Read Online Headstrong Quarterback: A New Adult Sports Romance by Ava Catori - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ava Catori
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away long enough to whisper that he loved me. I pulled him back to me, needing his mouth on mine.
We rolled again. I was back on top and draped over his chest. I couldn’t let go, didn’t want to let go. I could kiss him for days. We didn’t need words.
A second wave rushed through us. We made love, then fell into each other’s arms. Finally, we drifted off to sleep. We had no idea things were about to change.
His job of fixing me was over. He had a new responsibility. I never knew I’d grow jealous of a football and a team of men, but I was no longer his priority. Steel had tunnel vision, only able to full focus on one thing at a time. I went from being his everything, to just another ‘something’ in his life. I tried not to take it personal. Tried.
I dove into the woven threads of our relationship and saw something I’d never noticed. It was so clear. How hadn’t I seen it before? It wasn’t until his sister needed saving again that I recognized his behavior. He was a knight in shining armor, a certified hero. His need to swoop in and save the day told me more than I wanted to know. Was I simply a stray that he’d picked up along the way and saved? Now that I could stand on my own two feet again, the job was complete.
Kira settled in Pennsylvania the best she was able. She stumbled into a little bit of trouble, nothing major, but Steel acted as if it were the end of the world. She’d gone out to a local pub, had too much to drink, and a guy she’d been flirting with at the bar followed her cab home.
Steel moved so fast, he was like lightning. Being her big brother, the hero; he came to life. The way it played out… I recognized that man. He’d rescued me.
The drunk guy didn’t realize what he was up against. He was after a bit of intoxicated loving, but she wanted none of it. Steel swooped in to save the day, ready to pound the unwelcome guy’s ass to the ground. Kira looked to her brother, her savior once again, and beamed. He chased away the bad guy, the dragon, the evil, and wore his shiny armor. He was unstoppable.
That was the moment I knew. It wasn’t love. I fed his ego. His self-esteem was tied to being a savior. My heart dropped like a rock. It sat in my stomach, refusing to move. I loved him, but it wasn’t the same. I loved him for everything he did for me, for lifting me up, for protecting me, but he loved the act of rescuing a wounded bird.
And Kira, she loved being saved. It was what she’d grown to know. She needed him. Needed him to be Superman. She thrived on his attention, and he thrived on being larger than life.
For a moment in time, he met the ideal image he held of himself. When the crisis was averted, he was simply a regular guy playing football. It should have been enough. He was in the big leagues, getting paid big bucks, but this wasn’t about his career, it was about his identity.
I’d been sucker punched with the truth. I wanted to pretend like it didn’t matter, but I guess all those psychology classes taught me something after all. I didn’t like knowing the truth, because it put a spotlight on what we had, what our relationship was based on. He fell in love with me to fill a void in himself. He needed to fix me, save me, because it helped him. Co-dependence was a bitch. Everything was right in his world when the void was filled.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Who would fill the void now that I didn’t need him to prop me up. Would he rescue another lost puppy? This isn’t what I signed up for. I fell in love. Dammit, I was in love with Steel. He was strong, caring, warm, kind, and… not that it mattered. I don’t think he… My stomach twisted. He thought he was in love with me, but I knew better.
He cemented it for me, unknowingly.
Frustrated, Steel rambled. “Kira’s not capable of taking care of herself. She needs me. She wants my advice, and then she doesn’t take it. She should listen to me. I know what’s best. I can watch over her, help her. It’s
We rolled again. I was back on top and draped over his chest. I couldn’t let go, didn’t want to let go. I could kiss him for days. We didn’t need words.
A second wave rushed through us. We made love, then fell into each other’s arms. Finally, we drifted off to sleep. We had no idea things were about to change.
His job of fixing me was over. He had a new responsibility. I never knew I’d grow jealous of a football and a team of men, but I was no longer his priority. Steel had tunnel vision, only able to full focus on one thing at a time. I went from being his everything, to just another ‘something’ in his life. I tried not to take it personal. Tried.
I dove into the woven threads of our relationship and saw something I’d never noticed. It was so clear. How hadn’t I seen it before? It wasn’t until his sister needed saving again that I recognized his behavior. He was a knight in shining armor, a certified hero. His need to swoop in and save the day told me more than I wanted to know. Was I simply a stray that he’d picked up along the way and saved? Now that I could stand on my own two feet again, the job was complete.
Kira settled in Pennsylvania the best she was able. She stumbled into a little bit of trouble, nothing major, but Steel acted as if it were the end of the world. She’d gone out to a local pub, had too much to drink, and a guy she’d been flirting with at the bar followed her cab home.
Steel moved so fast, he was like lightning. Being her big brother, the hero; he came to life. The way it played out… I recognized that man. He’d rescued me.
The drunk guy didn’t realize what he was up against. He was after a bit of intoxicated loving, but she wanted none of it. Steel swooped in to save the day, ready to pound the unwelcome guy’s ass to the ground. Kira looked to her brother, her savior once again, and beamed. He chased away the bad guy, the dragon, the evil, and wore his shiny armor. He was unstoppable.
That was the moment I knew. It wasn’t love. I fed his ego. His self-esteem was tied to being a savior. My heart dropped like a rock. It sat in my stomach, refusing to move. I loved him, but it wasn’t the same. I loved him for everything he did for me, for lifting me up, for protecting me, but he loved the act of rescuing a wounded bird.
And Kira, she loved being saved. It was what she’d grown to know. She needed him. Needed him to be Superman. She thrived on his attention, and he thrived on being larger than life.
For a moment in time, he met the ideal image he held of himself. When the crisis was averted, he was simply a regular guy playing football. It should have been enough. He was in the big leagues, getting paid big bucks, but this wasn’t about his career, it was about his identity.
I’d been sucker punched with the truth. I wanted to pretend like it didn’t matter, but I guess all those psychology classes taught me something after all. I didn’t like knowing the truth, because it put a spotlight on what we had, what our relationship was based on. He fell in love with me to fill a void in himself. He needed to fix me, save me, because it helped him. Co-dependence was a bitch. Everything was right in his world when the void was filled.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Who would fill the void now that I didn’t need him to prop me up. Would he rescue another lost puppy? This isn’t what I signed up for. I fell in love. Dammit, I was in love with Steel. He was strong, caring, warm, kind, and… not that it mattered. I don’t think he… My stomach twisted. He thought he was in love with me, but I knew better.
He cemented it for me, unknowingly.
Frustrated, Steel rambled. “Kira’s not capable of taking care of herself. She needs me. She wants my advice, and then she doesn’t take it. She should listen to me. I know what’s best. I can watch over her, help her. It’s
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