The Way That I Love You(Book 2)

Away

Morgan

She put the duffle bag down and sat in the chair next to it.

She hadn't been to Colin's practice in a really long time. She wanted to surprise him so she just packed some things up and decided to come. Plus, she knew he needed some kind of support.

She watched the way he threw and how he moved through his drills with ease. It was always something she enjoyed watching; always cool to see him in action.

At one point he was moving over to take a rest when he just happened to look up to where she was. She waved a bit and he waved back before he started towards her. As soon as he was close she could smell his familiar smell mixed with grass; an interestingly good smell.

"I must be special If I get a visit from you."

"I took some serious time from my schedule to come see you. So yoy must be pretty special." She teased before he leaned down to give her a kiss.

He sat next to her and she gave him the duffel bag.

"What's this?"

"Just open it." She smirked.

It was a duffel bag with at least two packs of gatorade, a bag of snickers, new football gloves and a pair of shorts.

"It's a care package."

"This is really great baby. Thank you."

"No problem. I know things have been a bit odd lately so I thought I'd come cheer you up. How are things going by the way?"

"I don't know, everyone is kind of quiet with me. Like all of a sudden they can't talk..."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I don't know, it's just really weird." He stares onto the field for a moment as the defense goes through drills and plays.

"What about Coach? What's he up to?"

"Between me and you," he leaned a bit closer and spoke lowly. "He doesn't...I don't know, it just feels like he doesn't settle with me. He's a good coach, I've worked with him before this but it feels like he has some different motives."

"Have you talked to the board about it?"

"The board doesn't like me that much either. Never has really. I'm a bit exiled right now."

"You ever think that maybe it's time for a change of scenery?" He stared for a moment before shaking his head.

"No. This is my team...this is my home."

She stayed quiet to avoid any hostility. She knew how confused he was feeling but it wasn't her job to figure it out for him. Mostly just to support him.

"I've been having this feeling lately...like something isn't right. Like...something is going to happen." He grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles.

"Nothing is going to happen. Everything is going to be fine."

*********

She waited anxiously for him to come home. It was a little later than usual and she was getting a little worried.

The most recent game against the Rams was a bust and there was a lot of stupid things being said on social media. The press was having a field day and it was getting to be a lot. And she knew that there was still some things to be said.

"Daddy..." Darlene whimpered into her shoulder as they walked about the house. She hadn't been feeling well for the past few days and now she was a little fussy.

"He's coming bub, soon."

Just as she said it, he walked through the door with his bag in tow.

He looked down and out of it a little. Nothing about his face showed him and that worried her immediately.

"Hi babe..." she started as he closed the door.

"Hey...what's going on?"

"She's not feeling good..." she glanced down to his hand and her eyes bugged.

"Colin..."

"Babe please...just not now. Let's just worry about Darlene." He grabbed her up carefully in his arms and kissed her head.

She sighed but otherwise didn't fight him on it. At least not at that minute.

So they took care of Darlene in what felt like almost silence. Darlene was nothing short of a Daddy's girl which meant as soon as she was in his arms she was calmer. After they gave her some medicine and he rocked her to sleep; she was out like a light.

After she laid her down she found him in the kitchen. He was busy making himself food so she just sat at the island and waited. After he put his food in the microwave he turned and caught her eyes. She beckoned him over with one finger and he sighed before coming to stand in front of her.

"What happened?" She balanced his hand in one of hers; brushing the fingers of her other hand against the bandage.

"I'm fine."

"Obviously not if you're all bandaged up."

"Little hand injury. I'll be okay." She stared up at him and tried to gauge his mood. But he was hiding himself really well.

"Would you tell me if something was wrong?"

"I would. But there isn't anything wrong. I'm fine."

"Okay...fine. I think I'm gonna just go and take a shower then go to bed. Goodnight." She kissed his cheek before getting up and traveling upstairs.

And there they are; met with this undeniable standstill that's made its way into their relationship. The times that come up where they sort of live in their silence. Where they have an awful habit of sort of curling into themselves in a way that makes their relationship harder.

And what is it about their life all of a sudden? Have they hit this sort of ditch where just when they think things are good, they aren't anymore. Are they stuck in in a hole? Can they crawl out?

Did they need help other than solving it themselves? Was talking foreign in a way where they tread on the normal grown and stayed away from things that could potentially hurt them?

These are the things that bothered her the most.

She had just gotten out of the shower and was in her closet practically naked looking for her clothes. Then she felt a hand brush against her hip; but before she could speak up she was turned around. She only had a moment to register his bright eyes before she was crushed to his chest and his lips were on hers.

It was a frantic kiss; a kiss that took her breath away. Her arms were sort of pinned to her sides as he wrapped almost his entire body around her. She could feel his body heat through his clothes and against her skin and it was heady; completely consuming.

He groaned into her mouth; biting at her lip before pulling away.

"Don't leave." He whispered against her lips as they caught their breath.

"I won't. Don't shut me out."

"I won't."