The Introvert and the Football Player

Chapter Thirty

Valerie's POV:
I sat in Ashton's truck as I worked on my history homework. He was working on the engine or whatever, and it was very much distracting. "Have you talked to Bo lately?" I asked him. He peered up at me over the hood with a weird look on his face. "We wrestle on the same team babe. Of course I have." Ashton answered. "Oh. Okay." I said as I looked back down at my work. "Have you talked to Nova?" He countered. "Yeah. She told me she slept with an old friend a couple weeks ago." I told my boyfriend honestly. I heard Ashton drop whatever took he was working with and watched as he walked over to me. "He told me that he saw her with another guy around that time. I thought she was some fragile flower or whatever." He said as he leaned against the side of the truck.
"Nova used to be bad ass and then she met Jerome. He took a huge toll on her emotionally, and she shut down for the longest time. Then she met Harry, and she became this wild child again; just like she had with Jerome." I told him. "Well what happened to make her shut down again?" He asked me. "Harry left, and I guess him leaving plus her losing Jerome and Emily finally hitting her was too much. She didn't speak for nearly five weeks." I answered. He nodded and he leaned into the car, his lips barely grazing mine. "You're cute!" He told me with a smirk. I rolled my eyes at his childishness and began to work on my history assignment.

Bo's POV:
Luke Bryan's I see you blared through my headphones as I warmed up for the wrestling meet today. It had been nearly five months and Nova was still stuck in my head. She was barely in my life, yet everything reminded me of her. Coach Baker looked back at me, and hesitation was clear as day on his face. "Are you sure you can handle this today Smith?" He asked me. I grunted in response as I continued to warm up.
My opponent was above my weight class; he was 260 and I was only 230. I had to get an early lead if I wanted to win this match.
I remember getting into position next to him and I remembered something heavy and solid connecting with my jaw.

~~~~~~
"Is he going to be okay?" I heard my mom ask. I didn't remember anything that happened. "Yes ma'am. Bo just as a minor concussion from where his head hit the floor, and his jaw will be bruised for a couple of weeks." A male voice said. "Thank you Doctor Stevens." She said in a solemn voice. I tried to open my eyes, but everything was slightly blurry. "Bo? Honey are you awake?" My mom said in a soft voice. I gave her a groan in response because I couldn't make words actually come out of my mouth.

"Mrs. Smith, a girl by the name of Nova Sparks would like to see Bo. Is that fine with you?" A female voice asked. "Is she from his school?" My mom countered. "She said they dated a couple of months ago." The voice responded. "Oh well fine. Okay let her in." My mom relented. I could hear the person's footsteps retreating out of the room and a few seconds later another pair returned.
"You must be Nova." I heard my mom say. "Yes ma'am I am. I'm sorry to barge in on this time but I had to know if he was okay." Nova said. She was here. Despite everything she was here. "Well I'll let you have a moment alone with him. Talk to him, see if he comes around." My mom said as she walked out of the room. I heard what I thought were Nova's footsteps approach my bed. She grabbed my hand and laced her fingers through mine. "I'm so sorry Bo. Ashton called me as soon as you left the arena. I had to come." She told me. I could hear panic in her voice as clear as day.
I tried to squeeze her hand in reassurance, but I don't think I did. "I'm sorry for walking out that day. We should've talked it out, and I'm sorry for not hearing you out." She apologized. Nova still hadn't let go of my hand. "I saw my ex Harry the other day. I'm sorry, but we slept together. I know we aren't dating anymore, but I've felt nothing except for guilt since I did it. I needed the distraction. You're everywhere to me." Nova whispered. She kissed my hand, and I could feel where her Chapstick smeared against my hand. "I have to go." She kissed my hand and my cheek then she was gone.

Nova's POV:
I ran into the elevators in the hospital in an attempt to avoid seeing Bo's mother again. I held my tears off until the elevator doors closed, sealing off the distance between him and I. When Ashton called me it was as if the past months fell away, and my boyfriend was laying up in that bed waiting for me to see him. Now as I leaned up against the cool metal walls in the elevator, I regretted it. I had just told my ex everything, leaving myself vulnerable once again.

I walked out of the hospital into the cold January morning. I walked slowly to my Jeep, and I was trying to find a way to stop these tears. Bo knew I slept with Harry the last time he was here, but I didn't tell him it was his face I saw and not Harry's.

- Ashton told me you went and saw Bo in the hospital.
- Are you okay? Do you need me?
- How did he look? Was he awake?
- Nova answer me!!
- I'm getting hella pissed off.
- NOVA!
Valerie was blowing up my phone with messages about my recent visit with Bo. Of course Ashton told her; nothing was ever a secret with just them two. I put my phone on airplane mode and stared out of my windshield. Each time I closed my eyes, I could see Bo laying in that hospital bed. I knew he wasn't seriously hurt, but seeing him laying there had effected me greatly. Justin Bieber's No Pressure featuring Big Sean played quietly through my speakers. I could listen to the song and the whole album on repeat for days.

When I got home later that night, Tommy and Radly were dancing to Can't Feel My Face. "Nova come dance!" Radly cheered. My brother was still dancing, so into the song that he didn't see me staring at him. "Not right now baby girl. Where's mom?" I told her. "Her and daddy went on a date. You have to cook dinner for us." Radly said as the song changed to Shake It Off. Tommy made a gagging sound and walked off to his room. "Hey Tommy any ideas for dinner?" I asked him before he could run upstairs. "Don't know and I don't care." He grumbled. "How about you Rad?" I asked. "I want McDonald's!" She cheered. She always wanted McDonald's; her and Tommy both did. "What do you want that I can cook here?" I offered. "I want chicken alfredo!" She told me. I nodded and walked off to the kitchen.

I put on the pot to boil the water and then finally took my phone off airplane mode. I could feel it buzzing in my pocket as I cooked the chicken. As it cooked, I looked at all of the messages I had.
- Where the hell are you?
- Are you ignoring me?
- OMG Nova?!?!??!!!
- Bitch answer me.
- What the fuck can you be doing?
- Ashton wants to know how his best friend is.
- Heeeeellllloooooo?!
- I'm coming over at 7 if you don't answer me.
All of that and more came from Valerie. Stirring the chicken and putting noodles into the boiling water, I texted her back.

- I needed time to process seeing him dipshit. He's fine; doctor said he had a minor concussion and he'll have a bruised jaw for a couple of weeks. I'm babysitting the twins tonight, so don't come over. Chill out, I don't need to text you every time I see one of my exes.

I put my phone in my back pocket and finished cooking the kid's meal.

~~~~~~~
It was 3:30 a.m. and I was awake. Every time I felt like I was finally going to go to sleep I'd see Bo or Harry. I even saw Jerome once. They were all trying to tell me something, but I couldn't hear what the message was. The first time I woke up screaming, and I could hear my dad come into my room and check on me. "Nova are you okay?" He asked, his voice gravely. "Yeah. Thanks dad." I told him. He huffed in response and left my room as quickly as he came.

I laid there and I stared at my dark ceiling. Tomorrow was the first day of February, and it felt like everything was disappearing or dying. That was why I disliked winter. It was the season of fleeing or death. All of the creatures from summer and spring left to go to warmer areas whereas all of the plant life died. It was a depressing season in my eyes.

I was still staring at the ceiling when my alarm went off. Jeremih's Planez played through the dark. I didn't even remember changing my alarm to that. It was Monday and this week was going to be long.

Checking my phone to see if Valerie had responded, I saw a message from Bo.

- I can't believe you came to see me. It means so much to me even though you're not mine anymore. I can't be angry that you slept with someone else when you and I aren't together. I may be crossing the boundaries by saying this, but baby I miss you. I miss your laugh, your jokes, and your smile. I know it's no excuse for hiding what I did. Just know I miss you and you still have an effect on me.