Some new song called Hot Damn blared from the speakers behind the bathroom door. I was almost positive the entire floor of the hotel could hear it, but the most embarrassing part was Daxson's voice mingled with the rhythm. He mumbled along with the voices of the rappers somehow managing to keep pace without a care in the world. I rolled my eyes and stifled a laugh. He never failed to keep me entertained. I lifted the bottom of my dress from the floor to avoid stepping on it with my heels and shuffled to the bathroom door.
"Dax!" After a few seconds had passed, I knocked on the door. "Daxson!"
He yanked the door open, sending wisps of hot steam swirling into the air around us. I focused on the handsome man in front of me. To this day, it still felt like someone had molded my own personal Greek God, one that had a dark tan because he stayed outside too long. His dyed curls stuck up in every direction and made me want to just run my hands through his hair and never let go. The tailored suit fit perfectly to every muscular curve of his body, threatening to send me into early cardiac arrest. When I looked at him, it was like seeing him for the first time. I was starting to think the butterflies would never go away. As my eyes traveled his body, the only imperfection I could find was the slight tilt of his red bow tie.
His shimmering eyes locked onto mine. One look and I knew, he knew he had me. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
"I love when you yell my name."
A flush of color rushed to my cheeks, but his words no longer made me nervous, instead they made me feel special. I lifted my hands to straighten his bow tie that matched the hue of my dress, trying to hide the small smile on my face behind my dark hair.
"You're going to get us kicked out of the hotel with all these noise complaints." I glanced up at him.
His hand swept my dark curls over my shoulder, exposing my neck to him. He leaned forward until his lips were against my ear. The warmth of his breath sent chills racing down my spine. My whole body reacted to every one of his movements in nothing but pure excitement. This electric connection between us only intensified after I was free from the pressure of my family, and he was officially free of his guilt-ridden past.
"Why don't we test your theory out?" He whispered, pulling me from my thoughts. He planted a kiss on my ear.
"Hmm," I gasped out.
His soft lips pressed against my neck, occasionally parting to allow his teeth to nip at my sensitive skin.
I titled my head to the opposite side and smiled. "Now you're trying to make us late."
Daxson's arms encircled my waist and pulled me closer to him. "I can't help it when you're here looking like this. Pretty as a peach." His white smile lit up his entire face.
I stretched my arms up and placed them around his neck. "I'm here for support, not to be a distraction." My fingers found their way to his hair on the back of his head. "Your little sayings won't work on me this time."
"Ally, this is draft night. The teams have basically made their decisions. I can afford to be a little distracted." He placed a soft kiss against my lips before releasing me.
I watched him wander across the room to pick up his wallet and his phone. "I guess you're right."
He made his way back over to me and smiled. "I'm always right." He held the door open for me.
I rolled my eyes. "Have you talked to the fam today?"
Daxson pulled the door to our room closed and walked along beside me, fixing the sleeves of his suit. "Yeah, Momma called earlier and told me the whole church would be watching tonight. Demarcus sent me a thumbs up emoji, and Malik said his team was watching from his coach's house."
"You have quite the fan club." I smiled as we came to a stop in front of the elevator.
He smirked and placed his hands behind his back. "Mmhm. I'm still waiting for that number one fan though."
I gawked at him. "What am I? Chopped liver?"
"You're alright, I guess." He stepped into the elevator and turned to face me with a teasing glint in his eyes.
Oh, those beautiful eyes. My favorite thing about him. They're always so inviting, so warm. When Daxson looked at me, it was always like I was the only person he ever cared to see, but just because he was nice to look at didn't mean his cocky attitude didn't irk me to no end.
I moved onto the elevator beside him and folded my arms across my chest. "You're such a jerk."
Daxson hit the button for the first floor. "You've been so sensitive today. It's just a joke, Sweetheart." He stepped over closer to me and wrapped his arms around me.
I welcomed his closeness.
He rubbed his hands across my back. "You know you're my number one fan, and so much more."
I leaned forward into his chest, inhaling his familiar scent with a deep breath. "I love you," I mumbled in annoyance.
Daxson rested his chin on top of my head and chuckled. "I'm not really sure what you said, but I love you." He pulled his body away from me and forced me to look at him.
"What?" I asked, unable to contain my curious side.
He shook his head. "Nothing, really. I just can't believe how lucky I am, ya know?"
His statement was laughable, because no, I couldn't believe how lucky he was. He was still standing in front of me like a knight in shining armor with a full future ahead despite losing two important people in his life and almost dying from a gunshot wound. No need to mention the gunshot was at the hands of my own father.
I made a soft sound of agreement and ran my hands beneath his suit, pressing lightly along his chest where I vividly remember the wound being. "I'm the lucky one, Dax. I mean, I could've lost you." My fingers traced over the soft fabric of his undershirt.
"But you didn't, and we have a beautiful future together." His vulnerability always appealed to me because he wasn't afraid to show his emotions, to share his pain with someone. Now, opening his heart to love again, that was a story for another day.
I pressed my fingers down along the metal pendant he hid beneath his shirt. "I'm scared of the change."
His lips parted to speak and I waited for the words to fall. I needed him to ease my fear like he always seemed to do. Unfortunately, the sudden stop of the elevator followed by a ding drew Daxson's attention. We were greeted by a mass of people and flashing lights waiting outside the elevator. The clicking of cameras flooded my ears as Daxson placed his hand on the small of my back to guide me through the chaos. It was a simple gesture, but to me it was so powerful.
In his own way, without words, he was telling me what I wanted to hear. He knew I was scared of moving across the country, of my future in a new school, and of the distance between Caleb and I. I didn't want to be in the spotlight and held to a high standard, but it was a sacrifice I was willing to make so that we could achieve our dreams together. Daxson's touch was his way of telling me that he knew I was scared and that he would be with me through it all.
As we made our way to the door, I tried to ignore the mass of sports reporters by focusing on the luxurious décor of the hotel. The floors were fine marble, which made every noise echo and amplified the the voices begging for a comment from the projected number one draft pick. A glistening chandelier made rainbow colors dance across the lobby and embroidered silk sofas surrounded a large, flat-screen television that was already reporting live from the hall where the draft would take place. The doormen pulled open the twin glass doors with golden handles and we hurried to our awaiting limousine.
I slid inside first and settled into the leather seat with a heavy sigh. "Is it always going to be like this?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at Daxson who relaxed into the seat next to me.
"You're d-dating a sports superstar. What did you t-thi... expect?" A familiar voice answered my question with a question.
I glanced up to see Caleb and Alexis sitting across from me in the limo. They were both dressed for the occasion, making them look much older than their age, and had the most exhilarated smiles on their faces. Caleb's hands were folded in front of him with only a slight tap of his fingers, but the thing that caught my attention the most was the fact he was wearing a suit. A suit that matched Daxson's to a 'T.'
I'd taken the time to apply a full face of makeup for the first time in months, and as much as I didn't want to mess it up, I couldn't stop the tears from building in my eyes.
"Caleb," I whispered, with a noise that was the mixture of a laugh and a cry, "You're actually here."
Caleb looked away from me. "Of course, I am. Alexis and I start at c-cam...MIT on Monday. Daxson figured we were in this part of the country anyway. So, he w-wanted to surprise you."
I glanced at Daxson and shook my head. That man never failed to amaze me.
"I'm so happy to see both of you." I held my hand out to Alexis who grabbed and squeezed my fingers.
"We're happy to see you too, Ally. You look beautiful." Alexis released my hand and readjusted the backpack in the seat beside her.
"Thank you. You guys look great too." I couldn't help but notice the sly smile on Caleb's lips. "I'm surprised to see you in a suit."
Caleb looked over at Daxson. "I'm g-getting style lessons."
I smiled and wiped my thumbs beneath my eyes to erase any smears from my moment of tears. "I can see. Well, you've got a good teacher." I nestled into Daxson's side as he stretched his arm across the back of the seat.
"How was the flight here?" Daxson asked.
"We thought your mom would never let us leave. We had to go over the checklist a million times before she could bring herself to say goodbye." She laughed and shook her head like she was reliving the memory. "But Caleb did really good on the plane. After we got past takeoff, it was smooth flying."
"Is Momma doing okay? I haven't talked to her since we've been in Massachusetts. I've been busy trying to get adjusted to a new school schedule and trying to find a place to live. I'll never be able to thank Dr. Pathak enough for all his pull in getting me transferred so quickly." I ran my fingers across my dress, enjoying the smoothness of the material beneath my fingers.
"She's doing really g-good for the circumstances. She's got a new p-pla... apartment and the divorce is b-being finalized in a few weeks." Caleb smiled at me.
My mind raced with questions. I wanted to know more about my mother and about my father's upcoming trial date, but I didn't want to touch the sensitive subject on what was supposed to be a happy night. I'd save those questions for a phone call with my mother later.
We spent the entire ride to the venue of the NFL draft catching up with my brother and Alexis, and it was exactly the breath of fresh air Daxson and I needed. Not to say life had been bad because my life with Daxson away from the heavy prejudice in the south had been great. It was just nice to have Caleb close for the first time in a long time. I glanced at Daxson out of the corner of my eye who was a pillar of calm and controlled on one of the biggest nights of his life. His fingers drew small circles on my shoulder as he conversed with his little sister. I'd definitely have to find a way to repay him for my surprise later.
When we arrived at the venue, passes for floor seats were shoved into our hands and we were lead down a long hallway filled with banners of every NFL team in the nation. Daxson had to stop every once in a while to shake hands with people or take photographs, and I could tell the crowds made Caleb nervous. A few times I wanted to reach out to him and say it was okay, but it didn't take long for me to realize he didn't need me anymore. He had someone else to watch out for him.
It warmed my heart in a way I don't think I could ever explain to see Alexis grab my brother's hand and calm him down. She'd whisper something to him in a hushed tone and he'd smile, washing away any of the anxiety.
We ended up finding our seats at a table only feet away from the stage. The clock for the announcement of the first pick was already ticking down. Only two minutes remaining.
Daxson took his seat next to me and reached beneath the table to take my hand, interlacing our fingers. He leaned toward me so that only I could hear him.
"Can I tell you a secret?" His eyes flickered around the room.
"Of course." I glanced down at our hands that seemed to vibrate against my thigh. I followed the movement over to Daxson where I noticed his leg bouncing up and down on the floor.
"I might not look it on the outside, but inside I'm a nervous wreck. What if they decided to go another direction? They could've changed their minds and not told me. What if I don't live up to expectations?" He whispered, his eyes studying my face like he was searching for every answer to his questions.
I rubbed my thumb across the back of his hand and smiled softly. "Baby, I'd be worried if you weren't nervous. This is one of the biggest nights of your life because it's something you've dreamed of and worked so hard for." I lifted my free hand to stroke my palm across his beard. "And it's okay to have those doubts. Just know that whatever happens, I love you and we'll get through it."
He closed his eyes and leaned into my hand. "We always do, huh?"
"Exactlâ" I was cut off when the NFL commissioner tapped the microphone.
Everyone's attention turned to the stage and the entire building seemed to descend into silence except for the occasional tapping of fingers on keyboards.
"Hello, and welcome to the opening night of the NFL draft. I think we've kept everyone waiting long enough." His voice was hoarse and gruff, but had a welcoming tone. "It's my pleasure to announce the first pick of this year's draft."
Caleb and Alexis gave Daxson a thumbs up from across the table.
"With the first pick in the NFL draft, the New England Patriots select..." The commissioner opened a small white envelope and pulled a card from it.
My heart seemed to stop in anticipation, forcing me to tighten my grip on Daxson's hand. This was everything we had been waiting for.
"Daxson Winters, wide-receiver from the University of Alabama."
And with those words, our entire world would change.