Noah
Two hours after I last saw Natalie, I still can't get her out of my mind. That bruise on her cheek is haunting me. It's been throwing me off my game all morning.
Did Natalie really fall down the stairs?
I keep thinking about her bruise while practicing. Football has always come easy for me, but I'm not focusing today.
Coach is yelling and telling me to work harder, but I'm running across the field like a goddamn zombie. I ignore physical pain and mental exhaustion daily, but Natalie?
I can't shut her out.
I don't fear the three-hundred-pound linebacker trying to take me out during a game, but seeing Natalie injured? It got my heart racing. I felt like a bull ready to charge seeing her injured.
It frightens me. I mean, Natalie is right—we can't be dating each other. It could ruin everything. People would talk, and the gossip would probably ruin my career.
I wouldn't be able to think without worrying about what other people are saying behind my back. But at the same time, how do I move on from something that feels so right?
Football is my joy, and there are tons of women who would throw themselves down by my feet, but they aren't Natalie. They don't make my heart sing sappy songs and wish for a wedding.
No, Natalie got me wrapped around her finger. I'm whipped by that woman, and she isn't even aware of it.
Paul runs up to me. He is panting, and his helmet is tucked neatly to his side while he struggles to breathe. "Hey, you ready to eat lunch?"
"Yeah," I hand him a smile. "I'm starving."
I shower quickly, thinking about Natalie's smile and green eyes. My cock twitches happily at the reminder of her round ass. Immediately, I try to shove that image out of my head.
It doesn't work.
Minutes later, I'm trying to put on my jeans with a raging hard-on. My second brain is determined to find Natalie and fuck her as hard and quick as possible. She has turned into an addiction, and I sigh deeply, knowing I'm in so much trouble for dreaming about her.
"I hope they serve better food today in the cafeteria..." Paul mutters and drinks some water before adding. "We are paying for the shit, so it should at least be edible."
"True."
Later, I walk into the cafeteria with Paul and Chad, and some other teammates. Sticking together is the best way to keep strangers from trying to talk and sit with us.
It happens pretty often—I'm still not over that random girl who sat down by my side and asked me to marry her. I snorted milk through my nose when she hugged my arm. The other guys gave me sympathetic smiles, and while I didn't want to break her heart, I had no other choice.
Dating isn't for me.
Yet I can't get Natalie out of my head. Even now, I'm looking around the cafeteria, searching for her.
I find her sitting with Linnea by a table, and I frown when I notice they aren't alone. Johan is seated next to Linnea, but he has invited his friend Felix. Is it a secret double date?
"You're such a funny girl!" Felix is laughing at Natalie. "I can't believe we haven't talked before!"
I swallow thickly.
Felix is sitting way too close to Natalie. I glare at them and grab my food tray. I try to ignore the giggles coming from their table, but I'm boiling with jealousy as I'm eating.
"You okay?" Paul asks while opening his milk package. "You've been distracted ever since this morning."
"Oh, so you've noticed that, huh?"
"Hard to miss," Paul smiles sheepishly. "Is it a woman?"
I fork a piece of meat. "Yes..."
"Shit," Paul sighs loudly. "You better patch things up with her before next week's big game. Coach tells us not to bring drama to the field—never leave your partner unhappy. You know that."
I grimace. "The problem is that the woman isn't my partner."
He lifts an eyebrow. "Then what is the issue? It's highly unlike you to care about a hookup."
I meet his eyes. "Maybe I don't want her to be a simple hookup."
Paul widens his eyes, and then a slow smile spreads over his lips. I avert my eyes, knowing I will kill him if I keep looking at him. Paul is already looking too amused for my liking.
"Fuck, I can't believe this shit—the great Noah Parker has finally fallen in love, and it's with a woman who doesn't want him!"
"She wants me!" I snap. "That's not the problem here!"
"Okay-okay!" Paul holds up his hands in surrender. "Calm down. I was only joking around with you, man! You're acting like Millie when she is on her period!"
I sigh and rake my fingers through my hair. I'm a mess. "Sorry... I'm just... This is new for me..."
"I get that." Paul chews on his food. "When I met Millie, I was star-struck and didn't know how to act or behave for an entire year until she finally became mine."
"It's not that easy," I breathe a laugh at Paul. "I wish I could seal the deal with this woman, but it's too early. We have only seen each other a couple of times..."
Paul laughs. "It's never too early. When you find the person who you love, it's instant. Those feelings and the chemistry? It crashes down like thunder. It doesn't just happen, even though it sometimes takes time for us to realize what is right in front of our nose."
I lift an eyebrow at him. "Since when did you become a poet?"
"Millie is making me watch chick-flicks. I pretend I don't like them, but they are strangely addicting." He grins.
"I see," I smile. "I don't think I've met Millie."
"I can bring her to our next game."
"That would be nice. Millie sounds like a good woman making you pay enough attention to watch an entire TV series without getting bored."
"She is an angel," Paul sighs dreamingly. "Millie helped me overcome my depression, and she doesn't expect me to be someone I'm not. I can be myself with her. She wants me, not because I'm a football player, but because we make each other smile."
Paul's words hit me differently now that I've met Natalie. A month ago, I would have rolled my eyes.
Now, I search for Natalie's eyes in the cafeteria, and when she looks at me, I forget my head and listen to my heart. A smile takes over my lips, and I want her so freaking much.
Natalie is my Millie.