Rumor Has It I'm Dating the Football Captain

Chapter 54: Chapter 54: Not Like This

The post-match celebration was incredibly loud.

The athletic department had ordered twenty boxes of pizza for the team lounge. Music thumped through a portable speaker. Players were laughing, completely buzzing off the playoff draw that felt like a massive win.

Leo sat on the edge of a leather sofa. He held a slice of pepperoni pizza on a paper plate, but he was not eating it. He was staring directly at his phone screen.

No new messages.

Audrey walked over and sat down next to him. She was holding a bottle of water.

"She still hasn’t texted?" Audrey asked gently.

Leo sighed. He locked his phone and shoved it into his sweatpants pocket. "Nothing. She kissed me at the fence in front of the entire stadium. She told me she would see me later. And now she is completely ghosting me."

"Chloe is complicated," Audrey reminded him. "She probably panicked after the kiss. It was very public. You know how much she hates looking vulnerable."

"I know," Leo muttered. He rubbed his eyes. He felt entirely exhausted. His muscles ached from the brutal slide tackle he made at the end of the match. "I just wanted to celebrate with her."

"Give her some time," Audrey smiled softly. "She will come around."

"Yeah," Leo said. He forced a smile for Audrey’s sake. He stood up from the sofa. "I am going to head back to the dorm. I need a shower, and it is entirely too loud in here."

"Goodnight, Leo," Audrey called out.

Leo waved to Jackson, who was currently trying to juggle three apples, and slipped out the back door of the athletic lounge.

The night air was freezing. The campus pathways were mostly empty.

Leo shoved his hands deep into his pockets. He walked slowly toward his dorm building. His chest felt heavy. He had been so incredibly happy at the stadium. He really thought they had finally turned a corner.

He reached the edge of the athletic quad.

A loud, messy burst of laughter echoed near the streetlamps.

Leo stopped walking. He looked up.

Two figures were walking unsteadily down the sidewalk. One was a guy wearing a denim jacket. He had his arm wrapped tightly around a girl’s waist to keep her standing upright.

The girl was stumbling. Her dark hair was a mess. She was wearing a familiar black leather jacket.

Leo felt his heart completely drop.

"Chloe?" Leo called out.

The two figures stopped.

Chloe slowly lifted her head. Her makeup was smudged. Her eyes were glazed over and completely unfocused. She squinted through the dark.

"Leo?" Chloe slurred. A goofy, completely out-of-character smile spread across her face. She clumsily lifted her hand and pointed at him. "Look! It is my football player."

Leo jogged over instantly.

He looked at the guy holding her. It was the same guy from her economics seminar. The same guy she was laughing with in the bleachers during the match.

The guy smelled heavily of cheap alcohol and stale smoke.

"What is going on?" Leo demanded. His voice was sharp. His hands clenched into tight fists at his sides.

"Hey, man," the guy friend said easily. He did not look intimidated at all. He just looked tired. "She had a bit too much to drink. We went clubbing downtown to celebrate the weekend. I am just trying to get her back to her apartment."

Leo’s jaw locked.

Clubbing.

She skipped the team celebration. She ignored his texts for hours. And she did it because she went to a crowded downtown club with her guy friends.

A flash of pure, hot anger burned in Leo’s chest.

"I will take her," Leo said coldly.

"Are you sure?" the guy asked. "Her apartment is pretty far."

"I said I will take her," Leo repeated. His voice left absolutely no room for an argument.

Chloe completely let go of her friend. She stumbled forward.

Leo caught her immediately. He wrapped his massive arms around her, pulling her securely against his chest. She felt incredibly light, but she could barely stand on her own.

"Okay, man. Have a good night," the guy friend shrugged. He turned around and walked away, completely unbothered.

Leo stood on the sidewalk holding Chloe. She smelled like spilled vodka and sweet perfume.

"You smell nice," Chloe mumbled into his chest. She gripped the fabric of his white t-shirt. "Like soap."

Leo did not laugh. He did not smile. He felt a bitter, painful knot twisting in his stomach.

"We are going to my room," Leo said quietly. "It is closer."

He supported most of her weight and carefully guided her into the athletic dorm building.

He managed to pull his phone out of his pocket with one hand while holding her steady. He quickly texted Jackson.

Leo: Do not come back to the room tonight. I have an emergency.

Jackson replied almost instantly.

Jackson: Say less. I am staying at my girl’s place anyway. Good luck.

Leo put his phone away. He practically carried Chloe up the stairs.

He unlocked his heavy wooden door and pushed it open. The room was dark and messy. He walked her straight over to his bed and gently sat her down on the edge of the mattress.

Chloe swayed slightly. She looked up at him.

"Your room is messy," Chloe whispered.

"I know," Leo said flatly.

He reached down and carefully unzipped her leather jacket. He pulled it off her shoulders and tossed it onto his desk chair. He grabbed a clean blanket from the end of the bed and wrapped it around her shoulders.

He was trying his best to be gentle, but he was incredibly angry.

He stood in front of her. He crossed his arms over his broad chest.

"Why, Chloe?" Leo asked. His voice was thick with hurt.

Chloe looked down at her hands. "Why what?"

"Why did you go clubbing?" Leo asked. He tried to keep his voice steady, but the frustration bled through. "I was waiting for you at the celebration. You kissed me in front of everyone. You told me you would see me later. And then you ignored me to go get drunk with other guys."

Chloe pulled the blanket tighter around herself. She looked incredibly small.

"They asked me to go," Chloe whispered. Her voice cracked.

"And you could not say no?" Leo asked in disbelief.

"They forced me," Chloe slurred, a heavy tear spilling over her eyelashes. "They kept handing me drinks. They kept saying I was being boring. I did not want to lose my friends. I could not resist. I am sorry, Leo."

Leo stared at her.

He realized exactly what happened. Chloe acted so tough. She acted like she did not care about anyone’s opinion. But deep down, she was terrified of being left behind. She wanted to fit in with her normal campus friends so badly that she let them completely walk all over her.

The hot anger in Leo’s chest slowly melted into a dull, heavy ache.

"You do not have to drink just because they tell you to," Leo said softly.

"I know," Chloe cried quietly. She wiped her cheek with the back of her hand. "I messed up. I ruined your night. I am the worst."

"You are not the worst," Leo sighed.

Chloe looked up at him. Her red, watery eyes met his dark ones.

She let the blanket drop from her shoulders. She reached her hands out. She grabbed the collar of his t-shirt and pulled him down toward her.

She leaned forward. She closed her eyes, aiming straight for his lips.

Leo reacted instantly.

He caught her by the shoulders. He firmly pushed her back. He stopped her completely.

Chloe opened her eyes. She looked at him in absolute shock.

"No," Leo said. His voice was quiet but incredibly strict.

"You do not want to kiss me?" Chloe whispered. Her voice broke entirely. The rejection hit her hard.

"I always want to kiss you," Leo told her honestly. "But not like this. You are drunk, Chloe. You can barely keep your eyes open. I am not going to kiss you when you are like this."

Chloe stared at him. A fresh wave of tears welled up in her eyes.

She was so used to guys taking whatever they wanted. She was so used to people using her when she was vulnerable. But Leo was different. Leo completely respected her, even when he was mad at her.

Leo let go of her shoulders. He took a step backward.

"Lie down," Leo ordered gently. "You need to rest. I am going to get you a glass of water from the sink."

He turned around to walk away.

Chloe panicked.

She lunged forward. She grabbed his wrist with both hands. Her grip was completely frantic.

Leo stopped. He looked back over his shoulder.

"Please," Chloe begged. Her voice was a desperate, broken whisper. She pulled his hand against her chest. "Do not go. Do not leave me alone."

"I am just getting water," Leo promised softly.

"No," Chloe cried. She shook her head. She refused to let go of his wrist. "Do not walk away from me. Please. Do not let go of me."

Leo looked at her messy hair, her smudged makeup, and the absolute, raw fear in her eyes.

He let out a long, defeated sigh. He knew he was completely trapped by his own heart.

"Okay," Leo whispered.

He did not pull his hand away. He slowly sat back down on the edge of the mattress right next to her.

"I am not going anywhere," Leo promised.

Chloe immediately rested her heavy head against his shoulder. She closed her eyes. She held onto his hand like it was the only safe thing left in the entire world.

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