The Perfect Spiral (by Ashley Constantine) novel Chapter 15

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Andy is too busy checking out all the guys on the field and shamelessly flirting with my brother, who’s reciprocating with equal enthusiasm. Kill. Me. Now!

Tyson is on the team too, but he’s currently recovering from a knee injury, so he’s out for the rest of the season.

If he were playing. I’d have Sam to sit next to, to gossip with, and to ogle at the players with. But instead, I’m sitting here, playing third wheel. They come back out onto the field after another commercial featuring Knox.

Aren’t people sick of looking at him?

The game ends with the Giants winning thirty-five to twenty-nine. The last ten minutes are a tense back-and-forth with not a single touchdown from either team. But everyone is on edge because they come close multiple times.

At times, my heart is in my mouth and my stomach is in knots, but I really enjoy the game! I would definitely watch another.

At the end of the game, Knox saunters back over to us, shirtless but still wearing his padding. Every girl in the stadium is eyeing him up like he’s a piece of meat, and he knows exactly what he’s doing.

He’s gripping the ends of a towel that’s draped across his shoulder. The towel hanging out of his pants is swaying, and I find myself hypnotized by it. Damn, he looks good!

Ok…

That’s the drunk Alex talking.

He’s stopped by a reporter, who starts asking him various questions that echo through the stadium speakers. Everyone stops what they’re doing to listen to him.

I’m in awe of how professional he is with the reporter, who is clearly flirting hard with him. I recognize her from ESPN, I think that’s where I know her from.

Finally finishing up the interview after ten minutes, she says, “That was an outstanding play, Knox! Probably one of your best. What made tonight’s game so different from the others?”

He laughs into the microphone and responds with surprising poise.

“Oh, you know, Rita, having my fans supporting me at every game helps a lot.

“But I have special people in the audience tonight, some of whom finally decided to come watch me play after all these years, so I wanted to show them what they were missing!” he jokes.

ג

With that, he smiles at her and leaves the reporter to continue his journey over to us. Picking up a water bottle on the sideline, he reaches us.

“Hey, baby doll! Did you enjoy your first game?” He latches his hands onto the top of the fence and leaps up so he can sit on it, his legs dangling on either side.

Andy and Kyle are too engrossed in each other to notice he’s here. I nod and tell him, “It was actually fun! Watching sweaty hot guys running around,” I wink at him, and he rolls his eyes.

“Are you drunk? I hope I was one of them, baby doll!” he retorts. I glare at him, trying to suppress my smile, neither confirming nor denying it, but failing miserably. This earns me an award-winning smile from him.

He asks, “You want to go to Drai’s after this? The two teams are going, you guys can come with me! Plus, you won’t have to be the third wheel anymore,” he jokes, pointing over to my best friend and brother.

I laugh and nod at him, “These two have been at it all night! I’ll go anywhere to not be the third wheel anymore!”

“Anywhere?” he says, a cheeky grin on his face.

“Within reason, Knox! I’m not like the girls you know!”

He smiles at me, nodding, “I know you’re not, baby doll, you’re much better!” he says genuinely.

“Woah, woah, wait! Did you just compliment me?” I’m shocked that those words actually came from his mouth.

He grins and shrugs, “Don’t get used to it,” he winks. “But I have to shower, I’ll meet you here in thirty? If these two can keep their

hands off each other.”

“Ok, but please be quick. I literally can’t look at them anymore without gagging.”

He laughs and hops down off the fence, jogging into the locker rooms.

Exactly thirty minutes later, he saunters out of the stadium with his gear bag draped over his right shoulder. He’s wearing a Giants cap, a red t-shirt that clings tight to his body, and a pair of blue denim jeans.

A playful nudge in my ribs drew my attention to Andy, her grin wide and her eyebrow arched in amusement. “You can stop checking him out, you know!” she whispered, her voice laced with teasing.

I rolled my eyes at her, my gaze dropping to my phone to check the time. The sound of approaching footsteps echoed in my ears, but I resisted the urge to look up. I was far from sober, and I didn’t trust myself not to say or do something I’d regret. What I needed was food.

“Are you guys ready to go?” Knox’s voice cut through the noise, and we all nodded in agreement. That’s when Andy decided to make her announcement.

“Wait! We can’t go like this! I brought clothes for us! We’ll be ten minutes, tops!”

I groaned, exasperated. “You couldn’t have told me that a half-hour ago while we were waiting for Knox?” The boys laughed at our antics as Andy dragged me towards the nearest restroom to change.

Once inside, she placed her bag on the sink and handed me a violet dress paired with nude strappy heels. I stared at her, incredulous. Was she channeling Mary Poppins now?

“No fucking way am I wearing those! Kyle will literally not let me set foot in the club wearing these. Are you crazy?”

Ignoring my protests, she pulled out a bright yellow dress for herself, complete with matching blue heels. She grabbed my arm, pulling me into a cubicle to change with her.

“You’re wearing those tonight! You’ll look drop-dead gorgeous and all the football players will be begging for your attention. And don’t worry about Kyle! I’ll deal with him,” she assured me.

Despite my hesitation, I slipped into the dress and heels. After touching up our makeup, we left the restroom, ready to face the night.

As we approached the boys, their backs were turned to us. Andy whispered, “Now let’s give them attitude,” a smirk playing on her lips. We strutted over to them, the sound of our heels clicking against the tiled floor causing them to turn around.

“Uh-uh, you are not going out like that!” Kyle protested, pointing at me. Andy pushed him back, her glare fierce.

“Yes, she is. If she’s not wearing that, then I’m not going out at all,” she retorted, her gaze challenging him to argue further.

Kyle huffed, conceding defeat. “Alright, me and Andy are in this car. You two are in the other. We paid for both of them, so we might as well use them,” he reasoned.

“But why don’t me and Andy share a car and you two can share one?” I suggested, only for Kyle to drag Andy into the car and shoot me a look that clearly said, hell no.

They drove off, leaving Knox and me standing outside the entrance, waiting for our car. Knox’s gear bag rested on the curb, and he was unusually quiet. I turned to see him staring at me, his mouth hanging open. This was new.

Feeling slightly uncomfe.

Feeling slightly uncomfortable, I subconsciously rubbed my arms for comfort. “Knox?” I called out, but he didn’t respond. “Knox, what’s wrong? Is there something on me?” I looked down at my dress, searching for any imperfections. He finally met my gaze, shaking his head.

Our car pulled up beside us, and the driver greeted us before grabbing Knox’s bag. Knox held the door open for me, and I slid into the seat, pulling down my dress and clearing my throat. I could still feel his eyes on me.

“What?” I asked again. He let out a long breath, and I turned to face the window, watching as the city whizzed by.

“I’m going to have to fight a lot of guys off you tonight, aren’t I?” His words caught me off guard, and I turned back to him, laughing nervously.

“Why would you be doing that?” I asked, trying to lighten the mood. “Look, I know I get extra feisty when I’m tipsy or drunk, but I promise I won’t start anything!” I assured him.

He chuckled, his ocean-blue eyes meeting mine. “I think I will be, baby doll.”

The flashes from the paparazzi’s cameras brought us back to reality. “Shit!” he cursed.

I grabbed his arm, knowing what it would look like if we both stepped out of the car together. “If we step out of this car, you’ll lose a lot of your female fanbase, and I’ll gain them as haters. I’ll stay in the car. You get out, and I’ll get the driver to take me around back,

and sneak in?”

He simply replied with a firm, “No.” He swung the door open, the shouts of the paparazzi filling the air. He stood still, holding the door open and extending his hand towards me.

“Come on, baby doll, it’s alright. Just don’t say anything to them and keep walking. I’ve got you,” he reassured me, his gentle smile surprisingly calming.

I reached for his hand, shuffling across the seats before stepping out of the car. Naturally, I managed to trip slightly as my foot caught on the edge of the door.

As I grabbed onto Knox’s shoulder to steady myself, I felt his strong arm wrap around my waist, preventing me from face-planting onto the pavement.

“Falling for me, baby doll?” he teased, a smirk playing on his lips. I could feel an eye roll brewing. “Don’t roll your eyes at me,” he chuckled, causing a smile to tug at the corners of my mouth as I fought back a laugh.

“Wipe that damn smirk off your face, Carter!” I shot back, squinting against the blinding flashes of cameras as we began our walk towards the club, Knox at my side.

His hand remained on the small of my back, guiding me through the onslaught of flashing lights and screams.

“Is this your new girl, Knox?”

“Is she a girl from the game?”

“Isn’t she your best friend’s sister, Carter?”

“How much is she a night?” At that final question, Knox stopped in his tracks, spinning around to face the reporter who had dared to insinuate that I was a prostitute.

“Who the fuck asked that?!” His voice boomed, silencing the crowd. I was taken aback by the sudden fury that had ignited within him.

Frozen in place, I watched as he turned back to me, pulling me into his chest and wrapping his arm around my shoulder. He guided me through the crowd once more, leading us into the club.

Before we entered the bar, he pulled me aside to a quieter area.

“I’m sorry about that, Alex! I didn’t know they would say that. I’ll find out who said it and…”

I burst into laughter, my reaction causing him to stare at me as though I belonged in a mental asylum. He probably thought I’d lost my

mind.

But I was still tipsy, not as bad as I was earlier. I grabbed his shoulders, trying to get him to relax after his sudden outburst of anger.

“Knox, it’s alright. How were you supposed to know he was going to ask that?” I laughed harder, throwing my head back.

“To be honest, I’m more shocked that you defended me than by the actual question. But thank you. It was very… sweet of you.” I never thought I’d hear myself say those words.

Before I knew what I was doing. I reached up, cupping his face in my hands and pulling him towards me. I planted a kiss on his cheek as a thank you. His arms slipped around my waist once more, pulling me closer to him.

I pulled back slightly, looking up into his shadowed eyes, hidden beneath the brim of his cap. “Really, thank you!” I said, smiling at

him.

He returned my smile, causing my heart to race as though I were running a marathon.

A throat cleared beside us, causing us to turn and find Andy standing there, three drinks in her hands and a smug smile on her face. I rushed over to her, grabbing a drink and taking a gulp to soothe my dry throat.

The three of us made our way into the club, heading upstairs to the VIP section where all the players were lounging, dancing, and drinking with girls in the skimpiest dresses I’d ever seen.

Seeing them made me feel slightly better about my own outfit. Knox trailed behind us as we spotted Kyle chatting with a group of guys who I assumed were on one of the teams.

The VIP area was swanky, outfitted with white leather couches, knee-high glass tables, a balcony, and a personal bar. Blue lighting around the bar cast a relaxed vibe. Girls in short dresses walked around with trays of drinks, batting their eyelashes at the muscular players.

Don’t roll your eyes, Alex! I thought to myself.

Knox and Kyle were deep in conversation with three guys at the bar, while Andy and I chatted amongst ourselves, not wanting to interrupt.

Feeling a hand on the small of my back, I turned to see Knox introducing us to two incredibly good-looking guys.

“This is Alex and Andy,” he said, pointing at us. “And this is Marcus and Caleb.”

“It’s nice to meet you two beautiful ladies,” they both said, each planting a kiss on our cheeks. Typical footballers.

“It’s nice to meet you too, boys,” Andy replied, a flirtatious smirk on her face. She was a natural at playing the flirtatious girl in a club. Too good, in fact. I simply smiled at them.

“Alex, right?” Caleb asked. I nodded in response. “We’ve heard so much about you from this man here,” he said, patting Knox on the shoulder in a teasing manner. “You’re as beautiful as he described you. It’s nice to finally meet you in person.”

I choked on my drink, as did Knox. We both turned to look at him. What did he just say? Knox seemed to find something in the distance incredibly interesting, adjusting his cap as though he wanted to make a quick escape. I felt the same way.

“Um, I think you might be thinking of another Alex? I’m sure he’s been with a few Alex’s!” I laughed genuinely, certain they had me mixed up with someone else. I heard a grunt beside me.

“I don’t think so, you’re-”

“Why don’t we do some shots, guys?” Knox interrupted Marcus. Andy’s eyes lit up at the mention of shots, but I was curious about what he was going to say. I decided to ask him about it later.

“Seven tequila shots with lemons, please! Kyle, get over here—we’re doing the first round of shots!” Andy hollered across the room to

Kyle.

Asher, the guy Kyle had been chatting with, joined us. We all downed our shots, and then Andy pulled me over to one of the couches. The boys followed us over almost immediately.

I knew Andy had intended to talk to me before the guys joined us, but they beat her to it. Honestly, I wasn’t in the mood for

conversation.

Standing up, I asked, “Anyone want a drink from the bar?”

Andy nodded and said, “Surprise me, doll!” I laughed and sauntered over to the bar, drawing a few appreciative glances along the way.

My phone buzzed in my purse. I pulled it out to see who had messaged me.

Drew?

What now? I sighed, placing my phone on the bar. I ordered two green tea cocktails from the bartender. As I waited, I felt a warm hand on my waist. I glanced over my shoulder. Knox? What was he doing here?

“You alright, baby doll?” he asked, a look of concern on his face. Before I could answer, my phone started buzzing again. I picked it up to see that Drew was actually calling me.

Groaning aloud, I was about to answer when Knox snatched my phone from my hand. He turned it off and said, “I’m keeping this for the night. I’ll give it back later. You need to forget about that douche and have fun. Let loose and get drunk! But not too drunk—I’m not picking you up off the floor.”

I couldn’t argue with that. When our drinks were ready, I reached for my wallet, but Knox grabbed my hand.

“The night is on me. You’re not paying for anything, baby doll. I’ll never let you when you’re out with me,” he said, winking at me.

I thanked him just as Andy came rushing over. She announced that we were all going to dance together. By “together,” she meant she’d be grinding on my brother and expected me to do the same with someone else.

I was all for it, but A) I wasn’t drunk enough, B) Kyle would kill any guy who dared to play Russian roulette with me, and C) If Kyle didn’t, Knox would.

Knox’s phone started to ring. He held up a finger to signal he’d be a minute and stepped away to take the call. I turned my attention back to the night.

I’m going to enjoy myself. It’s going to be fun! I repeated in my head.

I glanced over to see Andy and Kyle dancing together. Well, “dancing” was a generous term.

“Rookie mistake to leave a beautiful girl alone without a dancing partner,” a deep voice murmured in my ear. I recognized that voice— Travis. I turned to see him and gave him a hug.

“I didn’t know you were here! I haven’t seen you all night! How are you? Tough luck on the game today. You played so well!” I gushed, releasing him from our hug.

“I’m a lot better now that I’ve seen you! Yeah, I just got here a few minutes ago. Thanks, Alex!” He took a step back, took my hand, and twirled me around.