.

“You’re such a guy,” I mumble to myself, still dragging him along so we can get some food. I’m hungry right now and I need to fill my belly.

“Well duh!” I turn around to see him pointing down to his crotch, making me laugh loudly. He shifts in my grip and interlocks our hands together. “I think that really shows I am one, don’t you think?” I can hear the teasing laced in his voice and he leans closer to me. “Come here, Steel.” He yanks me back and I stumble into his chest. I look up to and see a guilty look on his face. He knows he yanked too hard. “Sorry, I forgot how light you actually are.” I slap his chest playfully and feel his chest vibrate against my face. “You can’t hurt me, Carter,” he says patronizingly to me, and I smirk at him.

“Unless I walk away . . .” I tease.

“Yeah . . . don’t do that. Nobody wants that.” He rapidly shakes his head, a little scared that I actually will. I won’t, you’ll have to drag me away kicking and screaming for me to walk away from him, or he’ll have to ask me to. I’m just so drawn to him.

Engulfing me in a big hug, I sigh at the feeling. He’s so cuddly. I don’t want to move. Until my stomach starts to make mating calls to the food upstairs that’s waiting for me to devour.

“Hungry?” he whispers to me, and I nod my head, rubbing against his large chest. “Then let’s go and feed you. Come on, little one.” I slap his arm for calling me that. “That’s my name for you now, little one!” He fist pumps the air like he’s proud of himself.

“You’re not calling me ‘little one’!” I groan loudly as he holds the door open for me as we walk into the building.

“Oh, I’m calling you ‘little one’! It’s my thing now!” He walks into step with me as we press the button for the elevators and wait.

“Why ‘little one’?” I sigh just as the doors open to let us in. For once, it’s just us in the elevator. Usually, there are a few girls around staring at him, admiring him.

“There’s one of you and you’re little.” He shrugs like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

“I’m not that little.” I roll my eyes, laughing at the lack of logic with that statement.

“You’re tiny; next to me, anyway. That makes you cute and little.” He corners me in the elevator, giving me a quick kiss on the lips. I immediately respond to it by wrapping both of my arms around his waist. “Unless you’re wearing heels, then you gain a couple of inches. You should wear heels, your butt looks cute in heels too.” He winks and I turn red hot from that.

“Stop that!” I grill him when he pats my butt with his hand, making it known he likes it. “My parents are just a few feet away.” I swat his hand away from my backside.

“Makes it a little more exciting, little one.” He’s being so cheeky right now, but I enjoy that about him. He’s always playful with me and it warms me up.

“Little one . . .” I grunt to myself. Of all the names he could’ve given me, he chose “little one.” We both walk down the hallway to see three broad backs and a small woman between them.

“Dad!” I yell, allowing it to echo around the corridor.

“There she is!” He spins around and I walk a little faster towards him. Once I get within distance, he crushes me in his arms. My dad was a football player, so he still has his strength.

“Dad, you’re crushing me . . .” I whimper and I feel a chuckle reverberate through his chest. My mom pulls me away from the bone crusher.

“Sorry, baby girl—”

“Baby girl! That’s it!” Nick interrupts my dad and we all stare at him confused as to what the hell he’s talking about. “It’s either ‘little one’ or ‘baby girl,’ Carter. Take your pick,” he teases as he greets my mom.

“Baby girl is mine, boy! Nobody calls her that but me!” my dad shouts at him, but then Nick starts to smile and nods.

“Little one it is then.” He winks at me and I go bright red. My mom picks up on that and sends me a knowing look, one that reads “Fill me in!”.

I put my key in the door and open it up for everyone, ignoring the stare I’m getting from my mother. All of us see Danielle on the sofa; half watching TV, half doing assignments. She cranes her neck around to see who it is. She waves at us and sends us all a bright smile.

“Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Steel!” She sets her laptop down on the coffee table and stands up in her shorts and thin top.

“Fuck me,” Chris whispers behind me, and I widen my eyes. Does he have a thing for my roommate? I snap my head around to face my big brother staring hard at Danielle in her outfit. My mom slaps him in the arm taking him out of his trance. “Ow! Mom!” he yelps out to our birth giver.

“Where are your manners? Help me set the food out!” She warns him to never use that kind of language when speaking about a girl or woman. My mom drilled southern manners and hospitality into us all from a young age. I look back over to Danielle staring at us all awkwardly, twiddling at her fingers.

“You need any help, Mrs. Steel?” Danielle offers. My mom lights up and nods, directing her over to the kitchen with my brothers holding all of the food. It must’ve been pure torture for Chris to carry it and not be able to eat it, but now that we’re inside we can finally eat.

We all join my family in the kitchen, taking the containers out of the bags and setting them up. Danielle reaches up to grab the plates with the help of a laughing Chris. All three of us are pretty small for the dorm, so we all climb up to get stuff half of the time. The other half of the time, we get the guys to help us out when they’re here. Like now.

I was about to open up the containers when I hear the door bust open. I see Nick go stiff beside my dad and then make his way over to me. Haley and TJ saunter into the room, following after Nick. There’s a tense atmosphere right now and everyone can feel it.

Everyone except for Chris. “Cooks, where are those cookies you made?” he asks as he taps on my shoulder. It’s like the blind leading the sightless with him.

I continue to lay out the food with my mom. She keeps making side glances at me, wondering what happened.

“They’re in the oven.” I point at the stainless-steel oven the college has provided for us.

“Are you guys joining the food fest? We ordered tons of takeout. You’re more than welcome to sit with us,” my mom offers, although I know Haley will refuse.

“That’s very kind of you, Mrs. Steel, but Haley and I are going out tonight. I made reservations for the two us. If I’d have known earlier that you guys were coming, I would’ve cancelled it.” TJ looks and sounds like he feels bad for declining the offer. I can tell he was a little reluctant to share that information with everyone. With Nick in particular, judging by how tense his entire body is right now.

Haley watches her older brother bite his lip, trying not to say anything. I know he wants to, from the murderous glare he’s sending his best friend—or ex-best friend, as he likes to put it.

TJ is noticeably uncomfortable. I swirl around to meet Nick, taking his arms in my hands and gently rubbing them to soothe him as best as I can. Sending his gaze down to mine, they lock and I smile up at him. His eyes start to soften as they meet mine and starts to nod to himself, telling himself that it’s alright. He has so much emotion towards TJ and Haley these days, but he keeps bottling it up. He doesn’t speak to him anymore; when they train, they barely talk. He avoids him at all costs and it’s sad to watch.

I can tell Haley and TJ are both really enamoured with each other. They always hang out now, and they can’t stop smiling at one another. It’s nice to see them both so happy with each other.

“Don’t worry about that, it’s no problem at all. I hope you enjoy your night!” my mom beams and clasps her hands hopefully together at the thought of young love. My mom is the definition of a hopeless romantic.

“We will, thanks again! Bye everyone!” TJ waves at us, dragging Haley back out the main door and leaving us back alone to our devices. They only stopped by to put her bag in the dorm room.

We continue to fill our plates with whatever food we want and we all sit at the table, grabbing extra seats for my family. There is a small bit of chatter at the table, but I notice how quiet Nick is.

Haley was the same when she came into the room. She was totally silent but looked like she wanted to say something. When everyone is heavily engrossed in a debate about the importance of a balanced diet, I reach for Nick’s hand under the table and squeeze it in my hold, silently asking if he’s okay. He squeezes mine back to indicate that he will be.

Hours rush by—feeling like minutes—and before you know it, my family is leaving again.

“Could I talk to you three for a quick second?” Nick calls for my dad and two brothers, who nod skeptically. I almost want to go outside with them but my mom holds me back inside.

“Let the boys talk, sweetheart.” She winks softly, allowing the guys to have their moment outside the door. Oh, how I wish I could be a fly on the wall. “You girls help me clean up here so we can get it over and done with . . . and also so you can fill me in on you and Nick!” my mom quietly squeals, causing Danielle to bounce a little. Once the door shuts, I spin around to face both of them, readying myself for my rant of confusion.

“Okay, so, well, I made up with him and we kissed. Like a lot, and he admitted to liking me. And I like him back . . . But it’s caused so much tension between us and TJ and Haley. Like, TJ and I are only talking every once in a while. I went to the last game, and Haley wouldn’t even sit next to me . . . It’s all way past shit hitting the fan, Mom, and I don’t know what do to? How do I fix this?” I beg for some advice from either of them. I’m so crap with this stuff. To be fair, I’ve never been in this type of drama before, so of course I have zero clue what I need to do about it.

“Okay, Carter, breathe, honey.” My mom laughs at my panic filled rant. “That really isn’t up to you, though? I mean, you could talk to everyone but they have to make the effort too. Look, sweetheart, I’m glad you and Nick are back on track, but you haven’t done anything wrong. You like each other, and if Haley doesn’t agree with it then that’s on her, not you. You can’t beat yourself up about it. It sounds like Nick and Haley need to talk this out for themselves; without you and TJ in the room. They need to realize that these are feelings on the line, and neither of you can help it.” My mom should be a relationship expert with the advice she gives.

“Can you, like, adopt me or something?” Danielle stares at my mom with love hearts practically in her eyes. We both start to laugh at her demeanour. “That shit was on point, Mrs. Steel!” Danielle high fives her. My mom pats herself on the back, knowing she’s done a solid job with giving me great advice.

She’s right, this is between Nick and Haley. They need to talk this out between them. They need to clear this up, and they need to accept it. It’s out of mine and TJ’s hands now, the ball is in their court.

Once we’ve agreed that this is the tactic I will take, there is a knock on the door. My mom opens it up to be greeted by my smiling dad. Why on earth is he smiling like that?

“Alright, girls, we’d best be off! Goodnight, and we’ll see you tomorrow! Maybe.” My mom waves us off, dragging my dad out of the room in heartbeat. I know she wants to find out what the four of them were talking about. And because I’m my mother’s daughter, so do I.

“ ’Night.” The three of us say in unison as the door shuts closed, leaving the three of us staring at the wooden door.

“Alright, so I’m going to hit the sack! I’m beat and my food baby is making me sleepy. ’Night, you guys!” Danielle waves at Nick but winks at me, knowing she’s referring to our quick girl conversation, all while patting her stomach in the process like she actually has a small baby in there. We both say good night to her. As soon as the door to her room shuts closed, I ask the question I can’t hold back.

“Why did you talk to my brothers and Dad?” He starts to laugh uncontrollably at me, clutching the sides of his stomach.

“Wow, your dad was right! I thought you’d give me at least five more minutes before you hounded me with that question!” He chuckles, wiping his eye a little. I stand there and wait for an answer. I want to know what they were talking about. If it’s something to do with me, then I want to know.

“Well, are you going to tell me?” I shimmy up to him, wearing my best puppy dog eyes that always works on my dad and brothers.

“You know, I hate it when you give me that face,” he groans, looking upwards and then back to me to release a sigh. “It was about football actually . . .” A bucket of ice cold water metaphorically pours over me in an instant. I was hoping it was about me. I guess not.

“Why couldn’t you ask it in front of us?” I question out loud. Why did he go outside away from us to ask them?

“Well, it’s a little on the personal side, and I didn’t want you, your mom, or Danielle hearing about it. They’re guys, so they understand what I’m talking about.” He shrugs hugging me to his rock hard chest. I can see the uneasiness etched into his face. Either he’s lying or keeping something from me, I’m just not sure which one it is.

“That’s it?” I ask him as I lean away from his hold to try to read him. He’s so difficult to read sometimes, I can’t tell what he’s thinking half of the time. And there’s the way his eyes are darting around the room, almost like he’s looking for an escape. He’s up to something, I can see it in his eyes. He’s refusing to make eye contact with me. The shallow breaths are a good indicator that he’s nervous about something.

I quirk my brow at him silently, saying there’s not a chance in hell I believe him.

“Yep, that’s it . . . Well, that and I asked for their permission to take you out on a date.” Dropping that bombshell made me freeze entirely on the spot. I look up to him and feel my eyes widen and my brows ride higher and higher towards heaven.

“What?” I scream.