I Wish You The Best

Bonus Chapter

Freshman Year Of College | Eight Years Ago

It was Mason's first college game tonight and he looks like he's ready to pass out. We spent the night before going over the entire day today so there were no surprises.

Wake up at 6 am.

Go to morning weights and team meeting at 7 am.

Go to classes from 9 am to 1 pm.

Come back to the apartment to eat before heading to the field at 3 pm.

And most importantly, don't kiss Delilah on the lips before the game at all because it will cause a break in the schedule and an extra thirty-minute delay on whatever he's doing at that time. I was not the one who made this rule as I find it a bit rude if I do say so myself. He was even adamant enough about it that he slept in the guest bedroom!

Now it's an hour before he has to leave from the field and we're sitting at the kitchen table across from one another not saying a word. I find the whole thing rather amusing but he's got his game face on.

I take a sip of the matcha I had just made, watching the focused jock across from me on his phone watching game footage. He hasn't looked up since I sat down, annoying me. Mason has always been very focused when it came to his games, both in high school and now. I understand he's under a lot of stress which is why sometimes he results in an unhealthy level of coping.

Like refusing to kiss his girlfriend.

"I can feel you staring." He finally says.

"Good, that's the point. Look at me." I nudge him with my food under the table.

He finally looks up at me and raises a brow like I'm inconveniencing him. I smile.

"Hey, you're going to do great today. There's no need to worry and ignore me." I say.

He breathes out a bellow of air before looking down at his phone again. I know he doesn't mean to cut me off and is genuinely just worried. I've known him long enough now to know when he's actually mad at me and truly mad at something else that is dampening his mood.

"I know. I just really need to focus." He explains.

"No, what you really need to do is relax." He shakes his head at my words.

Such a big baby.

I decide that I'm going to take matters into my own hands to help him relax. It's now 2:10 pm and he doesn't have to leave until 2:50 because our apartment is only a five-minute walk to the field house.

I miss my boyfriend and his affection. It's been almost twenty-four hours since he kissed me. And what I'm about to do isn't technically breaking any rules.

He doesn't look up when I push back from the table or bring my now empty glass to the sink, completely engrossed in the video on his phone. I make my way back to my chair, sitting once again, still not catching his eyes.

I bring out my phone like I'm going to sit on it as well but then I let it purposefully drop from my hands onto the floor beneath us. He finally looks up but I don't look at him.

"Shit," I say to really sell it.

He looks away after seeing me lean down to pick it up. Good.

I hear his video start again which means his attention is no longer on me, no longer on the fact I don't sit back up after getting my phone. Instead, I crawl over to his side of the table between his open legs. One leg is bouncing up and down in nerves, pushing me forward even more.