AUTHORS NOTE: bad news, I failed most of my finals hip hip hooray! Lol I assumed it was going to happen anyways but now it's summer so I have more time to write for you guys!

"Ryder, stop, you have a game to go to!" I giggled, trying to pull him away from my neck. He had me pinned up against the lockers in the boys locker room. All his team mates were already on the field practicing for the big football game that the whole school goes to.

He didn't move.

I tried holding my breath because the locker room smelled like sweaty feet, but the kisses he was leaving on my neck made me pant heavily.

"Ryder it smells so bad in here," I whined in between a moan.

"Hold your breath," he suggested in between kisses.

"I can't when your doing this to me!"

On my skin I could feel the side of his lip curl up into a smirk. I shivered.

"Ryder, you're game starts in twenty minutes and you need to practice."

"But you taste so sweet," he complained.

"Ryde-''

"Becker!," someone shouted, "get your ass out here before I make you-''

I shrieked when Ryder's coach stormed into the locker room, looking at us wide-eyed.

"Oh shit," the coach screamed. I wanted to laugh at his reaction. He looked like he just walked in on his parents having sex — so scared for life, basically.

I put my hands on Ryder's chest and shoved him away from me. "I'm so sorry! I'll leave right now!" I scurried away from Ryder and past the coach who looked disappointed.

Before I stepped out the door, I looked back at Ryder to find him puckering his lips and winking at me.

I rolled my eyes. Jerk.

Once I left the locker room I made my way to the football field and found Grace, Taylor, Lila and Ruby sitting on the bleachers.

"Hey!" Grace said as I sat down in between her and Taylor.

"Hey guys."

Taylor looked around curiously. "Where's Ryder? The game is starting soon."

I was about to respond when Grace started laughing hysterically.

She pulled my hair away from my neck. "Now I know why they are both late."

Taylor's eyes widened. "Holy shit! He really did a number on you, huh?"

"Guys!" I wanted to hide under a rock from embarrassment.

They continued to laugh at my neck covered in hickeys, but I tuned them out once I saw Ryder run onto the field with his helmet in his hand.

I felt like life was in slow motion as he ran, and everything in sight blurred except for him. He looked like a Greek God — a masterpiece.

I watched as he flipped his hair right before he put on his helmet.

Woah.

I felt hot all over just from looking at him. How is that even possible?

"Girl, blink!" Taylor shouted, waving her hand in front of my face to try to get my attention.

I snapped out of my trance. "Huh? Did you say something?"

Grace and Taylor smirked at each other. "Man, Cupid must have hit her hard."

Yeah, they were right.

I didn't notice that the game was already fifteen minutes in because I was so star-struck and amazed at how good Ryder looked when he played. He seemed so focus and determined.

It was 13 to 6 and Willington High was in the lead. We are playing against our rival school, so winning this game is a big deal.

Grace's boyfriend, Jake, is also on the team. So whenever he gets the ball, Grace will start screaming like a maniac and hold her poster she made for him high up in the air, making it hard for the people behind us to see.

I looked at her and kind of felt bad for not making Ryder a poster. Am I a terrible girlfriend for not making one? Do girls buy flowers when their boyfriend plays a game?

"Autumn?" Grace snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"Did you tell Ryder about..." She didn't finish her sentence but rather raised her eyebrows at me.

I looked at her with confusion. "Tell him...?"

"You know..."

"Just tell me, woman!" I exclaimed.

"Ok ok, geez. Did you tell him that you got accepted into Brown University?"

Oh...that.

"Well, I got accepted when Ryder and I weren't on good terms. And I didn't really have anyone to tell except you guys so I kind of forgot about it...until you just reminded me."

She smiled brightly. "Aren't you excited! It's an amazing school, Autumn!"

Drawing my attention to the football field, I sighed. "I know this may sound clingy or cringy but I can't see my future without Ryder, and I don't think he would go to that school."

Right after I said that, the ball was passed to Ryder and he started sprinting to the end zone like he was running from a pack of wolves.

"GO, RYDER, GO!!" I heard someone shout from behind me.

Soon enough, many people began cheering as well, shouting for Ryder to keep running.

And he did. He kept running.

I stood up and started shouting too.

Ryder dodged a few other players and continued to sprint down the field like Usain Bolt.

The crowd went wild when Ryder scored a touchdown. Music started blasting and fireworks lit off in the background. I never knew they could bring fireworks to a highschool game...oh well.

I was hollering and cheering like crazy until I saw him take off his helmet.

Right when he took it off he made eye contact with me and me only.

I gulped nervously from his gaze but ignored that and gave him two thumbs up with a smile.

He smirked and blew me a kiss in return.

Just like any other teenage girl, I felt like fainting.

After the crowd calmed down and people began to sit back down, Grace and I resumed to our serious talk.

She rested a hand on my shoulder. "Listen. I know you both love each other; I mean, I love Jake so much. But your future depends on only you. It doesn't matter what Ryder does, it matters what you do. You got to make a future for yourself because at the end of the day, you can only rely on yourself."

"What are you going to do about Jake?" I asked her.

"We are going to try long distance. If that doesn't work then we will break up."

Break up...

I felt a knot in my stomach. I didn't want to end things with Ryder if we went to different colleges. I didn't even want to think about it. He is my life and all I truly care about is being with him.

"When should I tell him, Grace?"

"Soon. Maybe after his game. The sooner he knows, the better."

I looked up at the setting sky — it's colors of pink and dark orange taking my breath away. A flashback of the first time Ryder told me he loved me appeared in my vision. I wanted to cry from how lovely that moment was that we shared together.

But I also remembered how scared he looked when he talked about us going to different colleges and how nervous he looked at the thought of loosing me.

I never wanted a long distance relationship with Ryder, but we may have no other choice.

***

For the fifth year in a row, Willington High beat its arch rival, Garrison High with a score of 52 to 17. I was beyond proud of my boyfriend for finishing the game strong and for giving it his all but at the same time, I was very nervous to approach him after the game.

I waited for him outside the boys locker room and began to chew on my fingernails because I was nervous and anxious.

Surprisingly, he finished getting ready really fast.

"Hey, princess." He whispered in my ear as he hugged me from behind.

I exhaled a relaxed breath as I felt his warmth wrap around me like a blanket. "Hi, Ryder."

"Did you see me? I played so good!" Ryder said with excitement of a child.

"I know," I kissed his bicep, "I watched you the whole time."

He smiled as he rested his chin on the top of my head.

"Ryder, I'm sorry I didn't make a poster for you tonight. I saw that Grace made one for Jake and I felt absolutely terrible and-''

He grabbed me by my shoulders and turned me around so I was facing him. "Hey, hey, hey," he cooed, twirling a piece of my hair around his finger. "I don't care if you didn't have a poster. The fact that you stayed and watched me is enough to make this game the best one yet. You just being there for me made me feel like the luckiest boy on earth."

My heart fluttered at his words. I smiled, "ok."

"Hey, do you want to go to the community pool in our development? Nobody will be there since it's dark out."

"Yeah, I would love to," I responded as I grabbed onto his hand and pulled him to his car.

***

I dipped my toe into the jacuzzi and hissed. "Ahh! It's really hot."

Ryder held out his hand. "Come on, don't be a baby."

I rolled my eyes but grabbed onto his hand anyways.

He watched me intensely as I stepped into the warm water. "Not gonna lie," he licked his lips, "you look ravishing."

Butterflies everywhere.

"D-Don't say that. It makes me nervous," I told him.

Ryder smirked as he pulled me by my waist to press up against his bare chest. "I make you nervous, eh?"

I couldn't look into his eyes. He was affecting me in ways nobody else could, and he knew it.

"Ryder..." I drawled as I trailed my hands up his chest. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back in response.

I gently kissed his toned chest then looked up at him with innocent eyes. "I need to tell you something."

He opened his eyes and looked down at me. "About...?" he said questionably.

"I got...I got accepted in to Brown University."

He looked at me with an inscrutable face. I couldn't tell if he was happy or sad.

He looked down, his brown hair falling in front of his eyes. "Wow...um...that's great, love. I'm so proud of you," he congratulated me with sadness in his tone. His grasp on my waist loosened.

I frowned. "Be honest with me. Do you want me to go to Brown or not?"

He sighed, raking his hair with his fingers. "Honestly, no. I want you to be with me. But if you want to go there then I will accept that because I will not control what you want to do in life. I don't want to be that type of guy who controls his girlfriend."

I hugged him, kissing him on the cheek. "Thank you for understanding. We can make long distance work. I promise."

"I guess." He shrugged. "I mean it's only four hours away from UCLA by plane."

I stopped hugging him and looked at him in shock. "No fucking way. You got into UCLA?!"

He smiled. "Yup! I can thank football for that."

"Oh my god, Ryder! That's amazing!!!" I held his face and kissed him hard. I was beyond proud of him.

"Before we leave for college, I'm going to give you the best night of your life, Autumn." He smirked devilishly.

I looked at him weirdly. What did he mean by that? "Ok..." I laughed awkwardly. He always gives me the best days, I'm sure what he thinks of will be just as good.

"Nothing can stop my love for you, Autumn. Not a stupid accident that made you not talk to me for three months, not even long distance, and not-''

He stopped himself. "Wait a second, why did you apologize for ignoring me for three months so easily? It's like something happened to change your mind..." He scratched his head in wonder.

I sighed. "Someone told me what happened that night. I believed this person because of all the people to tell me the truth, this person would never help you because they hate you. But they for some reason told me and I just had to believe it because if it's coming from the person you would least expect, then it's probably true."

Ryder raised his eyebrow. "And who is this person you speak of?"

I bit my lip, afraid of Ryder's reaction. "Derek."

I remember Derek didn't want me to tell anyone what he told me, but if my boyfriends asking then I have to.

Curiosity lit his face up. "Why him?"

"He told me he knows how much you love me, and he felt bad for all the stuff he's done to you in the past."

Ryder looked like he was going to cry. "Wow. I can't believe he would do that for me."

"I know, I couldn't believe it either when he told me."

"Well," Ryder sat down on the hot tub seat that wrapped around the tub and positioned me on his lap. "I'm glad he told you because now I have my baby back, and everything is right in my world."

I giggled and pinched his nose. "You're so cute."

He kissed me then rested his forehead against mine. "No matter how far apart we are, I know we will make it. I love you and I'm so proud of you for getting into Brown."

"I love you, Ryder."

He kissed me again and I smiled.

How funny is it that I know one hundred little things about him, but whenever his lips attach to mine, I can't even remember my own name.

I guess he just had a way of affecting me every single time

like no one else.