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Hunter.

By the time I got back to the house, Jack was up and cooking some breakfast in the kitchen. I walked in and said hi as I sat down at the kitchen table.

"I'm making myself some eggs, want any?" He asked as he cracked an egg into a frying pan on the stove. "Yeah man, thanks." I replied. We had practice in a few hours and I needed something my stomach to get me through it.

"So I guess I have some shit to tell you." I started, trying to figure out how to explain everything to my best friend. Jack didn't respond, giving me a chance to explain before he said anything.

"Well, her name is Melanie..." I went on to explain the events of last weekend at the library and then moved on to tell him about the events of the last twenty-four hours. Just as I was finishing, Jack walked to the table and placed to plates of eggs down before he sat down and proceeded to eat. "That's it, just gonna sit there and eat without giving me any advice."

"Well I will start by saying you are a fucking idiot. You find a girl you actually like and your first instinct is to spend the week sleeping with other girls instead?" Okay well he had a point. Leave it to Jack to give it to me straight.

"I freaked out, I have never liked someone so much so fast and my instinct was to run away. But after last night, I don't think I can stay away. She just wants to be friends but I want more. What do I do?" I asked. Jack was always who I went to for advice because he was much more level-headed than most of the frat guys and football players I call my friends. He knows me better than anyone, as a result of us being friends since we joined our hometown flag football team at five.

"You aren't going to like my answer, but I think you should be friends. Give her time to get used to you and all that comes with being around you, cause you have a lot of baggage. If you really like her, show her that you can be better than what she thinks, which means don't sleep with anyone else." He shook his head and laughed to himself, "If you can even manage to keep it in your pants."

I rolled my eyes at his joke and considered what he said. I can do that. I can be her friend and show her that we would work together. I am capable of being the type of guy she deserves. "Yeah you are right, thanks man."

As we finished up our breakfast, more and more guys started waking up and coming downstairs looking hungover and disheveled. Practice was in an hour so these guys better get their shit together or coach will destroy them.

As the kitchen filled up and everyone began talking about the party or the different girls they hoped up with the previous night, no one dared bring up Mel. They must have learned their lesson the night before.

— — —

"If you play like you did today next weekend, Pittsburg won't know what hit them." Coach yelled as he walked into the locker room after practice, causing the team to yell and bang on their lockers.

Once coach left the locker room I promptly changed out of my practice jersey and threw on some sweatpants and my sweatshirt getting ready to go. "Why are you in such a hurry there pal?" Andrew questioned as he placed his hand on my back. "Got a hot date?" Caleb joked as he joined Andrew next to me.

"Just shut up and grab your stuff, I have places to be." I responded but managed to keep a smile on my face. Truth was, I was in a hurry to get home and showered so I could get to the library tonight.

Once all the guys were ready to go, the four of us climbed into my Range Rover and made our way back to the house where I quickly showered and headed out back out.

By the time I was walking out the door again it was seven. I had planned to text Mel and ask if she was going back to the library tonight, when I realized that I didn't have her number. I would just have to hope she followed her habits and was there.