Rumor Has It I'm Dating the Football Captain

Chapter 51: Chapter 51: Five Months and Three Weeks

The journalism office was completely quiet on Wednesday morning. Audrey sat at her desk. She was reviewing her notes for the upcoming playoff preview.

The heavy door opened slowly.

Daisy walked in. Audrey looked up and immediately felt a sharp twist of sympathy in her chest.

The freshman photographer looked absolutely terrible. Her curly blonde hair was pulled into a messy, uneven knot on top of her head. Her bright honey colored eyes were puffy, red, and swollen. She looked completely drained. She looked exactly like someone who had cried all night long.

Audrey stood up immediately. She pushed her chair back.

"Daisy," Audrey said softly.

Daisy tried to smile. It was a very weak, fragile attempt. Her chin trembled slightly.

"Hi, Audrey," Daisy said. Her voice was thick and raspy. "I am here for the editing shift."

Audrey walked over to her. She gently placed a hand on Daisy’s shoulder and guided her toward an empty chair.

"You do not have to work today," Audrey told her firmly. "You can take the day off. I will tell Ben you are sick."

"No," Daisy sniffled. She wiped her nose with the long sleeve of her oversized yellow sweater. "I need a distraction. If I sit in my dorm room for one more hour, I will just cry again. And I am completely out of tissues."

Audrey pulled up a chair and sat down right next to her. She kept her voice very quiet.

"I am so sorry, Daisy," Audrey said.

Daisy looked down at her lap. Her hands were clasped tightly together.

"You warned me," Daisy whispered. "You told me his heart was taken. I just hoped maybe I could change his mind."

"It is not your fault," Audrey said. "You were incredibly brave. You did something most people are completely terrified to do."

"I feel incredibly stupid," Daisy admitted. A fresh tear spilled over her eyelashes and fell onto her sweater. She quickly wiped her cheeks. "I baked him cookies. Who bakes cookies for someone they literally just met?"

"It was sweet," Audrey promised. "It showed exactly who you are. You have a huge heart. Please do not let one bad day change that."

Daisy let out a shaky, uneven breath. She looked up at Audrey.

"Did he go talk to her?" Daisy asked quietly.

"Yes," Audrey admitted. "He did."

Daisy nodded slowly. She did not look angry. She did not look bitter. She just looked incredibly sad.

"I hope she knows how lucky she is," Daisy said softly.

"She does," Audrey assured her. "She finally figured it out. And they both know how brave you were."

The heavy office door suddenly flew open with a loud bang.

Ben walked in holding a massive stack of manila folders. He did not notice the heavy emotional atmosphere at all. He was completely oblivious to everything except the newspaper layout.

"Morning, team," Ben announced cheerfully. He dropped the heavy folders onto his desk with a loud thud. "Mrs. Higgins wants the playoff preview spread completely finished by tomorrow morning. Daisy, I need you to sort through the action shots from Saturday. Pick the best five photos."

Audrey glared at Ben. She tried to signal him with her eyes to be quiet.

Ben just stared back at her. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I will do it," Daisy said. Her voice was quiet but steady.

She stood up and wiped her eyes one last time. She walked over to her desk and pulled her laptop out of her bag.

Ben finally noticed her red, swollen eyes. He paused. He looked extremely awkward.

"Are you okay, Preston?" Ben asked hesitantly. "You look like you got run over by a truck."

Audrey kicked Ben hard under the desk.

"Ouch!" Ben yelped, rubbing his shin.

"I just have bad allergies," Daisy lied smoothly. She opened her laptop. "The pollen on the pitch was terrible on Saturday. I will get those photos for you right now."

Audrey smiled proudly. Daisy was totally heartbroken, but she was definitely tough.

Daisy clicked on the digital folder from the weekend match. The screen filled with bright action shots of the football team. Audrey pulled her chair a little closer to Daisy. She wanted to keep an eye on her.

Daisy clicked the next arrow. A photo of Leo filled the screen. He was jumping in the air to block a high pass. His dark hair was sweaty and his face was intensely focused.

Daisy stopped clicking. She stared at the screen. Her lower lip quivered just a tiny bit.

Audrey gently reached out. She pressed the right arrow key on the keyboard. The screen immediately changed to a picture of Jackson yelling at the referee.

"Let us skip the defense photos today," Audrey suggested softly. "Ben needs more pictures of the strikers anyway."

Daisy looked at Audrey. A small, deeply grateful smile touched her lips.

"Thank you, Audrey," Daisy whispered.

"Anytime," Audrey said.

Ben looked over from his desk. "Did you find a good shot of Jackson? He keeps complaining that I always use pictures where his mouth is wide open."

"His mouth is always wide open," Audrey replied flatly. "He never stops yelling."

Ben laughed loudly. "Fair point. Send me the best ones, Preston."

Later that evening, Audrey sat cross legged on her bed. Her laptop was glowing in the dark room.

Her phone buzzed loudly on the nightstand.

She picked it up and answered it before the second ring.

"Hi," Audrey said.

"Hi," Mason replied.

His deep, warm voice instantly melted all the stress of the day away. Audrey felt her shoulders completely relax.

"How is Florida today?" Audrey asked.

"Hot," Mason complained heavily. "We ran sprint drills for three straight hours today. My legs feel like absolute lead. I am currently lying flat on the floor of my room."

Audrey laughed softly. "You should probably sleep on an actual bed."

"The floor is cold," Mason reasoned. "It feels nice. How was your day?"

Audrey let out a long sigh. She leaned back against her pillows.

"It was long," Audrey admitted. "Daisy came into the office today. She looked completely devastated. She cried a lot last night."

Mason stayed quiet for a second on the other end of the line.

"That is rough," Mason finally said. "She is a nice kid. But Leo did the right thing. He was honest with her. Leading her on would have been much worse."

"I know," Audrey agreed. "It just hurts to watch. She was trying so hard to be brave at work today."

"Heartbreak is awful," Mason said quietly. "But she will bounce back. She is young."

Audrey smiled in the dark. "Leo and Chloe are officially a couple now."

Mason chuckled softly. "I know. Leo called me this morning. He literally screamed into the phone. I had to hold the speaker away from my ear. I think he woke up half my hallway."

"I am really happy for them," Audrey said. "Chloe actually cleaned the entire kitchen because she was so nervous last night."

"It is about time," Mason stated. "They have been driving me crazy for months."

Audrey pulled her blanket up to her chest. "Now it is just us."

"Just us," Mason echoed softly.

The silence between them was warm and comfortable.

"How is the team surviving without you?" Mason asked suddenly.

"Jackson is trying to be a dictator," Audrey reported. "He actually blew a whistle at Leo during practice yesterday. Leo completely ignored him and started doing trick passes on the sideline."

Mason groaned loudly. "I am going to have to call Jackson. If he pushes them too hard, they will just rebel. He needs to learn how to manage big egos."

"You managed them fine," Audrey pointed out.

"I just threatened to make them run bleachers," Mason laughed. "It is a very simple management style."

"Well, you are highly missed," Audrey said. "Even Coach Miller looks a little lost without you anchoring the back line."

"Do not tell Coach that," Mason warned playfully. "He will deny it forever."

"Your secret is safe with me."

Mason shifted topics smoothly. "Are you going to the game this Saturday?"

"I have to," Audrey said. "I am the senior intern now. Mrs. Higgins expects a full tactical breakdown by Sunday morning."

"Wear my jersey," Mason suggested casually.

Audrey paused. Her heart did a little, frantic flutter.

"You took your jerseys to Florida," Audrey pointed out.

"I left my spare black kit in your bottom drawer," Mason revealed.

Audrey looked over at her wooden dresser in the dark corner of the room. "You sneaked your jersey into my room?"

"I was marking my territory," Mason said smoothly. "And it will keep you warm. The stadium gets very cold in October."

"You are ridiculous," Audrey smiled. Her cheeks felt incredibly hot.

"Wear it, Ellis," Mason told her. "Send me a picture."

"I will think about it."

"That means yes," Mason decided happily.

Audrey laughed. "Go sleep on your bed, Calloway."

"Five months and three weeks left," Mason promised softly. "I am counting the days."

"I am counting too," Audrey whispered. "Goodnight, Mason."

"Goodnight, Audrey."