I didn't know if it was a good idea but I was doing it anyways. Luckily my car had been cleaned out thanks to Monroe. While I had been avoiding that problem he decided to do it for me while I was in class yesterday. I was super thankful for him and it meant I was able to drive myself to Kingsley after our game today. Their game was a little later than ours so there was still the second half left when I showed up.

I hadn't initially planned to disguise myself. I was planning on just showing up but the longer I sat on that plan the more worried I got that Jake would take one look at me and tell me to get lost. Or that his roommate would see me and do something worse than leaving crickets in my car before I even got to see Jake.

So that was why I was stepping out of my car in a black hoodie I stole from Jetson with the hood up and Monroe's baseball cap tugged down low on my head. I looked a little suspicious but it was better this way if I could just hide out for the rest of the game and then find Jake once it was over.

When I got to the field I didn't go up to sit in the bleachers. I stood on the side letting the crowd hide me away. I wasn't totally blocked so I could still see the game from between the heads of the people standing in front of me. I tried to scan the bench for Jake but I couldn't see him. He was probably sitting down being blocked by his teammates.

I just wanted to see him. I wanted to talk to him. I'd settle for just about anything at this point.

"You look like an idiot." I jumped at the sound of Jake's voice behind me. I hadn't heard him sneak up on me and I definitely hadn't seen him in the crowd when I walked over here.

I turned around and there he was. He was propped up on his crutches, his ankle wrapped up in his cast. I had so much I wanted to say, one of those things was asking more about his injury. I wanted to make sure he was ok but I knew he wouldn't tell me shit right now. I needed to apologize and make things right first before anything else.

"I just wanted to see you." I told him hoping he wouldn't turn and walk away before I could even string together everything I wanted him to hear.

"To do what? If you want someone to fuck you then I suggest you find someone else because I have no interest." He frowned at me.

That wasn't what I wanted. I hadn't shown up here for a fuck. I hadn't shown up just to resume whatever we were doing before. I didn't really know exactly what I wanted from Jake but I knew I wanted more than that.

"That's not what I'm here for." I shook my head.

I really should have rehearsed something before showing up here. I had thought I'd known what I wanted to say but standing here in front of Jake was so much different than thinking about this moment in my head on the drive here.

"Then why exactly are you here?" He asked.

"Because I fucked up. I ruined everything and I want to fix it. I'm trying to fix this."

He didn't say anything but also he didn't turn to leave either. I took that as a win and was thankful he at least seemed to be willing to listen to what I had to say.

I took a deep breath and decided to just go for it. I needed to tell him how I felt. It was now or never.

"I saw you laid out on that field and I felt something. I got scared and I did the only thing I could think of and I ran. I'm sorry that I freaked out, I didn't want to hurt you Jake."

I cursed himself for not being able to say the words I actually needed to. Why couldn't I just tell him exactly how I felt? Why was this so hard?

"What did you feel?" He questioned.

This was it. No going back now.

"I felt like my heart was being ripped from my chest." I confessed.

"I hope you are planning on saying a little more than that because I'm not going to put myself through vague confessions and not knowing exactly what is going on. I was an idiot once and I tend not to make the same mistakes twice."

I understood what he was saying. I knew I needed to be clear with my feelings and what exactly I wanted with Jake. I had known that and yet I was still fumbling with figuring out what I wanted.

"I thought I hated you. I thought that you were an arrogant dickhead, which I'm still convinced you are but I think I like that about you. All those annoying things you do are just things that make me like you more. So I don't know exactly what is going on between us but I do know that I missed you this past week. My life is better with you in it."

I didn't even need to hear what he had to say. I could see the smug look on his face, that twinkle in his eyes.

"Shut up." I snapped at him not really needing him to tease me on this.

"I didn't say anything." He just smiled at me.

"You were going to." I argued.

"Wait here." He said before turning away and disappearing into the crowd of people.

I didn't even have time to question what was going on. He hadn't said anything, he didn't even say if he liked me back. I had a feeling he did, I had assumed so since the hospital but he'd never said it to me.

I knew he was protecting himself, he didn't want to put himself out there just for me to hurt him again.

When Jake returned he had a hoodie thrown over his shoulder. I was guessing it was one of his Kingsley hoodies because it was maroon.

"Wear this." He threw it at me.

I stared down at the hoodie. I was right about it being a Kingsley hoodie, Kingsley football was written right across the front of it in white lettering.

"Right now?" I asked looking around at the crowd of people all in maroon.

I wasn't embarrassed to be here with these people in this hoodie. But it was Kingsley, my rival. If my team saw me it would be over.

"Wear it now, wear it to class, wear it to practice, wear it while you're on your knees for me. I don't care where you wear it but I want to see my name on you." He said.

I turned the hoodie over and on the back was Oliver in large letters with his jersey number underneath. This wasn't just any Kingsley football hoodie, it was Jake's team hoodie.

I couldn't help but hesitate. Putting this on here out in public, there wasn't any going back from that.

"I-," I took a breath trying to come up with some words. "Don't I get some grand confession too? You know it took a lot for me to pour my feelings out."

"Trying to guilt me into a speech?" He joked. "I'm not giving some romantic speech about how the sun shines brighter or how I get lost in the blue of your eyes. You should know me better than that."

"I wasn't expecting all that, maybe just an I like you too Evan." I grinned at him.

"You're an asshole Evan but I've known that since the day I met you. Somehow I didn't hate you then and I don't hate you now. So yeah I like you too and I want this to be something. I want more than just sleeping around no strings attached. I'm not going to rush you into something you aren't ready for but I want this to be at least something."

"If you want to be my boyfriend all you have to do is ask." I told him.

"Yeah I'm not asking you that."

"Come on, it's just one little question." I teased.

"If you want me to be your boyfriend so bad than you can ask me yourself. Now I got a team I need to go lead, I'll see you after the game?"

I nodded. I had no plans on going anywhere.

"Anything you want to ask before I leave?" He laughed.

"Nope, unless you have a question you want to ask." I was totally going to win this one.

"Nope."

"Dickhead." I smiled.

"Asshole." He grinned right back and left to go back to his teammates.

I was going to get Jake to ask me to be his boyfriend. This was a game I was planning on winning. Once Jake had disappeared I shrugged off the black hoodie I currently had on and replaced it with the one Jake had given me. His name on my back claiming me as his.

A/n:

It's so fun to read these chapters back. I forget how much I love them and then I reread it and fall back in love with my characters all over again.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you on Monday with something a little spicier 😉

-Cora Leigh