Sidelined 2: Intercepted

Chapter 7

DALLAS

No one had ever accused me of being a patient person. I was not a fan of waiting. Hated standing in line. Fast food was never fast enough. It wasn't that I always had somewhere more important to be—though, yes, that might often be the case—but that I didn't know what to do in the meantime. It all felt like busywork.

Drayton was supposed to have picked me up hours ago.

A high school guidance counselor once told me that I was too goal oriented. "Everything doesn't need to be a stepping stone to the next achievement. Try to enjoy the journey as much as the destination."

And yes, he did have that on a poster in his office.

I could relax. I was, in fact, a big fan of doing nothing. Gabby and I could sit for hours over burgers and fries. I'd even sat with her while she got her nails done for the sole purpose of keeping her company. Nathan and I had some of our best conversations while tossing a football together. Or all the times when Drayton and I would curl into each other—literally and figuratively—and exist on the tiny island we built for ourselves. My point was, I wasn't a tyrant about my time, but waiting for something to happen that I shouldn't have to wait for drove me mad.

I was ready. I'd changed into my date outfit, a red dress that was maybe a bit too short, and done my makeup. Then I'd waited. Organized my desk. Read a few chapters from my economics textbook. Tried a handstand because I was bored and wanted to prove to myself that I still had the cheer skills. Waited some more. Changed into another date outfit, a green dress with more of a skirt but a lower neckline. Redid my makeup. Reorganized my desk. I would have taken a nap, but I was running on coffee and adrenaline after our late night, and if I put my head down, there was no way I'd get it back up. Plus, after the brutal $20,000 problem, I needed him. When I'd finally gotten back to the dorm at the end of the day, I'd sent Dray the longest text known to humanity. It had felt good to get it all out, but I needed to hold him right now. To feel him solid, with his arms around me. To let him tell me it was all going to be okay and offer to pay for all four years of my schooling. Not that I'd ever accept it.

When there was finally a knock, I was feeling so agitated that I pulled the door open with a bit too much force and opened with, "Everything's closed by now."

Drayton stood on the other side looking tired and maybe a bit sheepish. That was a new look for him, and I almost gave in.

"I'm sorry. Had football homework, then class ran late, traffic was bad, and I caught every red light." He gave me a couple of seconds to respond then powered through. "Are a you a little hangry?"

"No." The answer was clearly yes.

He stepped into my room, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me in close.

"Come on, I'm trying my best. It was a long day. Let's not fight?" He kissed my forehead then my nose, pausing just before reaching my mouth. "You look beautiful."

I made a move to pull away but actually wriggled up against him. I heard his sharp intake of breath.

"Stop smiling at me like that." I still had a lot of pouting to do, and his smile was distracting me.

"Why?" He didn't listen to me. He continued with that smile.

"Because it's working?"

I tried not to smile back and failed miserably. "Maybe."

As suspected, kissing Drayton erased my anger. Kissing Drayton only made me want to kiss Drayton more.

"Okay, there has to be somewhere open." Drayton let go of me long enough to pull his phone from his pocket. "This is a college town next to one of the biggest cities in the world. There's food somewhere."