Love, Ally by Hannah Gray

thirty-nine

Ally

Junior Year

Draft Day

“Ifeel like I should be the nervous one.” Cole smirks. “You’re over there, about to shit a brick.”

“Shut up! Am not! I’m just … nervous,” I fire back.

I’m not nervous that he won’t get picked—I know he will. I’m nervous for what team will pick him. I’m in Georgia for another year, and while I know our relationship could withstand long distance, shit, I’d miss the hell out of him.

Kansas City has been hot on his tail. Kansas City is a long way away from Georgia. Over fourteen hours by car. That would suck.

“Promise me something?” I say, putting my hands on his rock-hard abs and looking up into his eyes that are clearly blue today.

“What’s that, beautiful?” he says, tipping his chin up.

“Don’t forget me when you’re famous, deal?”

“Oh, cut the shit.” He rolls his eyes. “Never going to happen. Even if I do get drafted on the opposite side of the country, you’ll still be my pain in the ass all the way over here in Georgia.”

My bottom lip involuntarily pokes out as tears well up in my eyes. I bury my head into his chest, embarrassed as hell that he’ll see I’m crying on a day that’s so important to him.

“Ally, what’s going on?” His deep voice vibrates against my ear. Pulling me back, he dips his head down to make his eyes meet mine. “Hey, talk to me.”

“I’m fine.” I wipe my eyes. “I’m so proud of you. This day is monumental.” My lip trembles. “A life changer.”

Sitting down on the couch behind him, he pulls me into his lap. “That can all be true, and I know you’re proud. But I want to know why you’re crying. I don’t give a fuck how important this day is.”

“I just … I’m going to miss you so much if you go far away.” The tears run down my cheeks in a steady stream. “I know; I know. I’m being a whiny, selfish bitch.”

“Hey, look at me.” His eyes gaze into mine. “Let’s cross that bridge if and when it gets here. Okay?”

I nod. “Okay.”

“All right, lovebirds, quit the fondling. I’m coming out here to eat my dinner, and I’m too old for this shit,” Lenny grumbles before sitting down across from us. “Go eat, Ally. You’re scrawny as hell.”

“Am not,” I say before standing up. “But I will go eat. But because I want to and not because you told me to,” I tease him, sticking my tongue out.

I hate the fact that I’m having these feelings on such a huge day. But since this morning, I have been a ball of nerves. Feeling like I could burst into tears at any second.

We knew this day was coming. It was inevitable. And now, I need to put my big-girl panties on and toughen the hell up.

The problem is, I don’t know how to stop this deep ache in my chest.