The Hardest Fall

by Ella Maise

The first time Zoe Clarke saw me, my hand was wrapped around my dick.

On the contrary, like I said in the beginning, the first time my eyes landed on Zoe Clarke and hers landed on my dick, I was in a bathroom, in the middle of taking a piss while chatting with my friend.

“Dog person. Cats…they kind of scare me, not the kittens or the cuddly ones, but I don’t like how some of them focus on you like they’re plotting ways to kill you. You know what I mean? It’s not all of them, but still. I’m a dog person all the way.

Zoe chose that moment to pick up the pizza box and offer it to Chris. “Would you like to have some pizza?” JP said exactly what was on my mind: “Are you fucking kidding me?”

“Never mind. I already have a dad, right? I couldn’t ask for a better one. You don’t have to like me, I don’t mind that at all”—that was something I no longer cared about—“but

Holding my breath, I lifted my camera a little higher, my fingers itching to capture just a second of their moment. Then, one by one, all the players on the field kneeled in front of their teammate, a few behind Dylan and Chris, a few to their right.

His eyes bored into mine and his jaw clenched. “You’re not looking away. Why are you not looking away?” I ignored his words and lost the battle with my lips. I smiled big, teeth and everything. “You were amazing, Dylan, really freaking amazing.” Standing in front of me in all those pads, he looked so intimidating, so big.

“I should let you—” I stopped speaking when Dylan’s gloved hand—his huge gloved hand—cupped my cheek and gently tilted my face up. The world around me slowed down, and I stood still. I swear to you, I watched his eyes roam my face in slow motion. “I like having your eyes on me, Zoe.”

“I don’t know what I’m going to do with you, Zoe. You’re driving me absolutely fucking crazy. First Jared, and now this Trevor guy.”

“It’ll happen soon you know. I wonder if you’re ready for it, because we’re almost there. I can see it in your eyes, and you’re going to lose, Zoe, just like I knew you would.” “What? Almost where? Lose what?” “The bet,” he explained calmly. “You’re going to kiss me and lose the bet. You won’t be able to help yourself.” Lips tipping up, he grinned at me playfully. “Oh, I won’t, huh? So humble, too.”

“I can talk to your girlfriend, explain.” “She is not…” Mine, I thought. She wasn’t mine yet, but that was going to change. I was done waiting.

I had no idea what the hell I was doing, and I was afraid I was too far gone to stop myself when it came to anything involving Zoe.

“Leave him,” I continued. “I’m right here and I want you, so damn much. I’m not sure how much more I can take. Every time I see you with a guy…I just want to rip his head off for touching you, for looking at you, for being close to you when I can’t. The guy from the Tucson game? I’ve never played that aggressively before. All I wanted to do was take him down. You’re driving me crazy, and I’ve never been so jealous of anyone in my life.” I paused. “I need you to let him go, Zoe. Whatever it is that’s going on between you two, I don’t want to know. Just…I need you to choose me now. I’m the one that’s supposed to be with you, not anyone else.”

“Now…now I couldn’t possibly not recognize you. Now you’re everywhere, always on my mind. I close my eyes and I can see you, right there.”

In the end, I’d gotten her, in every sense of the word—only I had no idea none of it would matter the next day, not after the way she broke my heart.

“No one has ever looked at me like that before, you know,” I admitted, having a little trouble holding his gaze. He moved closer—arms resting on my thighs, hands around my waist—and my eyes closed on their own. “Like what?” I felt him kiss the edge of my lips, then my cheek. “Like…that,” I repeated lamely in a whisper against his lips. He smiled then brushed a soft kiss right next to my ear. “Can you be a little more specific?” “Nope.”

“You should keep me then. No one else can look at you the way I do.” “That’s not what I said, was it?” I protested with a small smile of my own, and I opened my eyes to find him gazing up at me. My heart soared. “So cocky,” I whispered.

“I’ll catch you when you land, Flash. Just don’t take too much time, because I’m already there, impatiently waiting for you.” I blinked. “You can’t make a joke about something like that, Dylan.” “Who said I’m joking? You happened in a heartbeat Zoe, I had no chance.”