Going for the Seven

Chapter 32

Liam
The week I had been dreading was now flying by almost too fast. I wished more than anything I could hit pause. I didn't want to admit it out loud but a large part of me was scared that when we returned to campus on Sunday Samantha would revert back to her old way of treating me. .

And I wasn't sure I could take that.

Not now that I had seen this whole other side of her.

When we were practicing she was tough on all three of us but especially me. She pushed me in ways no other coach had before.

While we spent time on quarterback plays pushing for more speed, distant and accuracy. She focused more on my legs and feet.

Other coaches protected the quarterback at practice at all cost. No one was allowed to actually tackle them. Samantha was of a different mindset. She had Tyson, Sean, and Conner and drew, who she recruited on the second day. Tackling me play after play. She wanted me to get used to getting hit. To getting right back up. And to moving quickly and escaping the tackle while still making a perfect throw.

Even with only a few days practice with Samantha. I could feel a change. My body seemed stronger but more than that I felt more in the game. Each play I remained calm and made the right decision. Of course all of that could change in an actual game against actual opponents.

As much as I was sucking up as much information as I could. It was the time between practices that I looked forward to the most.

While the rest of the guys spent the week drinking and partying with the sorority girls I spent my time with Samantha.

Physically, I hadn't been able to get more than a few kisses and innocent touches out of her. But I hadn't wanted to push it either. It was enough that I was getting to spend time with her.

Most of our days we spent out on the water or at the beach with other guys from the team. I helped her catch her first fish, though she had refused to touch it to take it off the hook. She told me more stories about her time at the lake with her family. And I told her stories about my own family.

At night we would join the other for bone fires and drinks. Though Samantha didn't partake of the alcohol and I didn't push her for reasons why. All I cared about was seeing her smile and laugh more. Even if my jealousy did pike when some of the guys would take the flirting a little to far.

The only time we were really apart was for sleep.

As much as I wanted to beg her to stay with me at night I didn't want to push things. I felt like I was walking a tight wire with her, one wrong step and all the progress we had made would unravel.

So at night when things started to wind down Samantha would make her way back to the lake house and me to the cabin. Luckily, as Tyson had predicted, by midweek the cabin had cleared out for the most part.

Tyson was normally there, but the others had all found a sorority girl to hook up with for the week. Then of course Sean always found his way back to his bed at some point in the night. He seemed to share my aversion to spending the night with a girl. Or my past aversion... I definitely hadn't minded spending the night with a certain brunette.

Said brunette was currently kicking my ass.

"Again!" She called out after the shrill blowing of a whistle.

"Who the fuck gave that girl a whistle again?" Sean gripped as we lined up for yet another suicide sprint.

"I thought it was a good idea at the time." Tyson admitted, regret thick in his voice as he chugged at a water bottle before falling back in line.