was fully clothed. “Do you play on the team here?”
“No. My parents wouldn’t let me play in high school, and that’s how you get on it.” He had begged many times, but his mom felt it was too dangerous. Once he was 18, it was too late to join for the season, so he joined another sport.
“They don’t have tryouts at all?” Danielle wanted to encourage him, as he did for her. “You’re amazing.”
He smiled and sat next to her. “I’m not that good.”
She looked into his enchanting gray eyes. Despite the many times she had seen him, she never took the time to admire them. She had never met anyone with eyes that color before. His hair framed his face when he leaned forward. She could imagine it brushing her face as he made love to her. Ashamed, she blinked her eyes a few times and tried to rid herself of the fantasy. Then she smiled as she remembered him jumping to catch a pass that afternoon.
“I think you’re incredible. They’d be lucky to have you.”
He turned to her and touched her face. “ You are incredible.” He ran his fingers through her hair, glad she didn’t pull away again. “Through all this, you’re thinking of helping me.” He sighed. “I’ll ask if they have tryouts. OK?”
“Good.”
Logan felt out of place. “Uh, I’m gonna get going, guys. I’ll see you tonight. Right?”
“Oh, yeah.” Alex had forgotten. “Danielle, you wanna come with us to a party? Logan’s fraternity has one every Sunday.”
She tried to think of a good excuse, but none came to her. “I can’t. I’m not allowed.”
“Fucking Brian,” Alex grumbled as quiet as he could. “Tell me all his friends’ names, and I’ll make sure none of them come. He won’t find out.”
Chapter 6
Several hours later, Danielle nervously got into the passenger seat of Alex’s black Ford Focus. “You sure no one saw us?”
He closed her door and ran around to get in the driver’s side. “Yes. I had all them all checked out. They’re either at work or home right now. We’re safe.”
She sighed and tried to relax. “I like your car.”
“My parents gave it to me when I graduated high school.” Then he cringed. It sounded like bragging. He knew her family didn’t have money.
Danielle laughed. She had not taken it that way. “I probably would’ve gotten a bottle of vodka. Then I bet my dad would’ve told me to grow up and get out.”
He furrowed his brows when he realized she said it as if nothing like that ever happened. He pretended he didn’t notice. She would withdraw if he pushed. “You’re dad wasn’t a nice guy either, huh?”
She looked out the window, determined not to let the memories emerge. “No.” The rest of the trip was silent.
When Alex parked, he opened her door and held out his hand to help her out. That made her smile, but she was still afraid. She hadn’t been to a party in a long time, at least not one with people besides just Brian and his friends, with her as the waitress or the entertainment.
Alex looked at Danielle as she grabbed his hand. “You all right?” They walked up the stairs to the house. “Did something scare you?”
She looked at him. “Brian doesn’t let me go anywhere. He’s going to—”
He took her other hand in his. “What? You have to tell me. What would he do to you?”
“He’ll hurt me.” She had never admitted she was abused. Not once had she told him what she would endure if Brian discovered her attraction to him.
Alex pulled her into his arms and feigned ignorance. “He beats you? You said he doesn’t.”
“I didn’t say he does that.” She didn’t want him to know. “But… I don’t like parties.” Her thoughts were mixed up.
He lifted her chin. Her extreme fear overwhelmed him. “You don’t have to hide the truth from me.” He kissed the top of her head. “Tell me what Brian would do if you two went to a party. Please.”
“He… he…” She closed her eyes. The last LAN party she attended came to mind.
“No. My parents wouldn’t let me play in high school, and that’s how you get on it.” He had begged many times, but his mom felt it was too dangerous. Once he was 18, it was too late to join for the season, so he joined another sport.
“They don’t have tryouts at all?” Danielle wanted to encourage him, as he did for her. “You’re amazing.”
He smiled and sat next to her. “I’m not that good.”
She looked into his enchanting gray eyes. Despite the many times she had seen him, she never took the time to admire them. She had never met anyone with eyes that color before. His hair framed his face when he leaned forward. She could imagine it brushing her face as he made love to her. Ashamed, she blinked her eyes a few times and tried to rid herself of the fantasy. Then she smiled as she remembered him jumping to catch a pass that afternoon.
“I think you’re incredible. They’d be lucky to have you.”
He turned to her and touched her face. “ You are incredible.” He ran his fingers through her hair, glad she didn’t pull away again. “Through all this, you’re thinking of helping me.” He sighed. “I’ll ask if they have tryouts. OK?”
“Good.”
Logan felt out of place. “Uh, I’m gonna get going, guys. I’ll see you tonight. Right?”
“Oh, yeah.” Alex had forgotten. “Danielle, you wanna come with us to a party? Logan’s fraternity has one every Sunday.”
She tried to think of a good excuse, but none came to her. “I can’t. I’m not allowed.”
“Fucking Brian,” Alex grumbled as quiet as he could. “Tell me all his friends’ names, and I’ll make sure none of them come. He won’t find out.”
Chapter 6
Several hours later, Danielle nervously got into the passenger seat of Alex’s black Ford Focus. “You sure no one saw us?”
He closed her door and ran around to get in the driver’s side. “Yes. I had all them all checked out. They’re either at work or home right now. We’re safe.”
She sighed and tried to relax. “I like your car.”
“My parents gave it to me when I graduated high school.” Then he cringed. It sounded like bragging. He knew her family didn’t have money.
Danielle laughed. She had not taken it that way. “I probably would’ve gotten a bottle of vodka. Then I bet my dad would’ve told me to grow up and get out.”
He furrowed his brows when he realized she said it as if nothing like that ever happened. He pretended he didn’t notice. She would withdraw if he pushed. “You’re dad wasn’t a nice guy either, huh?”
She looked out the window, determined not to let the memories emerge. “No.” The rest of the trip was silent.
When Alex parked, he opened her door and held out his hand to help her out. That made her smile, but she was still afraid. She hadn’t been to a party in a long time, at least not one with people besides just Brian and his friends, with her as the waitress or the entertainment.
Alex looked at Danielle as she grabbed his hand. “You all right?” They walked up the stairs to the house. “Did something scare you?”
She looked at him. “Brian doesn’t let me go anywhere. He’s going to—”
He took her other hand in his. “What? You have to tell me. What would he do to you?”
“He’ll hurt me.” She had never admitted she was abused. Not once had she told him what she would endure if Brian discovered her attraction to him.
Alex pulled her into his arms and feigned ignorance. “He beats you? You said he doesn’t.”
“I didn’t say he does that.” She didn’t want him to know. “But… I don’t like parties.” Her thoughts were mixed up.
He lifted her chin. Her extreme fear overwhelmed him. “You don’t have to hide the truth from me.” He kissed the top of her head. “Tell me what Brian would do if you two went to a party. Please.”
“He… he…” She closed her eyes. The last LAN party she attended came to mind.
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