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I winced a little knowing Millie was involved and was instantly grateful Reed couldn’t seeshe has that connection So, what’d he have to say?" I feigned enthusiasht

Reed just sighed at first Finally, when he spoke, he seeo this year The options opening up are huge, and there’s a great chance that I’ll be picked up early and go soe quarterback need and the class couys deep"

I knew all of this, of course The pundits had been talking Reed up a lot over the su back at the University of Texas who had that locked up, provided he stayed healthy But Reed was in theives you soood stuff to think about then, huh?"

"Yeah, it does," he let out a heavy sigh, but collected hih I can’t for to talk to Dylan Nichols Brent said Dylan would give me a call I think it’s his son, and he’s a little uess, without it being front-page news"

"Ah, I see," I said, nodding and s as if he could see me When I remembered that I was hoain

"You sound tired, do you want to go to sleep?" Reed asked in response to htened me

"No, no I mean, yes, I’m tired, but… can I just keep you on the phone for a while? You know,to do"

"Why, are you asking me to talk dirty to you, Nolan?" Reed put on that deep, devilish voice that nor I wanted

"No," I giggled, hoping it sounded genuine "I just miss you Is that okay?"

"Of course Get cohts I’ll tell you a story, okay?" he said kindly I kneas co Sometimes, when I was really stressed, Reed would retell the story of our relationship, about the first time he danced with me, the first ti ht I was beautiful He never retold any of the bad parts, about how his ex-girlfriend Tatuive thoughts of her the tiht I was instantly zeroed in on nancy scare…and how that almost ruined Reed’s life

I nestled intothe sounds ofwhile Reed spoke sweetly in

Chapter 3

Reed

Gaaest divisional coive us a run for our lad, too, because the line last year really did a nuh I’d never mentioned that to anyone There was this unspoken rule about bringing up your injuries If you said the staff heard, they had to follow through with MRIs and doctors’ opinions and shit But if you never said them for anyone to hear, and no one asked, then those smaller injuries could sort of slide under the radar

There were a lot of people that hated that side of the gaet it But hell, I wanted to play, and if they had to tape ether just to hold my head on in order for h? Well, not so much So we kept our mouths shut, and played, nohits to threatenhit was always loory linebacker that looked right throughpractice That’s why er I put it off, the bigger the risk that I would becooods, unwanted in the only world I’ve ever really wanted to belong

I had to et that I know deep down she understood, and I hated that I was er than hers Selfish assle That’s how I felt But whenever I tucked it to the back of hts, it found a way back to the forefront with news about so injury or so as a real-estate agent Or my own damned brother and his pathetic, plastic life that I didn’t want in the worst way