All Chapters of Completion: Chapter 161 - Chapter 170

After a few pictures of beat-up but happy players, I left the locker room and waited for Joel outside so he and the rest of the team could shower. He walked out wearing shorts that showed his scraped up legs, a red t-shirt molded to his chest, and his bag slung over his shoulder. I wanted to thread my fingers through his wet hair. He gave me a relieved smile when he saw me waiting outside the locker room.Sitting his bag down, he planted his arms against the wall behind me, caging me in. "Thanks for waiting." His head dipped and he kissed me with an intensity that had my pulse soaring."Get a room," was shouted from one of his teammates as a group of them left the locker room. They all laughed.I blushed, but Joel didn't look their way or acknowledge them at all. "We'll be drinking heavily tonight. Are you ready?""Ready?""You didn't stick around last week. I want you with me tonight. I just need to warn you that it gets rowdy.""I can handle rowdy." His teammates forgotten, I w

My heart thudded against my chest until I thought it would burst. Then I reminded myself a broken heart couldn't suffer additional damage. Ted was unlucky enough to be the first person I saw when I walked onto the second floor."Cami." He sounded surprised. His eyes slowly scrutinized my body from head to toe and returned to my chest. "We weren't expecting you back for another week or so." From his expression, he wanted to bury his face between my boobs."Are you speaking to me or my breasts?" You would think his head would snap up, but he just continued looking at my chest for at least another minute.His voice went hoarse. "Cami, I missed you.""Since you had the balls to tell everyone we were sleeping together, I'm sure you did. Since I know that's a lie, I can truthfully admit I didn't miss you at all." His face went red, which only gave me additional courage. "Please refrain from retrieving my personal phone number from HR as you threatened in your email. I would hate to have

Miller called me into his office on Wednesday."Charles Woodrow from The Colt Sentinel has requested to run your series in his local paper. We have a set price for requests like this and you'll receive compensation too. I wanted to let you know before you left for the championship."Charlie. And probably Stub. I felt bad they had to pay for my work, but also thrilled it would run in Colt. I'd promised Estella a copy of the articles and now she would have them through the local paper. I left Miller's office and went by the second floor to see if Kathy was ready for lunch. I alternated lunch between Kathy's click and Trett and JJ. I no longer buried my face in a book during my breaks. Every now and then shyness pushed its ugly head up, but I shook it off and each day became easier. Sad that I was twenty-three before I was able to do it.My plane flew out on Friday morning. I took a cab to the hotel, ordered room service, and took a nap after I ate. I had notes and recordings to go thr

By Monday, I was pissed off. Joel hadn't wanted to listen to me. He wasn't worth the shit feelings I was carrying around. Lunch with my girlfriends was out of the question. I couldn't speak about what happened over the weekend. Van was sending me text messages left and right. I didn't read them past the first line that showed up on my phone. Delete was my friend. Stub's message was quick and to the point.Stub: Just tell me which brother to killI didn't reply. I couldn't. She didn't contact me again. I walked to a corner café on Monday and buried my face in a book. Tuesday, I wore an old uncomfortable sports bra and my loose clothes that made me look dumpy. Trett and JJ tried to get me to open up, but I politely told them I was fine.Fine, that was me. Modest, non-sexy, fine Cami. I could live with it.I was at my desk on Friday, finishing a piece on the need for donors at the local blood bank when I heard a noise behind me. I turned and Charlie stood at the door to my office.Ch

The next two weeks were a whirlwind. The Journal agreed I could finish my work and take my last week as vacation. Joel flew in to help me pack. I met his father, who I ended up liking more than I thought I would. The next day, we drove Carmen, my old faithful car, on a long grueling drive across the state to my parents' house so they could meet Joel. I introduced him as my boyfriend because he hadn't proposed yet. My mom whispered to me the following morning that Joel asked my father for my hand in marriage. So old-fashioned and so perfect for my father. They loved him.Joel slept in the guest room and never snuck into my bedroom, which drove me crazy, though I admired his respect for my parents. I left Carmen, behind at their house because Joel insisted I would be driving something reliable into town each day when I went to work. My father drove us to the airport. My mother wouldn't come because she said she would do nothing but cry the entire way there and back. Saying goodbye was h