Rimmel

I found something to like as a result of this cold autumn air. Warm apple cider. A vendor was selling it in the bleachers as the Wolves played down on the field.

A tall paper cup with a plastic lid was snug in my hands, and the sweet, spicy aroma wafted up through the open sipping portion and tickled my nose. I didn’t think I would like it, but my fingers and nose were so cold I bought it just for the warmth.

The second the cinnamon sweet liquid burst over my tongue, I was in love. It was sort of like apple juice but better. It was thicker and had more of a bite because of whatever spices they mixed in. I took my time sipping it, enjoying the pleasure of being warmed from the inside out.

Beside me, Ivy was drinking hot chocolate and Missy had cider also. I was wrapped up in Romeo’s hoodie, showing my support just like he wanted. Just recalling the way his sapphire eyes deepened when I stepped out with my lone pair of skinny jeans, boots, and his hoodie made my stomach summersault.

I knew it was possessive and probably some form of chauvinism that he wanted his name plastered across my back, but I didn’t care. I liked it. I liked being claimed by Romeo.

The full crowd around us cheered and yelled, and I focused back on the field, my eyes going right to number twenty-four as he threw the ball and sent it spiraling down the turf. One of the other guys on his team snatched it out of the air, dodged a defender, and ran all the way to the end zone.

Everyone went crazy and jumped to their feet. People were chanting Romeo’s name and the guys on the field celebrated the touchdown.

I stood there in the center of the enthusiastic crowd, holding my cider and wrapped up in his sweatshirt, so full of joy.

Ivy grabbed my arm and shook me. “Did you see that?” she exclaimed.

I grinned and cheered.

I never thought I would be someone to enjoy football. But the energy out here in the crowd, the intensity on the field… it made me see why Romeo loved it so much. This was definitely something I could get used to.

The game continued, and Ivy and Missy both leaned around to give me knowing grins. “Where were you all last night and all day today?” Ivy asked.

I pressed my lips together and smiled.

Ivy’s eyes got wide. “I knew it!” She looked at Missy. “Didn’t I call it?”

“She called it.” Missy agreed.

“Called what?” I asked innocently, sipping the drink.

“Go ahead and play coy all you want, Rimmel,” Ivy said, elbowing me. “But we all know what you spent all night doing.”

I grinned again and felt a blush sweep my cheeks. Ivy giggled. Missy stood and called out for Braeden and gave him a little cheer.

I spent the entire night in Romeo’s arms. In his bed. But it was him who was under my skin. I felt consumed by him. My insides were jittery from the thrill of being with him. It was almost like I drank fifty cups of coffee and my body was so keyed up it could run ten miles.

When I admitted to not being a virgin, to the age I was when I lost it, I thought he might look at me differently. I thought maybe it would turn him away. But it didn’t. Baring that part of myself to him—to anyone—for the first time ever only pulled him closer.

The sheer bliss I felt in his arms and beneath his touch was something I’d never even dreamed about. He made love to me so many times I lost count. In the morning when I reached for him, he was there, and he made love to me again. I dozed in bed while he trained in the other room. He woke me by carrying me into the shower with him because he “needed help washing his back.” Then we went for pancakes and he held my hand beneath the table.

When he drove me back to the dorm before he had to go get ready for the game, he made me promise to wear his sweatshirt. And then he asked me to be his.

I said yes of course. There was nothing I wanted more.

And now here I was, tracking his movements down on the field and giggling with my friends on the bleachers. I knew I would see him later and I knew I’d end up in his arms again.

“He really is the best player on the team,” Ivy said. I followed her eyes to Romeo running out on the field.

She was right. He looked so at home there. Like the turf was in his blood. The guys all responded to him, looked to him for direction. He was basically the backbone of the team, the glue that held all the pieces together.

He was so many things to so many people.

A small pit of worry formed in the bottom of my stomach. I tried to push it away. I tried to ignore it, but it wasn’t to be ignored. Romeo had a very full life, a very demanding life, and just like me, he had dreams of his own.

This weekend had been wonderful…

What if it was too good to be true?

What if he decided he didn’t want a girlfriend after all? What if after the glow of a new relationship faded, so did he?

I shook my head against the thoughts. My brain was saying one thing, but my heart was saying something else.

He cares about you. I heard it with every beat of my pulse.

I was going to focus on that, because listening to my head hurt too much.

Almost as if Ivy heard the struggle going on inside me, she leaned over and whispered, “I’ve never seen him like this before.”

I gave her a sideways glance. “Who?”

“Romeo,” she replied. “We’ve been going to the same parties and I’ve been coming to all the games since freshman year. He’s never shown this much interest in anyone before.”

“Really?” I asked, truly wanting the truth.

She put her arm around my shoulders and gave me a one-armed hug. “Really.”

I blew out an anxious breath as some of my worry went away. We went back to cheering for the Wolves along with the rest of the crowd. A little while later, I stood up to wave to the vendor with the apple cider. Mine was long gone and I desperately wanted another (the start of a new obsession? Possibly).

He waved back and motioned he would be over so I moved to sit back down. A creepy feeling crawled over the back of my neck, and I fidgeted with the glasses resting on my nose.

My wavy hair was in a high ponytail—Ivy said it looked perfect for the game—and I resisted the urge to tug it down and hide.

I looked around, trying to figure out what would cause me to feel so… off all of a sudden.

And then I saw him.

Zach was sitting in the bleachers, several rows over and up. I met his stare and something passed between us. Something I didn’t like. He really hated Romeo and now by extension he hated me.

He had a large bruise on the side of his jaw and his bottom lip was slightly puffy with a red split on the side.

He didn’t do anything really. He didn’t mouth any foul words or snarl and show his teeth. He just sat there and stared… his eyes empty and cold.

A chill worked its way up my spine and crawled slowly over the rest of me.

“Everything okay?” Ivy asked, breaking the spell he seemed to cast.

I jerked away and blinked, trying to brush off the horrible sense of foreboding that wrapped around my neck. I faked a smile for Ivy and bobbed my head. “Great.”

The vendor stepped up beside me and I paid for another cup of cider, and then he wandered away. The crowd cheered and I yelled along with them, not really sure what went down on the field.

I resisted the urge to turn and look at Zach again. When I couldn’t anymore, I peeked over my shoulder where he was sitting.

He was gone.