Page 52 of Out of Bounds
When I come back downstairs from putting him to bed, Annie’s on the sofa with her laptop and a couple notebooks. Betty has already taken off to her room to relax with a series she’s streaming.
“Did he go down alright?” Annie asks. Her hair is in a messy bundle on top of her head and she’s wearing a tiny pair of shorts with a Bears pullover. Bronzed legs are crossed beneath her, and there’s something about the way her neck is exposed above my team’skit.
God, give me strength to get through this slow and beautiful torture.
“Luckily, he fell asleep before I got to the big words,” I tell her, enjoying her amusement in response.
“Thank you. Let me get out of your hair so you can chill on the sofa.” She starts packing up.
“Don’t be crazy,” I say. “You stay. I want to watch some tape. I can do that next to you. Unless I’ll disturb you?”
“This is your house, Tanner.”
“Great. So we’ll do our homework together.”
“Study buddies?”
“Study buddies.”
Friend zone.
I grab my tablet and come to sit beside her.
I never do get into the tape though, because sheisa distraction. Not because she’s typing or occasionally talking to herself – which is cute as hell – but because she’s chewing on the end of her pen, drawing my attention to her lips, and every so often, she creaks that long neck and rolls her shoulders back, pressing parts of her anatomy into her pullover – parts that I know are smokin’ because I saw them in her swimsuit two days ago.
Adjusting myself in my bottoms, telling my brain to fire a message down there that no good will come of me crushing on Quinn’s kid sister, I wonder when this happened. How did this creep up on me? And why have I moved her into my house if my member can’t control himself?
I amnotwhat Annie needs or wants.
Startling me, she closes the lid of her laptop and sets it to one side.
“Alright, what’s going on with you today? You haven’t watched any tape for the last hour and as far as I can see you’re just staring into space.”
I’m staring at you.
“I’ve only been in your house for a couple days but I’m willing to bet something is eating you. So, how’re you doin’, Tanner Pace?”
She mimics my deep voice as she uses my own words against me. It’s not until she asks that I realize maybe I’ve been focusing on her to distract myself from my meeting with Coach today. That would be the best outcome here. Rationalize the ogling. It’s not a crush.
Like her, I set my device aside, then rub my beard and tell her, “Between us for now, Tommy Thieriot is done.”
“Out for the season?”
I shake my head. “For good. He’s at risk of paralysis if he gets hit. So that’s it. One of the best quarterbacks in the league and just like that, his career’s over.”
“I’m sorry, Tanner. And so sorry for Tommy and his family.”
“We’re always one injury away from being done but it hits hard. He’s a good friend and a great player.”
“Have you spoken to him?”
“He doesn’t want to talk yet, so I’ll honor that for a while. Then, I don’t know, try to get him down to the Alamo with the guys when the time’s right.”
“Is it making you contemplate your own career?”
“Selfishly, yeah. I’ve spent my whole life focused on football. Injury or no injury, I’m thirty-four and don’t have many more games in me. Tommy has a whole family to support him and all I’ve got is a big house and five nice cars in the driveway.”
God, what am I complaining about? I chose this life and it’s a fucking great one. Annie has been through the mill lately and I’m moping about something that hasn’t even happened yet.
