Rumor Has It I'm Dating the Football Captain

Chapter 45: Chapter 45 : Worth the Wait

The journalism office was quiet on Wednesday morning.

Audrey sat at her desk, staring blankly at her laptop screen. She was supposed to be writing a recap of the weekend’s match, but the words were just blurring together. Her mind was halfway to Florida.

"Ellis."

Audrey blinked, looking up from her screen.

Ben stood in the doorway. He was holding a stack of press passes, looking slightly exhausted.

"I brought you some help," Ben said. He stepped aside. "Come on in, don’t just hide in the hallway."

A girl peeked around the doorframe. She had a wild halo of curly blonde hair, bright honey-colored eyes, and was wearing an oversized knit sweater.

She took a step into the office, immediately caught the toe of her sneaker on the carpet seam, and pitched forward. She barely managed to catch herself on the edge of a filing cabinet, sending a stack of loose papers flying everywhere.

"Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry!" she squeaked, immediately dropping to her knees to frantically gather the papers.

Ben let out a long, suffering sigh.

"Audrey," Ben said flatly. "Meet Daisy Preston. She’s a freshman. Mrs. Higgins just assigned her as our new junior sports photographer."

Audrey smiled gently, walking around her desk to help the girl pick up the papers.

"It’s nice to meet you, Daisy," Audrey said, handing her a stack of files. "I’m Audrey."

Daisy looked up, her honey eyes wide with absolute awe.

"I know who you are," Daisy breathed, clutching the papers to her chest. "You’re Audrey Ellis. You write the tactical breakdowns. They’re brilliant. I read your article on the defensive line three times."

Audrey’s smile grew. "Thank you. You like football?"

"I love it," Daisy nodded enthusiastically, finally standing up. She brushed off her jeans. "I’m just... a little nervous. The players are so huge. I actually bumped into one of them on campus yesterday. Well, I didn’t mean to. He bumped into me."

Audrey paused. "A player?"

"Yeah," Daisy said, a sudden, dreamy blush rushing to her cheeks. "He was massive. He looked so sad, but he was so gentle when he helped me pick up my notebook. I didn’t get his name."

Audrey immediately knew exactly who she was talking about. A sad, gentle giant wandering the campus?

"Did he have dark hair? Built like a brick wall?" Audrey asked.

Daisy nodded quickly. "Yes! Exactly like a brick wall."

Audrey fought back a laugh. Leo.

"Well, Daisy," Audrey smiled. "You’ll be spending a lot of time around the team from now on. I’m sure you’ll see him again."

Daisy beamed, her face completely lighting up.

Ben tapped his clipboard. "Alright, Preston. Grab your camera. I’m showing you the editing software."

Daisy gave Audrey a quick, excited wave before scurrying after Ben, immediately tripping over a chair leg on her way out.

Audrey laughed softly, sitting back down at her desk. Her phone vibrated on the table.

Mason: Thirty minutes.

Audrey’s smile vanished. Her heart gave a painful, heavy thud against her ribs.

It was time.

The athletic complex parking lot was packed with the entire starting lineup.

Mason’s sleek black duffel bags were piled near the trunk of an idling SUV. He was wearing a plain white t-shirt and his favorite gray sweatpants, looking incredibly casual for a guy who was about to step onto a plane that would change his life.

Coach Miller stood in front of him, his arms crossed.

"Don’t embarrass me down there, Calloway," Coach Miller barked, though his eyes were shining with obvious pride. "They run a tight ship in Florida. Show them what Westbridge defense looks like."

"Wouldn’t dream of embarrassing you, Coach," Mason smiled.

Jackson stepped up next. He didn’t offer a handshake. He just pulled Mason into a rough, aggressive bro-hug, clapping him hard on the back.

"Who’s going to yell at me when I slack off in practice?" Jackson asked, pulling away.

"Davies," Mason laughed. "And he’s a lot meaner than I am. Keep the backline tight, Jackson. You’re leading them now."

Jackson nodded, suddenly looking entirely serious. "I got it, Captain."

Then, Mason turned to Leo.

Leo looked terrible. He was wearing sunglasses, even though it was completely cloudy outside. His hands were shoved deep into his pockets, and his lower lip was visibly trembling.

"Leo," Mason said softly.

Leo took off the sunglasses. His eyes were completely red.

"I have no captain," Leo wailed, his voice cracking. "I have no girlfriend. I am a hollow vessel, Mason. I am a shell of a man walking this earth alone."

Mason didn’t laugh. He just reached out and pulled Leo into a massive, bone-crushing hug.

Leo immediately hugged him back, burying his face in Mason’s shoulder.

"You’re going to be fine, Leo," Mason said quietly, clapping him on the back. "Just keep your head in the game. And maybe try looking where you’re walking on campus."

Leo sniffled loudly, pulling back. "I’ll try. Have a good flight, man. Go get that contract."

"Thanks," Mason smiled.

He turned around.

The crowd of massive football players slowly parted.

Audrey was standing at the edge of the pavement. She was wearing her oversized sweater, her hands clutching the strap of her camera bag.

Mason’s entire posture changed. The captain was gone. The tough, defensive wall was completely gone.

He walked straight toward her, closing the distance in three long strides.

He didn’t care about the team watching. He didn’t care about Coach Miller. He reached out, wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, and lifted her completely off the ground.

Audrey let out a breathless gasp, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder. She held onto him as tightly as she could, breathing in the familiar scent of his laundry detergent and faint cologne.

He slowly set her back down on her feet, but he didn’t let go of her waist.

"Hi," Mason whispered, his voice incredibly thick.

"Hi," Audrey whispered back, her eyes already stinging with unshed tears.

He rested his forehead against hers.

"Six months," Mason murmured, his eyes closed. He sounded like the math physically pained him. "It’s too long."

"It’ll go fast," Audrey lied.

"You’re a terrible liar, Ellis," Mason smiled sadly.

He opened his eyes, looking down at her. His thumb gently traced her cheekbone, wiping away a stray tear that had managed to escape.

"I’m going to call you every night," Mason promised. "Every single night. I don’t care if I’m exhausted."

"You better," Audrey said, her voice shaking slightly. "And you better text me before every scrimmage."

"I will."

"And don’t let those Florida girls distract you," she added, trying to force a teasing smile.

Mason didn’t smile back. He looked at her with a fierce, absolute certainty that made her heart stop.

"There is only one girl I’m looking at," Mason said quietly. "Nobody else even exists."

Audrey’s breath hitched.

He leaned down and kissed her.

It wasn’t a quick goodbye. It was deep, desperate, and filled with all the words they didn’t have time to say. It was a promise.

When they finally pulled apart, the driver of the SUV lightly tapped the horn.

Mason let out a heavy sigh. He pressed one last, lingering kiss to her forehead.

"Keep Leo out of trouble," Mason whispered against her skin. "And don’t let anyone steal my fries."

Audrey let out a wet laugh. "I promise."

Mason slowly, reluctantly took a step back. His hands slipped from her waist, his fingers catching hers for one final second before they let go.

He walked to the SUV, opened the door, and climbed inside.

The engine revved.

Audrey stood on the pavement, wrapping her arms around herself against the cool autumn wind.

Mason rolled the window down as the car began to pull away. He didn’t wave. He just kept his dark eyes locked on her, watching her until the car turned the corner and completely disappeared from sight.

The parking lot was suddenly very quiet.

Leo walked up and stood beside her, letting out a loud, tragic sigh.

"Well," Leo mumbled. "Now we’re both miserable."

Audrey wiped her eyes, offering Leo a small, genuine smile.

"Yeah," Audrey said softly. "But he’s coming back."

She looked at the empty street where the car had vanished.

Six months.

It was going to be a long wait. But for the very first time in her life, Audrey knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that he was worth waiting for.

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