Cheap Shot by Brittney Mulliner
Haley
Werethere any other four-word sentences in the English language that could instantly spark a full-blown panic attack faster than we need to talk?
No. There wasn’t, and I was pretty sure everyone knew that.
Days went by without so much as a text, then he came breaking through my door as a literal knight in shining armor––or sweatpants. He stayed with me, letting me recover without pushing me to talk. But then I get to wake up to those words?
“I don’t want to talk about what happened. They got him. It’s done.”
His eyes scanned my face. “That’s not what I was going to say. I wanted to know if you’re okay?”
I reached for his hand, “No, and I won’t be until you tell me what you want to talk about.” He cringed, and I tightened my hold.
“I should have phrased that differently. Sorry, my mind is all over the place right now.”
I remained silent, waiting.
“I was looking for you. I called and you didn’t answer, so I checked my room but Ethan told me he dropped you off here.” He turned so we were facing each other. “I can’t do this anymore, Haley. I know we agreed that the timing isn’t right for us, but I’ve been miserable. I can’t focus on classes or at practice. I feel lost and alone, and the worst part is I know exactly how to fix it, but I can’t do it without being selfish.”
I sucked in a breath. I couldn’t let my hopes get too high without him finishing.
“I want to at least try. I want you. I want us. I know it’s not going to be easy and I won’t be the boyfriend you deserve for the next few months, but I promise to do my best. I think as long as we go into it with clear expectations and a commitment to communicate, we can do it. We can be happy and be together.”
That was all I wanted to hear. From the second Ethan told me I was going to be a distraction for Reid, I wanted Reid to tell me that it didn’t matter. That I was worth fighting for. It took him longer than I expected, but he was here now.
“Okay.” It was all I could say.
His brows rose. “Okay? You’re willing to try?”
I smiled up at him. “Of course. I’ve been just as miserable, Reid. I hated this week, and not just because of Jay. I missed you and the thought of pretending until April was killing me.”
His body relaxed, and he pulled me into his arms then kissed the top of my head. “I never want to let you go again.”
“Please don’t,” I whispered against him, savoring the feeling of being close to him. I closed my eyes and let myself soak in everything that happened. Jay was gone. He couldn’t hurt me anymore. Reid came for me. He found me in time. He saved me. I was safe, and I didn’t have to be alone.
“Can I take you to my room?” His voice rumbled in his chest against my cheek. I nodded but made no move to leave. He smoothed his hand over my hair then lifted my chin so I was looking up at him.
“I know this is probably too soon, and you’ve had an insane few days, but it’s only made me realize how much you mean to me. I love you, Haley.”
His words shocked me. I’d never heard those words from someone outside my family. At least, not from someone I believed meant them.
I didn’t feel deserving. I was broken.
But he didn’t see that. He saw all my pieces and was helping me put them back together. I didn’t have to be perfect for him. He wanted me. The way I was.
“I love you too.”
His smile filled my heart with so much warmth. He would help me heal. He could carry me when I couldn’t take another step on my own. He would be my strength, and one day I would be strong enough to return the favor.
He leaned down to press a gentle kiss against my lips. The tender touch stole my breath.
He was all I wanted. We could do this. We would make this work.
“You look beautiful.”Reid kissed my cheek before opening the door to the restaurant.
“Thank you.” I smiled back at him. He was being extra sweet tonight, which would have made me nervous if Ethan hadn’t given me a heads up. Reid planned this night for over a week and wanted every detail to go perfectly. As much as I appreciated the effort, I wasn’t sure why he was putting in so much for one dinner.
He greeted the host and gave his name. A second later, we were whisked back to a private table and left with menus and a promise that our waitress would be right over.
“This place is nice.” I glanced around the small dining room, taking in the emerald walls and sparse metal decorations. It had an ultra-modern feel that was rare for the area. Most of the restaurants close to campus catered to the students and didn’t put forth too much effort in creating an ambiance when most of the customers were interested in cheap, filling meals.
“Coach told me about it.” Reid clutched the sides of the menu, making it bend in the middle. I reached out and tapped the back of his hands, and he immediately relaxed his grip.
“Is everything okay?” I watched him, looking for any hints as to what was going on in his head.
He cleared his throat. “Yeah, of course.”
So, no. Everything was most definitely not okay.
He stared past me, over my shoulder, and I peeked back to see what caught his attention. A group of women, around our age, were watching us.
“Are they bugging you?” I asked.
He shook his head. “No, I just don’t want them to come over.”
I grinned at that. It was so different from going out with Ethan or any of the guys from the team. It was like they had a sensor for female fans and would take off as soon as there was a chance they could get attention.
Reid was gracious when people approached him, thanking them for their support and well wishes, but was always quick to dismiss them.
It was only of the many reasons I loved him.
I smiled at that.
We were right. Finding time to be together was a challenge. Our schedules didn’t usually sync up, but we made the best of it. Going into things with the understanding that this was temporary and we would eventually have more time for each other made it all much more bearable. I’d broken my own rules and attended some of his practices when I had a break and dragged the girls with me to the games. I missed him during the week, but it was worth it when we had nights like this to look forward to.
I reached across the table, and his hand found mine. The waitress appeared and set down two glasses of water before lowering a white plate between us. A tall slice of chocolate cake with a red sauce made my mouth water.
“Oh, we didn’t order––” I stopped as soon as I read the words spelled in the red sauce. Happy One Month Anniversary.
My jaw dropped, and I looked across the table at Reid. He was grinning back at me, and the waitress stepped away.
“Reid,” I gasped.
“I thought tonight was one of those times that dessert should come first,” he teased.
I shook my head and covered my gaping mouth with my hand. How had a month already passed since the night he first told me he loved me? How had I forgotten?
“This is the sweetest, most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me.”
He cocked a brow. “That’s a very low bar then.”
I giggled and lifted a fork to take a bite of the delicious-looking cake. The moment it touched my tongue I let out a sigh. “This is so good.”
Reid took the other fork and claimed a piece. After chewing, he nodded slowly. “Oh yeah. That lives up to the hype.”
I took another bite and let it melt on my tongue. “I can’t decide what I like better, this cake or being with you.”
His eyes narrowed, and he slid the plate toward him.
“Hey!” I reached out and stabbed another piece.
He chuckled and let it go. “I don’t want to lose you to cake, Haley.”
“Who says I can’t have both?” I winked at him.
“I’m not sure how well I can compete against it,” he joked.
I pretended to think about it. “You win. Every time.”
He smiled, and I felt my phone vibrate in my purse. I ignored it. This was our time, and I didn’t want to let anything interrupt that.
As soon as it stopped, the buzzing started again. None of the girls would call me back to back, even in an emergency. They all knew where I was. That left my parents or Ethan.
“You okay?” Reid asked after swallowing another bite.
“Someone’s calling me.” I waved off my curiosity and focused back on him, but my phone didn’t stop.
“Just check it.” He nodded in the direction of my bag.
I sighed and pulled my phone out. Four missed calls from Ethan. I showed Reid the screen. “Doesn’t he know I’m with you?”
He nodded, looking worried. “Call him back.”
I tapped on his name and waited for him to answer.
“Haley! Where are you?”
My heart pounded against my chest. He sounded so freaked out. “At dinner with Reid.”
“When are you guys going to be back? I need to talk to you. Both of you.”
Reid leaned forward and whispered, “Is he okay?”
I shook my head. My brother had clearly lost his mind.
“What’s going on?”
Ethan groaned. “Just picture the worst possible situation.”
Well, that wasn’t much to go on, but suddenly my mind was filled with hundreds of possibilities. Was it our mom? Dad? Had there been an accident? Did he get kicked off the team? Was someone dead? Jay was locked up, pending his trial so it didn’t have to do with him.
“Are you being dramatic, or did something actually happen, Ethan?” I really needed him to pull himself together.
“Just come back.” He sounded so defeated.
“We’re on our way.” Reid met my eyes and stood before I even ended the call. He took my hand in his, and we left the thoughtful, romantic dinner behind.
“No matter what, it’s you and me now. You know that right?” He stopped at the corner and looked down at me with so much love, patience, and determination in his eyes.
I nodded and rose on my toes with my hands on his chest. He met me, and the moment our lips connected, I knew his words were true. It was me and him now. And forever.