Allyson Reed shapes her life to make her parents proud, but whenever she's with Daxson Winters, the star wide receiver with a troubled past, her perfectly-crafted existence crumbles at the seams.
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When I made the decision to jump, time froze. My hands grasped onto the cold rail that rested against my back, and I chose to leave everything my parents ever said in the stands. When my feet hit the field, I was going to be the real me. There was no reason to hide behind the façade anymore.
I had already broken the rules by talking to Daxson anyway. Why not be a little more rebellious?
The air swirled around me as I released the rail. The thrill of the fall was short-lived as I prepared for the impact with the ground, but to my surprise there was no impact at all.
The touch of Daxson's strong, slender fingers against my waist forced a soft squeak from my lips. I threw my arms around his neck instinctively, not even acknowledging the thick plastic pads beneath his jersey. Any evidence of sweat from the game was hidden by his intoxicating earthy scent that reminded me so much of home. The addicting static between our bodies only made me cling to him more.
Daxson pried my hands from around his neck and placed me on the ground. He captured my gaze, looking at me like the fire in his eyes had been dowsed with ice water. His features were tense as he put space between us.
Did I do something wrong? Was he disappointed I'd decided to jump? If that was the case, he should have saved himself the trouble and let me hit the ground.
My eyes fell to my shoes. The thought of disappointing him allowed the guilt to surface, but I wouldn't let it get the better of me, not in front of him. "Thanks for uh, catching me. It made the landing much softer."
"I'm honestly surprised you jumped."
"Why?"
The warmth in his deep voice didn't match the distant look in his eyes. "I didn't know if you trusted me enough."
I laughed, not at his words, but because I was surprised with myself for taking the risk to jump. It was nice to make my own decisions instead of being my mother's perfect little puppet.
"I mean, you're right, I probably shouldn't trust someone I barely know, but I feel obligated to trust the guy who saved my life and helped my little brother." I sucked in a breath to work up the courage to look at him again.
"You have a point." He chuckled. "Your brother seems like a great kid."
No matter how many people thought Caleb was a great kid, my mother couldn't see past his flaws. In her eyes, he'd always be a disappointment to the family, and a part of me resented her for that.
I tore my eyes from the blades of grass beneath my feet at the sound of his laugh. "He is a great kid. Extremely smart too."
Daxson rested his fingers beneath the pads on his chest and focused on me. "I can tell you love him a lot. You almost got hit by a car last night, but the only thing you talked about when I carried you to your dorm was him."
