3rd & Long

Chapter 7: Delay of Game

Ellie's eyes went to Nat, then to Nick, then back to Nat. Her face was plastered with surprise as her jaw hung low. Nat had stepped away from Nick as soon as she heard the other athletic trainer speak. Nat glanced at Nick to see if he would be willing to explain the scene Ellie had stumbled upon, but his face looked just as shocked and a little embarrassed. He had a slight blush as his eyebrows had migrated to his forehead.

Man, he looks so cute. Damn it Ellie.

Ellie was now making direct eye contact with Nat as she crossed her arms waiting for an explanation. At this point Ellie had resumed control of her mandible and now had a giant smile on her face. If Nat had any worry of how Ellie was reacting, that vanished along with any shred of confidence she had. The silence in the room seemed to only get louder the longer nobody said anything.

Think Nataly. Think of something. Literally anything. She clearly saw us kissing, so why was I kissing him? Oh God there's literally no reason I would be kissing Nick Bosa in my office. What the fuck even are we???

The silence was finally broken by the puppy still waiting in its carrier on a chair across from Nat. Sugar began barking in her high pitched voice and all three people turned to her. As Nat looked towards the puppy, she saw an opportunity. She would not be proud of her next steps, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

She took advantage of the distraction to gather the forms she had come back to her office for. She tucked them under her arm then rushed to the carrier and picked it up. Still with a quick pace, Nat headed straight out the door and called out "See you at the game!" to no one in particular.

Once she was out of sight of the office, Nat took off running. With how fast she felt her legs move, she figured she could give any one on the Pioneers a run for their money. Nat faintly heard Ellie yelling, but she didn't hear any footsteps behind her. Her relief was immense that the defensive end she just made out with wasn't following her. Nat didn't stop running until she made it into the safety of her car. Once there, she placed Sugar into the passenger seat and fastened her to the seat belt. Now, with nothing but silence accompanying her, Nat could think clearly.

Shit. Okay Nataly game plan time. What's priority one? Ellie... What's priority two? Nick... okay. I need to explain to Ellie what happened. I should just be honest. He kissed me, it took me by surprise and I was pushing him away from my mouth using my lips. And my hands. Fuck. It's okay, Ellie doesn't seem like she'll rat me out. I'll text her when I get home.

Nat began to drive out of the stadium and make her way to her apartment.

Nick... What do I even say to him? He kissed me... but I kissed him back. That means something. But it can't mean something. If it meant something, that could be my job on the line. I can't get fired. No other NFA team would ever hire me again. I would have to move back in with my parents. Find a new career. Oh God, but the AI is taking over I'm not going to find a new job-

Nat's spiraling was paused as her phone started to ring. "Nick" flashed clearly on the dashboard of her car.

Oh man, I'm sorry Nick. I can't talk right now, I just can't.

Nat rejected the call and continued to drive as she replayed the scene that had just played out in her office. How his strong hands pulled her close to his body. The way his soft lips danced across hers. The more Nat thought about it the more she could feel her face turn red. Her hands trembled slightly as she pulled into the lot of her apartment. The knot in her stomach grew tighter and tighter. Nat's conflicted heart weighed heavy in her chest and as she tried to come up with some script to say to Nick the next day.