17.

Casey "So are you guys like, together?" Hannah looks across at the table at David and me. Her head swivels left and right before she looks down at her phone and texts away. I'm sure she's just waiting to spread the hottest gossip on campus. Or find out some way to break what David and I have.

This might be the dumbest idea that I've ever had. Putting Hannah, David, and me in the same study session. It took less than ten minutes to see that it wasn't going to work out. Originally, I was hoping that if Hannah saw how diligent and studious David had become that maybe some of it would rub off on her. I couldn't have been more wrong.

Instead of motivating her, she's been using the study session to play 21 questions with us. Asking really personal things about our relationship. Trying to get every minute detail about everything that we do. And most of the time, she doesn't like the answers that we give her.

"We are," David answers, not even looking up from his study guide. He reaches under the table and squeezes my knee. I place my hand on top of his and rub his knuckles. David is better at dealing with her than I am. He only gives her short and to the point answers and nothing more. He knows how to get under her skin really well. Watching him tell her off is a little guilty pleasure of mine.

I, on the other hand, stutter my way through the answer, trying not to give too much information out. I don't want this to come back to bite me in the butt. We haven't told many people that we are officially together yet. And we certainly haven't told Coach Vaughn or Mrs. Dunn. I'm not sure that it will go over well with them since I'm supposed to be David's tutor only.

Hannah pouts for a second before she puts an earbud into one ear, blasts music, and goes right back to texting. She has barely bothered to even open her textbook or start her study guide. She and David have the same exam tomorrow. It would be great if both of them did well since they're my students, but I'm not holding my breath for Hannah.

"Hannah, do you have any questions about your study guide? Do you need my help?" I reach out to grab her textbook and pull out the study guide between the pages, but she slaps my hand away, giving me a scowl. David gets up and there's a fury in his eyes.

"Don't touch my stuff," Hannah cries and pulls her textbook close to her chest. "And back off, David." She moves to the end of the table, keeps her textbook against her chest, and continues texting.

I reach up for David and pull him into his seat. I rub at his shoulders until I feel the tightness leave them, and he readjusts into his seat. "Don't mind her. Just keep doing your thing," I mutter.

He's carrying a lot on his shoulders. Tomorrow's exam is notorious on campus for being one of the hardest ones. It's a general math class that everyone eventually has to take for their major. I took it when I first started and it was the first A- that I got.

David picks up the textbook and turns it upside down. "I might as well study like this, 'cause either way, it's all gibberish to me." He skims the page, nods to himself, and laughs.

I grab the textbook and flip it the right side up. "You need to take this seriously. If you want any chance of getting back on the field, you'll need to pass this exam, even if it means barely passing it." I look at his study guide and point at the problem in the book. "Let's do this one again. Talk out the steps if it will help you."

David rubs his fingers at the corners of his eyes and sighs. We've been at this for the last couple hours. The progress is slow and hard, but he's taking steps in the right direction.

I look up at the clock and hold my breath. This is going to be a long night.

I lean against the wall outside of David's classroom. Students have been shuffling out with looks of despair on their faces. Everyone gets to find out their grades before they leave. I just hope that our late night study session is enough for David to pass.

Hannah is the first to come out and she's practically beaming.

"How did you do?" I ask, bringing the cup of coffee up to my lips and blowing.

"I got a 95 on it," she announces with a smile on her face.

I nearly spit the coffee out of my mouth when she tells me. I wipe my mouth and smile in return. "That's great, Hannah. I'm really happy for you."

A 95%? There's no way in hell she got that. She didn't open her textbook once during our study session.

She leans against the wall and brings out her phone. "I'll stay here and wait for David."

I nod. We don't talk; the only thing that breaks the silence is the alert Hannah gets when she receives a text. Which is every thirty seconds, judging by how often it goes off.

It takes another fifteen minutes before David comes out. He doesn't have the same smile as Hannah but there is a look of relief on his face. He holds his hands up to his side and pumps them. "I got a 70. I made it." He laughs as I run into his arms and press my head against his chest. He lowers himself and gives me a quick kiss on the lips, pulling away when he sees Hannah staring at us. "How did you do?"

Hannah looks down at her phone, a smile seeping on her face. "I got a 95," she answers nonchalantly.

"Really?" David says with surprise. "How did you manage to pull that off?"

Hannah shrugs her shoulder and starts to walk away from us. "I must have just gotten lucky on it. I just chose C for all my answers." We wait until she rounds the corner before David and I start to talk.

"There's no way that she got a 95," David says. "Not without copying off someone's paper." He rubs the side of his temple as we walk down the stairs.

"She might have actually gotten lucky," I mutter under my breath, and David stops in his tracks, forcing me to stop as well.

"You don't really believe that?"

"I have to. Otherwise, I have to report her to Mrs. Dunn, and I don't have any proof that she cheated, so there's no point in doing that." I get up on the tip of my toes, touch the side of his cheek, and feel the soft stubble on my palm. Since he hasn't been able to go to practice he's let his beard grow out. Coach Vaughn doesn't let them do it normally. "I'm still proud of you."

He lowers his head and his hands hang at my hips as he kisses me. He slips me a little tongue, which makes me smile when he pulls away. "Does this mean I get a little something extra when we get back to my apartment?" He lowers his hands and grabs at my ass. I jump into the air and smack him on the chest before I look around and make sure no one saw.

"That extra bit of tongue is all you get," I tease and run away as he chases after me.

"Can I just give you a couple inches more?" He furrows his brow and tries to grab my ass while I break into laughter and run away.

18.

David I bring my hand up to knock, but stop myself short. This could bite me in the ass if it doesn't go right. I kneel and scratch Casper underneath his chin. I had to bring him with me since I couldn't leave him alone all day in the apartment.

"You really think this is a good idea?" I whisper to him. Casper tilts his head to the side and snorts his nose. He swipes at my hand with his paw and I can't help but chuckle. I take a deep breath and knock on his door.

"Come in," Coach Vaughn shouts.

I push into his office. Coach Vaughn looks up from his work and doesn't look the least bit surprised to see me. "Coach, can we talk?" I take a seat in front of his desk and wipe my palms on my jeans.

Coach Vaughn closes the folder in front of him and leans back in his chair, crossing those big arms of his. "You're already here, so I don't see why not."

"I want to apologize for my behavior. I acted childish on that night and Dwayne and I have talked it through. I want to get back on the field." I pull out the progress report from my pocket and slide it across the table. Coach unfolds it, skims it over, and looks up. "I only have one exam left. I'm way above passing in all my classes." And that's it. I don't say anything else. Short and to the point is how I need to get through to Coach Vaughn.

The next minute feels like the longest of my life. I'm sweating bullets and my heart is beating faster than a locomotive by the time Coach Vaughn clears his throat. He gets up and pours himself a drink. He swirls the drink around, takes a sip, and looks at me.

"I've been considering letting you back on the team. Quite frankly, we need you out there if we want any chance of making it to the finals." He sets the drink on the table and works his way around to the front. He sits down in front of me and holds a finger up in the air. "But that doesn't mean you're team captain. That spot is reserved for someone who can show me they're mature enough to handle it."

I nod.

I didn't expect to be made team captain again. I let myself and my team down the moment that I picked a fight with Dwayne. I am in no condition to lead a team if I'm fighting with its members. All I want right now is the chance to be on the field. To prove that I can still be their quarterback.

"Is that it?"

"Not quite," I answer and look out his office window to Casper, who's laying down next to the lockers. I point over to him and Coach Vaughn walks to the window. "Is it all right if I bring Casper to practice? I don't want to leave him cooped up in the house all day."

Coach Vaughn walks away from the window in a hurry and throws open the door. Casper jumps up from his spot and starts wagging his tail as Coach Vaughn kneels next to him. Casper places his paws on Coach's knee and licks at his face, making Coach break into laughter.

"It's not a problem with me," Coach says. He grabs a towel from a bench and twirls it in front of Casper, who starts jumping, trying to grab it. When Casper bites into it, Coach Vaughn pulls on the other end and they break into a tug-of-war. Casper starts to growl while Coach Vaughn starts rambling in a high-pitched voice.

I hold back a chuckle as they bond. I would have never guessed that Coach has a soft spot for dogs. Then again, Casper is a really awesome dog. He seems to make everyone around him happy. First Casey, and now Coach Vaughn.

"He reminds me of my dog," Coach Vaughn says as he finally manages to get hold of the towel. He swipes the sweat from his forehead and walks over to me, patting me on the back.

"You had a dog, Coach?"

"Sure did. His name was Ghost. And he had the whitest fur coat I'd ever seen." He crumples the towel into a ball and throws it across the locker room. Casper jumps into the air trying to catch it, but the towel unfurls and falls on his face. Casper shakes his body and the towel flies off while Coach and I laugh. "Get your pads on and get on the field."

I nod and break into a smile as I rush to my locker.

Coach Vaughn blows his whistle. The play stops and everyone double times over to him. Everyone is laughing and cheering as we make our way to him.

Practice went well. Really well. It felt good being back on the field and running plays. The rush of adrenaline and the tightness in my chest. I forgot how much I missed it.

Everyone forms a circle around Coach Vaughn, who's staring down at his clipboard. He turns his attention to us, letting the clipboard hang from his neck. "That was one of the best practices we've ever had. Better than we've ever had actually." Everyone nods their heads. "We looked good enough to play in the pros." Smiles break through the crowd and a couple of the guys cheer. "That's what I want to see when we get on the field for our next game. Do you think that you guys can do that for me?"

"YES, SIR!"

"Good. That's what I want to hear. Now huddle up." He looks at me. "Why don't you end this practice?"

I nod and raise my hand at the center of the huddle. "Team on three. One. Two. Three. Team!" The huddle breaks and everyone jogs to the locker rooms. Dwayne comes up from behind me and pats me on the shoulders.

"It was good seeing you out there. We missed you." He laughs and stops in his tracks when he looks up at the locker room doors. I follow his gaze to see Hannah in her cheerleading uniform, waiting. Dwayne nods at me and walks inside, but not before shaking his head at me.

"I want to get back together. I miss you." Hannah steps forward and places her hand on my chest. She runs it up the middle and wipes the hair out of my eyes. "I want you, David." She bites down on her lip and tries to come in for a kiss.

I push her away. "No thanks."

She gives me a dirty look and pouts her lips in that ugly way that she thinks is cute. "I'm tired of seeing you with Casey. And I'm tired of playing games. I need you, David." She grabs my waist and pulls me toward the wall. "And I need him." She eyes my crotch, but all I can feel is disgust.

"Had you said that to me before I met Casey, I would have jumped all over it, but times have changed. For the first time, I'm in love, and I'm not letting anything get in the way of that. Not even you, Hannah." I push off the wall and shrug her off me like the nuisance she is.

Hannah grabs my shoulder and spins me around. "You'll regret this, David Cooper." And she storms down the hallway, pushing aside anyone in her way.

I shake my head and break into a laugh. A couple of months ago, her threats might have worked on me, but not anymore. What I feel for Casey is real and it can't be broken by any petty shit that Hannah has planned. Of that, I'm sure.

19.

Casey "She threatened you?" I ask as we walk up the stairs to David's apartment, Casper wagging his tail in front of us.

"It's just like Hannah to threaten someone when she doesn't get her way," David chuckles. He throws his hand around me and brings me into a tight hug. "Nothing is going to come between the three of us, not even Hannah." He lays a soft kiss on my forehead as we come up to his door.

"That might be a problem." I reach out and grab the yellow notice off his front door. I skim it and let out a sigh. "Someone reported you for having a dog in your dorm room. There is a council meeting for later today. I wonder who could have reported you?" I roll my eyes, hand the notice to David, and hug Casper.

"I never thought that Hannah would stoop this low." He balls the paper in his fist and curses. "We might have a chance since Melissa is the head of the council." David gets down and wraps his arms around both of us. Casper gives him a wet kiss on the cheek and I laugh.

"Me neither."

I didn't have a problem with Hannah before. But now that she's going after my dog, it just got personal. I'm going to find a way to make it even. But first, we have to win at the council meeting.

Melissa bangs her tiny gavel on the desk ,which gets David to stop shouting at them. He's been making his case for the last ten minutes to let him keep Casper. He's been pleading with them, really putting his emotions out in the open.

"That's enough, Mr. Cooper. All in favor of letting Casper stay?" Melissa looks up and down the row, but no one says anything. She smacks the gavel down. "Then it's settled. You will have to find Casper a home off the school campus, Mr. Cooper." She shuffles the papers and closes the folder. "That concludes tonight's meeting."

David trots over to me with his head down. I get up and throw my hands around him for a tight hug. He did his best but there's nothing that he could have done.

"You did your best," I whisper and give him a short kiss on the cheek. "Casper would be so happy if he knew how hard you fought for him."

"It doesn't feel that way. They're still going to take Casper away." David holds me a little closer and I can hear the beating of his heart. Both of us have grown so attached to Casper over the last weeks. And Casper was the one who brought both of us together again. It doesn't feel right, letting him go, when we owe our relationship to him.

"I might be able to help with that."

David and I turn around. "Coach? What are you doing here?"

"Melissa asked me to come just in case the outcome wasn't in your favor." Melissa steps out from behind the Coach.

"I'm sorry about all of this, David, but I had no choice. Once the matter was reported to us, there wasn't much that we could do."

"It was Hannah, wasn't it?"

"I can't confirm or deny that."

Coach Vaughn walks over to David and puts a hand on his shoulder. "I live right off campus on one of the estates on Patriot Boulevard. Casper can come live with me and either of you can visit him whenever you want. I'll even bring him to practice if you want me to."

"Are you sure about this, Coach?"

"Positive. Plus, he might give me a reason to lose all of this weight." Coach Vaughn slaps his stomach and breaks into laughter that makes his belly shake. Melissa hides her smile behind her hand and playfully pushes Coach Vaughn to the side.

"You're in good shape, Leonard," she says and eyes him. Coach Vaughn flexes a little and Mrs. Dunn pretends not to stare too long.

"We'll go get Casper and come straight to your house," David says and tugs at my coat. Coach Vaughn nods and never breaks his gaze on Mrs. Dunn. There's something there between them, but it's not our place to ask.

It doesn't take us long to find Coach Vaughn's house. House is an understatement. It's practically a villa and the biggest one on his block.

The second that we enter through his gated front yard, Casper's leash breaks free from my hands and he starts to go bonkers. He runs from plant to plant, sniffing at everything.

"Casper, don't do that. You might upset the Coach." I chase after him, trying to dissuade him from marking territory that isn't his yet. I want him to be on his best behavior. David and I need Coach Vaughn to not regret his decision. I grab hold of Casper and run my hand down his back trying to calm him down. This would be the perfect situation for all three of us. Casper would have all the room, he needs and he wouldn't be that far away for us to visit.