Pass Interference (18 page)

He pulled her into his arms and rolled her onto her back again. When he kissed her lips, she held him so tight, and she could feel how much he loved her. She had never felt loved before Philip. He was, without a doubt, the best thing that ever happened to her.

Sara helped Philip carry his things into his dorm room. He was mostly walking without the crutches, but he still had an obvious limp.

She set his duffle bag on the floor and looked around his room. “Looks like everything is exactly the way we left it.”

He reached out and grasped her arm, pulling her close to him. “Except that now everything’s different.”

She smiled up at him and rested her forearms on his shoulders. “Oh? Why’s that?” she asked flirtatiously.

“Because last time I was here, I didn’t have you. And now…” He leaned in and softly kissed her lips. “I do.”

Smiling, she bit her lower lip. “I know. Everything feels kind of different now.”

“I know something that would make you feel more comfortable here.”

“You do?” she asked naively.

Philip turned his head and glanced at the bed. Then he looked back at her. “We need to get you out of these clothes first,” he said as he began to fondle her blouse.

“Ah. Yes, I think you’re right. We’d be a lot more comfortable if we weren’t wearing clothing,” she said, giggling.

Philip kissed her lips as he walked her backward toward the bed and pushed her down on it. Wrapping her in his arms, he peppered her lips with kisses and pushed her blouse up. Sliding his hand up under her bra, he found her nipple and teased the very tip until it grew tall and firm. She moaned and briefly pushed him away, just long enough to pull her blouse off entirely and remove her bra. Lying underneath him again, his mouth closed over one breast while he palmed the other one in continuous circles for what seemed to be an exquisitely, excruciatingly long time.

She tugged his sweatshirt out of his pants, and he broke contact with her to pull it over his head and carelessly toss it onto the floor. Standing up just long enough to roll off his shorts and take her skirt off, Philip returned to the bed and straddled Sara. He leaned closer to kiss her when felt her tense up. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Your knee. Can you…”

Smiling, he cupped her chin. “It’s nice of you to worry about me. But don’t. We’re gonna find out in a minute how hard this is.”

Sara laughed at the double meaning and put her arms around his shoulders, pulling him down and closing any gap between them. As the length of his body pressed upon her, he maneuvered his erection between her legs, rhythmically easing in and out while she locked her legs around his back, urging him to go deeper with each thrust. Placing his fingers over her most sensitive spot, he continued pumping faster and faster until she convulsed and cried out with pleasure.

At long last, he pulled out and came before his exhausted body fell on top of her. His arms encircled her, and he held her close as they both worked to catch their breath.

Sara reluctantly left the security of Philip’s arms and got out of bed. After watching her getting dressed for a few minutes, Philip threw back the covers, rose to his feet, and put his arms around her from behind. “You don’t need to leave,” he said.

Smoothing her pullover shirt, she leaned her head back until it touched his cheek. “I just need to go back to my room. I’m kind of tired of wearing the same thing I wore when we drove down.”

He stepped away from her to unzip his duffel. “Don’t forget your new clothes.” He handed her the folded blouse and skirt she had worn to the party the night before, along with a plastic shopping bag that held other assorted items she had acquired during her visit to Naples, including her citrus toiletries. Leaning near her ear, he spoke in a deep whisper, “But if you want my opinion, I like it best when you’re not wearing anything.”

Sara briefly thought about smacking him playfully, but the truth was, she loved it when he said things like that, and she didn’t want to discourage it. So she touched his face. “I can come back if you want.”

He held her hand against his cheek. “Oh, I want. The team is leaving in a few hours and I want to spend as much time together as we can.” He kissed her briefly and then leaned away. His smile disappeared and he got serious. “Sara, I want you to know that…”

“Yes?” she asked expectantly.

“I’m really glad you came with me to my parents’ house. And I’m glad you stayed.”

“So am I,” she whispered. “I never expected…” Her voice trailed off and she looked downward.

Lifting her chin with his finger, he forced her to look at him. “Never expected what?”

“I never expected to feel the way I do…about you.”

“I know what you mean. Sometimes the best things take you by surprise.”

Sara nodded slowly. She smiled and they looked into each other’s eyes for a long moment. “I’d better go,” she finally said. As she turned away, he caught her hand.

“You’re coming back.”

“Definitely,” she said, returning to his side. She kissed his cheek. “We’re going to be apart for a whole twenty four hours after today, so I’ll be back soon.”

About a minute after Sara left, there was a knock at the door. “Just a second,” Philip said as he quickly pulled on his shorts. He opened the door shirtless, expecting to see Sara again. “Hey baby,” he said, but instead of Sara, it was his teammate Carter along with Brittany, the cheerleader.

“Hey baby yourself.” Carter gave Philip a quick guy hug, which Philip didn’t much appreciate. He retrieved his sweatshirt from the bedroom and pulled it on over his head before returning to the living room. Meanwhile, Brittany made herself comfortable on the sofa and focused on her cell phone.

“Hey man, how was your Christmas and New Year’s?” Carter asked, but didn’t wait for an answer. “Was that Mary I just saw? Don’t tell me she gave you an assignment over break!”

“Her name isn’t Mary. It’s Sara,” Philip corrected, unrolling the bottom of his shirt to smooth it out. “Shouldn’t you be at practice?”

“We had practice all morning.” Carter lightly slapped Philip’s shoulder with the back of his hand. “Hey. I heard you’re gonna be coming with us to South Florida for the game tomorrow. We’re leaving in a few hours.”

“You heard, huh?” he asked sarcastically. “Who told you?”

“Coach. Why?”

“Nothing, just if you’d been in touch, you might have heard it from me.”

Carter was taken aback. “You seem angry dude. What’s up?”

Carter was the one guy on the team who had stood by Philip the longest. He’d done Philip a lot of favors, like driving him to physical therapy and doctor’s appointments, and Philip probably should be more grateful. But over the past month, Carter had abandoned Philip like everyone else. “Forget it.”

“Done. So, you might be wondering why I brought Brittany here, right?” Carter commented, gesturing toward the blonde cheerleader. “She told me she wanted to hang with you, and I figured you’d been a lone wolf long enough.”

The second Brittany heard her name, she got off the couch and walked toward Philip.

Philip glanced at the girl. He knew Brittany well. She’d been a cheerleader with the team for a couple years, and she was popular with a lot of guys on the team. Sure, he flirted with her now and then, but he was maybe the only guy on the team who had never hooked up with her. It was obvious she spent a lot of time on her appearance, and even though she was pretty, petite, curvaceous, and buxom, Philip had no interest in her. “No offense Brittany, but this isn’t a good time.”

“Well, I can make any time a good time. Let me show you,” she said suggestively, putting her arms around Philip’s neck and kissing him on the lips.

He gently pushed her away. “Sorry, Brittany, but I’m seeing someone.”

Carter’s head turned quickly toward his friend. “Seeing someone? Since when? Why wasn’t I informed?”

“Like I said, if you were around more often, you’d already know.”

Carter squinted at Philip. Without looking at her, he said, “Hey, Brit, mind waiting outside for me? I’ll be five minutes.”

She shrugged. “Whatever.” With her hand on the doorknob, she looked over her shoulder at Philip. “Listen hon, if you change your mind, call me. Any time, night or day.” She blew Philip a kiss before walking outside.

As soon as Brittany left, Carter asked, “Okay, dude, who’s the girl you’re seeing? Or were you just blowing her off?” he asked, pointing toward the door. “Are you really seeing someone?”

“Yes I am. I’m seeing Sara.”

“Yeah right,” Carter scoffed. “Come on man, tell me.” When Philip didn’t respond, Carter recoiled. “What the hell? This is a joke, right?”

Philip eyed Carter with disdain. One wrong word, and Carter was in danger of getting blasted. “Why would it be a joke?”

“Because…because Mary’s not your type. She’s not anyone’s type. You told me so yourself. Remember? She’s one of those angry militant girls who doesn’t like jocks or cheerleaders. She’s probably gay and…”

Philip clenched his fist at his side, trying to keep his anger in check. “You better choose your words carefully, Carter,” he threatened.

Carter leaned against the desk and seemed to be trying to process what he had just learned. “Oh! Oh, wait. This is about the bet, isn’t it? You decided to just do her after all, didn’t you?” Carter laughed. “So that means I owe you a hundred bucks.” He reached into his pocket for his wallet. “I can give you fifty now and owe you the rest.” Taking out a few bills, Carter shook his head. “I was worried there for a minute. You can certainly do better than dating a loser like Mary.”

Philip looked downward and shook his head from side to side. He spoke slowly and quietly, because he knew if he got angry, he just might punch his teammate, and that wouldn’t be wise right before a big game. “You know, Carter, I didn’t see you coming round when I needed a ride or a helping hand or someone to hang out with while I was laid up. Maybe at first, but you—all of you—you all got tired of hanging around the gimp who might never play football again.” Philip lifted his head and looked directly at Carter. “The only one who stood by me was Sara. She’s the only one who didn’t abandon me, because she doesn’t give a damn about me as a football star. She cares about me as a human being. I almost forgot what that meant until I met her.”

“Damn Philip, sounds like…”

Philip cut him off. “Sounds like what? Like I’ve fallen for her? You’re right. I have. I’ve fallen hard. Sara is just about the best thing that ever happened to me, and if it took me getting stuck in a wheelchair to open my eyes to who my real friends are— Well, you know something? That was maybe the best thing that could have happened.” He turned his back to Carter, but then he turned around to face him again. “I’m in love with Sara, but you wouldn’t even know the meaning of the word love. You don’t even know the meaning of the word friendship. Why don’t you take your fake concern and get the hell out of here.”

Carter put the wallet on the desk and bent his arms upward showing Philip his palms, like he was surrendering. “Hey man, relax. I’m sorry. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you more, but you don’t need to bite my head off. And so what if you had taken the bet?”

“Damn it, Carter!”

“Okay, okay,” Carter said. He swiped his wallet off the desk and took a few steps toward the couch. He shuffled a few twenty dollar bills and started to put them back in his wallet. “But hey, it’s not like some guys on our team never slept with a girl for a hundred bucks. You wouldn’t be the first, you know.”

Philip was about to snap at Carter when something caught his eye in the doorway. His lips parted. “Sara.”

“Is that true?” she asked in a small voice. She was standing at the threshold of the dorm, partway in and partway out. “Did you sleep with me because of a bet?”

“What? No! No, of course not.”

“Is that what this was all about? A bet?” Sara turned her head and looked along the walkway outside the apartment at the pretty blonde sitting on the ground and talking on a cell phone several doors down. She recognized the girl as Brittany, the cheerleader who had been kissing Philip and sitting on his lap the day Sara met him. She looked back at Philip. “Oh my God, it is! You would never have looked twice at someone like me otherwise. None of you jocks ever looked at me before.” She ran her hand through her hair. “Oh God, it all makes sense now. Brittany really
is
your girlfriend.”

Philip walked over to Sara in the doorway and grasped her arm. “Sara, that’s not true. What you heard Carter say was—”

“The truth. Don’t touch me!” Sara pulled her arm out of Philip’s grip. She looked at Philip and then at Carter before turning around and running off.

“Sara!” Philip said, heading after her, but his bum knee wouldn’t let him keep up. “Sara, wait!”

Carter jumped up and gripped Philip’s shoulder. “I’ll get her, don’t worry.” He skipped past Philip. “Mary, stop!”

∙•∙

Sara ran across the lawn in the direction of the library building. She really didn’t know where she was going, just that she was running away.

She always knew it was too good to be true, a handsome, popular, local legend like Philip would not be interested in someone like Sara, not without an incentive. Of course it was a bet. Of course he wasn’t into her. Of course he was only using her. What angered her even more was that she allowed it to happen against her own good judgment. She let herself get caught up in Philip. She let him do things no other man had ever done. She let him get close to her and she let her guard down. And yes, she let herself fall in love with him.

Last night, when she thought he tossed her aside for another girl at the New Year’s party, Sara had been more stoic about it than she was now. She told herself it was worth it and she wouldn’t trade it for anything, even if her heart did wind up getting broken in the end. But this was different. She’d been played for a fool, and nothing was worse than that.
Stupid girl
, she chided herself, running faster as she heard a voice calling to her from behind.

A man gripped her arm and stopped her from running. She looked over at Carter. “Let go of me.” She tried pulling out of his grip, but he wouldn’t release the stranglehold he had on her arm.