Chapter 28

Liam

Today is the day of Emi and I's project presentation. It's a bittersweet moment, really. I've loved the excuse to spend extra time with her working on this project weekly but I'm also glad to be done with the actual project itself. Studying the connection between motivation and athlete outcomes is something that just hits slightly too close to home. Let's just say it's caused a lot of introspection for me, some I'm not ready to face.

One of the requirements for the presentation is looking nice, so today I'm donning black slacks with a white collared shirt and blue quarter zip on top. I throw my practice clothes into my gym bag, then toss that in the back seat of my car along with my regular backpack. I'm leaving early today to go pick up Emilia. She quite literally never asks me for rides but I've done my best to figure out her schedule and give them to her anyways, especially when she's going to be walking in the dark.

Today however, she surprised me and asked for a ride so she wouldn't have to trek all the way across campus. Something about how she didn't want to freeze in her dress or slip in her heeled boots. I'm not going to lie, I zoned out slightly listening just picturing her in a dress, her thighs on display. One's I dream about on the way over to her apartment. I sneak in the main door behind another resident, taking note that the stairs are a bit slippery from the freezing rain we got last night. It's early December, we haven"t had much snow yet but the weather has been all over the place with freezing rain one day and a perfectly sunny fifty-degree day the next. I make it to the girls' door and lightly rap my knuckles against it.

Moments later my dream dies and is replaced by an entirely new one. I knew she was going to look good, she's always gorgeous but this, I wasn't prepared for. She's wearing a white dress made up of a sweater material that fits in at her waist before flaring out a bit. There's semi-sheer black tights underneath topped with knee high black boots with the slightest heel. Her strawberry blonde curls cascade down her back and there's something on her eyes that make them pop even more than usual, something I didn't even know was possible.

"Hi." Emilia grabs her jacket from the hook behind the front door.

"Hi. You look," perfect, amazing, gorgeous, like you should be mine, "great." I quite literally can't keep my eyes off her. Her cheeks flush slightly at the compliment, one of my favorite things.

"Thank you, you don't look so bad yourself." She reaches up to adjust my collar and it takes everything in me to not pull her to me and press my lips to hers.

"Thanks." I clear my throat, is it hot in here? "Are you ready?"

"Yep. Bye Ro!" She turns around to wave by to the brunette who has a smirk on her lips, I didn't even notice her watching that whole interaction. We head down the hallway and out the front door, Emi's bag slung over one of my shoulders.

"It's a little slippery out." I warn as we step out the front door and immediately Emi's feet slide beneath her as she tries to steady herself. Without thinking I grab her with my free arm, hoisting her up to my side.

"What are you doing?" She laughs as I make our way down the stairs.

"Don't need you getting hurt on me." I place her down once we're in the parking lot that isn't as slippery as the sidewalk and stairs.

"Thank you." Another flush climbs to her cheeks and I can't help the smile that spreads across my face. On the ride over to the opposite side of campus, Emilia plays her ‘Taylor Swift hype up playlist', as she calls it. Softly singing along with a smile on her face. I want to steal all of these simple moments with her.

Professor Jones gives a brief introduction to this week"s chapter before calling Emilia and I up to present. Emilia pulls up the slideshow we made as I talk about the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, how they both play a factor in performance. After I finish my segment Emilia takes over, she"s so confident in front of the room, going through the slides, making eye contact, and overall I can just feel her passion. She moves into talking about humans' basic needs and how if those are satisfied, athletic performance can increase. I swear the guys in the class perk up at that, causing me to shoot them all daggers as Emi goes on, completely oblivious to the stare down I'm having with some of our classmates.

Once we finish up the presentation we're met with a light clapping from the class. "That's the best presentation we've seen in this class. Great job Emilia and Liam." Professor Jones praises and Emi beams, which in turn puts a big smile on my face.

Emilia leans across the desk to retrieve our USB, her dress slightly riding up and exposing more of her toned thighs. I quickly scoot over to cover her from the class, not that anything is showing, but there's a jealousy coursing through me at the way some of these guys are watching her. She has such a natural beauty to her and this glow, I don't even think she realizes how magnetized people are to her. I count my lucky stars that few guys have been brave enough to ask her out.