the reason | 13rw

s i x t y - s i x

that following friday we all sat at our normal lunch table. monty had his arm around me. i had finally gotten my letterman for soccer and was snuggled up in it. 

"alright, so everyone is going to choose their college over break and we're not telling anyone." i told everyone. 

"you say that like you aren't going to turn around and tell monty." alex said. 

"we have made a deal that we are also not going to tell each other." 

"so what if you choose like hawaii and he chooses kansas?" jeff asked. 

"okay, i'm not choosing kansas." monty said. "and we'll work around it." 

"okay, college aside, what are we doing for you eighteenth birthday next week?" jessica asked. 

"so since my mom passed, my dad is now in charge of all our my mom's businesses." i said. "he has decided to close the ice rink and he said he'll get a hotel room if we want to throw a party." 

"i love your dad." scott said. 

"me too," i replied as i leaned into monty. 

then when the bell rang, telling us to get to class. 

"alright, game tonight, everyone better be there." monty said. "it's our last one." 

"and when the scouts decide if they want you or not." hannah scoffed. "so try not to fail." 

"you want to go there baker?" zach asked. 

"i'm just saying." she shrugged. 

i laughed with a playful eye roll. 

"come on princess." monty tugged me. 

....

after school i headed down to the field. i found the guys stretching and warming up. i saw a ton of scouts, standing behind the fence, watching as they talked. i smiled and hurried to the fence line. 

"de la cruz!" i yelled, causing him to turn in a fast motion. he saw me and i saw his face light up. he said something to jeff and then jogged over. i smiled as he approached. "hey." 

he grabbed my face over the fence, kissing me. we pulled away and i looked into his eyes. 

"what was that?" i asked. 

"i just love you." he told me. "my letterman is in the dugout, wear it for me?" 

"always." i told him and kissed him again. "good luck babe." 

i pulled away and went into the dugout where i saw the coach. i grabbed monty's jacket and turned. 

"nicolette," the coach said. 

"yes?" i asked. 

"you and montgomery aren't choosing colleges based on where the other is going, right?" he asked. 

"we made a pact with all of our friends that we are choosing them on our own. once we get back from break, we're going to tell each other." i said. "i want monty to go to where he wants, not where i want." 

"good, he's got some top notch schools looking at him for a full ride." he explained. "the boy can make it big time, a lot of them can." 

"you must be proud coach, all of your boys are fantastic players." 

"i'm beyond proud, they're like my children." he said and looked to me. "and with the amount that you've been around this team, i consider you one of mine too." 

i smiled, "thanks coach." 

....

"you won!" i said as i kissed monty. 

"it's because of you, i swear on it." he smiled, pushing hair behind my ear. 

i pulled his keys from his letterman and smiled up at him. 

"i'll be in the jeep, you go and get your scholarships." 

"i love you." he told me, brushing his lips against mine. 

"i love you too." i replied and hurried off to his jeep. 

i climbed into the driver's side and started it up, letting the heat run due to the colder weather outside. i pulled my phone from the jeans pocket and unlocked it. i scrolled through instagram for a little while before i heard a knock on the window. i jumped and looked over, seeing tyler downs. i rolled the window down. 

"hey tyler," i said. 

"sorry, i saw you sitting here by yourself and wanted to talk to you." he said. 

"it's okay." i nodded. 

"you and monty got back together?" 

"yeah, weeks ago." i said. "the uh, the day my mom passed." 

"i thought you said you didn't want a relationship?" 

"well at the time that you asked me...i didn't." 

"so why didn't you come to me when you did?" 

"tyler, i don't know you very well. i know monty very well." i explained "we just wouldn't be a good fit." 

"how would you know? you haven't even tried." 

"tyler, i'm sorry." i said. "i'm just not interested okay?" 

"but you're interested in that asshole? he's broken your heart more times than i can count. he's a toxic guy and the fact that you keep going back to him makes you retarded." 

"excuse me?" i heard monty's voice as he shoved tyler. "who the fuck do you think you're talking to." 

"monty," i said and pushed the door open. 

"you think calling her retarded is okay?" monty spat angrily. 

"monty," i stood in front of him. i grabbed his face and made him looked at me. "calm down, he's not worth it." 

"he called you a name and you're defending him?" 

"i'm defending your scholarships." i said. "the scouts are still here. i love you and i want you to make it big. in a couple years, you won't remember the assholes name." 

"i'm the asshole?" tyler asked. "look at your dickhead boyfriend." 

"get in the car montgomery." i told him. "i'll deal with this."

monty looked over my shoulder at tyler and gave him a very hostile look before climbing into his jeep. i turned and face tyler. i released my hand across his cheek. 

"call me stupid and my boyfriend anything else, i'll do worse." i growled. "you stay the fuck away from me tyler." 

i walked around and got into monty's jeep. he pulled forward and raced out of the parking lot. he came to a red light and looked over to me. 

"that was hot." he smiled. 

"i know," i shrugged as he placed his hand on my thigh.