❤︎A❤︎

[jamarrsgriddy]

💙😊🏞️👩🏼‍🔬🐅✨🌎🌲🦋🪩🧘🏼‍♀️💐🌞

Hey there, A here!! Welcome to my blog! I am just starting out writing, so feel free to give me any tips or ideas you have! My inbox is open! I hope you enjoy!! Also, just FYI, I am in college, so I'm sorry if I'm slow to post!!

Masterlist here!!

[jamarrsgriddy]

Snowed In | Arch Manning

Two summers ago, after my freshman year of college, I landed an incredible media internship with Red Bull in Austin, Texas. One of my professor’s former students was the head of media management for the area, and after a great interview, I knew I’d be spending the next two months in Austin.

I’d never been to Texas before, so I had no idea what to expect. It was early into my internship, during one of the first few weeks, when I met Arch Manning. He had just signed as a Red Bull athlete, so the media team had scheduled a full weekend of content: commercials, photos, interviews, everything.

As an intern, I didn’t do much beyond setting up equipment, moving cases, and staying out of the way. But that didn’t stop Arch from coming up to me on our very first day on set. One conversation turned into another, and before I knew it, any off days I had were spent with him. He took me to his favorite restaurants, walked me around downtown, and gave me what he called the “true Austin experience.”

I went to the UK, so I knew when summer ended, I’d have to go back to Lexington. The thought of leaving made my chest ache more than I expected. I had really, genuinely grown to like Arch. I told myself it was just a summer fling—until it wasn’t.

Even after I left, he never stopped texting me. FaceTiming me. Sending random thoughts and updates about his day. Then one afternoon, after class, I got back to my apartment and found flowers sitting outside my door. Pink flowers, my favorite color.

The card read: 'The more I talk to you, the more I like you. Will you be my girlfriend? Love, Arch.'

From then on, we learned how to make long distance work. It wasn’t easy, especially during football season, but we made time. We visited each other whenever we could and promised ourselves at least one trip together every summer. So when he suggested coming to visit at the beginning of the spring semester, before his off-season workouts started, I didn’t hesitate to say yes.

Maybe it was planned that his flight was scheduled for the night of a major snowstorm, secretly hoping it would get canceled. Or maybe it was just a joke we later laughed about. Either way, once the snow started that morning, it didn’t stop. By nightfall, every flight was canceled.

Arch Manning was officially stuck in Lexington. Neither of us complained.

The snow was thick and quiet, blanketing everything outside my apartment windows. The world felt paused, like we were the only two people awake. Arch stood by the window, phone pressed to his ear, nodding as he talked to someone from the airline.

“They said maybe tomorrow,” he said after hanging up, turning to look at me with that half-smile I’d missed so much. “But I don’t really see that happening.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Oh no. Whatever will you do?”

He laughed, dropping his bag by the door. “Guess I’m snowed in with my girlfriend.”

We spent the rest of the night bundled up on the couch, a throw blanket tangled around us while the TV played something neither of us was actually watching. Outside, the snow kept falling, and inside, everything felt warm and easy. His arm rested around my shoulders, thumb absentmindedly tracing circles against my sleeve.

“I forgot how cold Kentucky gets.” he said.

“You picked the worst week.” I teased.

“Or the best one.” he replied, glancing down at me.

The next morning, the city was completely shut down. Classes canceled. Roads iced over. No leaving the apartment even if we wanted to, which we didn’t. We made pancakes that came out uneven and slightly burnt, laughed when the power flickered, and spent hours just talking about nothing and everything.

At one point, snow started tapping softly against the windows again, and Arch pulled me closer.

“You know,” he said quietly, “I don’t hate being stuck here.”

I smiled, resting my head against his chest. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Kinda feels like the universe wanted me to stay a little longer.”

Outside, the snow kept falling, and for once, neither of us was counting down the days until we had to say goodbye again.

By the second night, the apartment felt smaller, not in a bad way, just in the way where everything was closer. Arch stood in the kitchen in a sweatshirt and his glasses, sleeves pushed up, flipping through the cabinet like he lived there.

“You really don’t own hot chocolate?” he asked.

“I didn’t know I’d be hosting a stranded football star.”

He glanced over his shoulder, eyes flicking down my legs, then back to my face. “Seems like poor planning. This was all over the news.”

We settled for tea, standing shoulder to shoulder while the kettle heated. Every now and then, his arm brushed mine—accidental, probably—but neither of us moved away.

“You’ve been staring,” I said.

He smirked. “You noticed.”

“Hard not to.”

He stepped closer. “Can you blame me? I don’t get you all to myself very often. I'm enjoying this.”

Later, we curled back up on the couch, his arm draped over the back, my legs tucked beneath me.

“What?” I asked when I caught him watching me.

“I forget sometimes,” he said. “That this is real.”

“Us?” I asked.

“Yeah. Long distance. Busy schedules. And then I’m here. Snowed in with you.” He shook his head. “Feels like a secret.”

“You’re not a secret,” I said, reaching for his hand.

His thumb brushed across my knuckles. “Good.”

The power flickered again. “If the power goes out—” I started.

“I’ll keep you warm,” he said instantly.

“Promise?”

“Always.”

He leaned in slowly, giving me time to pull away. I didn’t. His forehead rested against mine.

“I’ve missed this,” he murmured.

“Me too.”

The kiss was unhurried and soft, full of everything we hadn’t said out loud yet. That night, the storm finally quieted. The apartment was dim, lit only by a lamp in the corner. We lay on opposite ends of the couch, feet brushing every time one of us shifted.

“You asleep?” he asked.

“No.”

“Me neither.”

He rolled onto his side to face me. “Can I tell you something without you making fun of me?”

“You’re safe.” I said.

“I hate leaving,” he admitted. “Places. People. You.”

My chest tightened. “I do too.”

“I’m scared you’ll get tired of it,” he said honestly. “Of waiting.”

I moved closer, until our knees touched. “You don’t get to decide that for me.”

His arm came around my waist. “I don’t ever want you to feel like you’re choosing me over something you deserve.”

“I choose you,” I said quietly. “Even when it’s hard.”

He pulled me into him, voice low. “You mean more to me than any of it.”

The kiss that followed was deeper, slower. His hand rested at my back, grounding. He pulled me closer. I brought my hands to his neck and into his hair. Getting lost in the feelings of his soft curls and his lips on mine.

“If the snow keeps me here another night,” he whispered, “I might start believing this is how it’s supposed to be.”

I smiled against his chest. “Careful. I might not let you leave.”

He laughed softly, arms tightening around me. “I don’t know if I’d fight it.”

Outside, the snow stayed put. Inside, neither of us slept much at all. By morning, the storm had finally loosened its grip. The city was still buried in white, but the silence felt different, more real. Arch stood by the window again, phone in his hand, refreshing flight updates he already knew by heart.

“This one’s leaving tonight.” he said after a moment.

My heart sank, even though I’d been bracing for it. “Yeah?”

He nodded, setting the phone down like it weighed too much. “Looks like it.” We didn’t rush anything. We made coffee, shared it in quiet sips, brushing fingers when we passed the mug back and forth. He pressed a kiss to my temple while I stood at the sink, arms wrapping around my waist like muscle memory.

“I hate this part.” he murmured.

“Me too.”

We stood there longer than necessary, holding on like time might bend if we asked nicely enough. When it was finally time, he pulled me into him, forehead resting against mine. “This,” he said softly, “is what I think about when things get hard.”

I swallowed. “Me too.”

He kissed me once more, slow, familiar, full of promise instead of goodbye, and then pulled back just enough to look at me. “Same snowstorm next year?”

I smiled through the ache. “You better book the flight.”

He laughed, squeezing me tighter. “I’m not missing it.”

As he walked out the door, the snow crunched softly beneath his feet, already melting, already disappearing. But the warmth he left behind stayed, it settled deep in my chest. And I knew, even as the door closed, that this wasn’t the end of anything. It was just another pause. Another see you later.

[jamarrsgriddy]

Day 1 | Arch Manning

I don't remember a time before Arch. Our dads have been best friends since high school, so when they had kids at the same time, we were destined to be the new generation versions of them. To keep the famous Manning-Wright duo going. It was basically written in the stars for us from day 1.

Every knee scrape, every basketball game, every high school heartbreak, Arch was there for me. He would kiss my knee, cheer after every basket I made, and be my shoulder to cry on. He knew my Chick-fil-A order by heart, we had the same favorite movie, and most of our weekends were spent together. It just felt like fate when we both decided on UT. He commited for football, and I committed for basketball.

I could lie and say I never had feelings for him, but sometimes you can't help it. I'm not sure if it was those teenage hormones or how dependable he was, but once we moved to Austin, I realized just how much I liked him. I realized why every attempt at a relationship hadn't worked. I compared every guy to Arch, my day 1 built-in best friend.

When we got busy during our sports season and didn't see each other often, I tried not to take his absence hard. I told myself I just missed my best friend, it had nothing to do with my years-long crush at that point. We found our own routines and how each other fits in them. Every morning we texted each other before class and practice to check in, and every night we'd FaceTime to catch up on the things we missed throughout the day if we weren't able to hang out.

Since freshman year, we've explored all around campus and the city. Arch came to all my home games, and I went to his. During the spring semester, when Arch was out of season, he practically lived at my dorm.

The only bad thing about Arch being around more often is that my feelings for him had grown stronger with our close proximity. It happened every year. There's no hiding behind a phone anymore. There was one moment I almost slipped up. We were in my dorm eating Cane's after our big win against LSU at home. It was close the whole game, we only won by 5 points. I had one of the best games of the season so far. I was able to break the press after every inbound, I executed every play perfectly, and ended with a double-double, 11 assists, and 17 points. It was one of those games where I felt on fire, like I couldn't miss, no one could guard me, and it showed.

Ever since I met up with Arch after the game, he couldn't stop talking about it, how good I played, reciting plays and points, complimenting me on every front possible. He sat next to me at the table, his knee pressed against mine, smiling at me as he talked about the game, never breaking eye contact. We were so close, touching, connected, if he leaned in a couple of inches, I wouldn't have stopped him. I would've kissed him, I wanted to kiss him.

This was our normal, it was dangerous for me. He always waited for me after practice or games, he'd walk with me to class before going to his own, and he touches me like he always has. His arm over my shoulder as we watch TV, our hands brushing when we walk, his hand on my back as we weave through crowded bars and parties, but he had never crossed a line.

I knew I needed a distraction from Arch, from my feelings for him. So when a guy from the football team I'd met prior started flirting with me at the bar we were at, I didn't stop him. Arch was off with some of his other friends somewhere, but I could feel his eyes on me every so often, like he always did. Even if he wasn't with me, he was always checking on me, making sure I was okay.

I’d catch it in small ways, like a glance across the room when I laughed too loudly, the way his attention drifted back to me even when he was mid-conversation with his teammates. He never hovered or interfered. He just watched protectively, like it was instinct, like he couldn’t help himself.

The guy who came up to me from the football team was Jack. He leaned in close to hear me over the music, his hand resting at my waist, casually. I didn’t move away. I told myself I needed this, I needed to remind myself that Arch wasn’t the only option, that I wasn’t still seventeen and hopelessly in love with my best friend.

He asked me about my classes, basketball, things like that, and I answered. Asking about him, trying to make jokes, lighten the mood, it all seemed so flirty. Jack wasn't boring by any means, but he wasn't interesting. I felt bad for basically using him as a distraction. I knew Arch was watching, I wanted him to. When I glanced up to make sure, Arch was already looking at me.

He stood near the bar, a beer glass in his hand, shoulders tense, expression carefully blank. It was the same look he got on the sidelines sometimes, right before a snap. He looked focused, controlled, like he was holding something back, preparing for something. Our eyes met, and for a split second, something cracked. Then he looked away.

I turned back to Jack and forced a laugh at something he said. Let him buy me a drink. Let him stand close. Every second felt like I was betraying something unnamed. Arch came over not long after.

“Hey, guys. Didn't know you two knew each other.” he said, voice steady.

"We met at the student athlete awards last year, Jackie's a pretty one." Jack said, looking back at me, smiling. It felt so wrong, almost embarrassing for Arch to be here, listening to this. When Jack excused himself to get another drink, the absence he left behind felt louder than the music.

“I didn’t know you were hanging out with him.” Arch said.

“I wasn’t,” I replied quickly. “He just came over.”

Arch nodded once. “Okay.” That was it. No accusation. No argument. Just that single word, flat and final. I didn't see too much of Arch for the rest of the night. I felt his eyes on me, but it almost felt like he was avoiding me.

I was surrounded by a few of my teammates, not listening to much of the conversation. I couldn't, my mind was on Arch. On our last conversation, on our distance I couldn't seem to close, no matter how many times I tried.

"Do you know that guy you were talking to earlier?" Grace, a freshman, asked me.

"What guy?" I asked her, confused.

"The tall one, brown curly hair, when you were flirting with that one guy, he came up to you," She's talking about Arch, I know it. "He's like really cute."

I forced a smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes. “Yeah, he is.” I said.

Grace looked between me and the crowd, clearly curious. “Are you guys… like together?” The question landed heavier than it should have. I could feel the group's eyes on me, waiting for my answer.

“No,” I answered too quickly. “We’re just friends. I've known him since I was a kid.” The word tasted wrong.

“Oh,” she said, nodding slowly. “He didn’t really look like just a friend.” I laughed softly, shaking my head.

“Trust me.” But even as I said it, my eyes searched the room for him.

"Yeah, they've been like besties forever." Izzy, a senior, added. Arch stood near the edge of the bar now, half-turned away from the group he’d been talking to earlier. He wasn’t drinking. His hands were clenched around his phone like he was debating leaving. When someone laughed near him, he didn’t join in. He just nodded, eyes drifting back to me like he couldn’t help himself. Every time our gazes met, he looked away first. That hurt more than anything else.

I tried to focus on my teammates, on Grace and the conversation shifting to weekend plans and practice schedules, but everything felt distant. Like I was watching the night happen from the outside. I kept thinking about the way Arch had said 'okay'. It felt like a line he’d drawn without telling me where it was. When I glanced up again, Arch was gone.

The space he’d been standing in felt louder than the music. Empty in a way that made my chest tighten. I scanned the room once more, slower this time, like maybe I’d imagined him there at all. But the absence felt deliberate. Like he’d chosen to disappear before he said something he couldn’t take back.

Grace was still talking, her hands moving animatedly as she went on about an early lift the next morning, but her voice blurred into background noise. I nodded when it felt appropriate. Smiled when someone laughed. Took a sip of my drink I didn’t really want. I lasted maybe five more minutes before the pressure in my chest became unbearable.

“I’m gonna head out.” I said suddenly, cutting Grace off mid-sentence.

She blinked. “Already?” Izzy asked me.

“Yeah, I’ve got homework.” She studied my face like she wanted to argue, then shrugged.

“Text me when you get back.” I pushed through the door before anyone else could say anything, the cool night air hitting me like a reset. I took a few steps down the sidewalk, wrapping my arms around myself, half-expecting to be alone the whole walk.

“Jackie.” I turned at the sound of my name.

Arch stood a few feet behind me, hands in his pockets, posture stiff like he wasn’t sure if he should’ve followed. The glow from the bar’s sign cast shadows across his face, making his expression unreadable.

"What are you doing out here?" I asked him, walking back towards him.

“Needed some air. Were you leaving?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I said quietly. “I didn’t feel like staying.”

He nodded once. “Me neither.” There was a beat of silence. Then, without really looking at me, he gestured down the street. “You want to… walk?”

“Okay.” I said.

And just like that, we fell into step beside each other. The walk back was quiet. Not the easy silence we’d perfected over the years, the one that felt natural and safe. This one pressed in on me, heavy and sharp, like it was waiting to split open. Arch walked beside me, hands shoved deep into his pockets, shoulders tight. He didn’t look at me once.

“You’re awfully quiet.” I said finally, trying to keep my voice light.

“I’m fine.” he replied, immediately. Too quick.

I scoffed softly. “You’ve said maybe ten words since we left.”

“That’s because I don’t have anything nice to say.” he shot back before he could stop himself.

I stopped walking. “What is that supposed to mean?”

He stopped too, turning toward me slowly. His jaw was clenched, eyes dark with something I’d never really seen directed at me before.

“I didn’t like it.” he said plainly.

“Didn’t like what?” I asked, even though I knew.

“Watching him touch you like that,” he said. “Watching you let him.”

My heart skipped. “You don’t get to be mad about that.”

“I know,” he snapped. “That’s what makes it worse.”

We stood there for a moment, the air thick between us, before continuing the rest of the walk in silence.

When we got back to my dorm, I tossed my keys onto the counter and turned to face him. “Say it. Whatever you’re thinking.”

He laughed humorlessly. “You really want me to?”

“Yes.”

He dragged a hand down his face. “I don’t like other guys looking at you like that. I don’t like them thinking they have a shot. And I really don’t like the idea of you thinking that’s all you deserve.”

My breath caught. “All I deserve?”

“That guy didn’t know you,” Arch said, voice rising just a notch. “He doesn’t know how hard you work, or how locked in you get before a game, or the way you still call our dads after every big win. He doesn’t get to touch you like he does.”

“You're acting like you’re my boyfriend.” I said quietly.

His eyes snapped to mine. “Maybe I should’ve been.” The words landed between us like a dropped glass.

“Then why weren’t you?” I asked. “Why did you stand there and watch me fall for other people while you stayed silent? Every relationship I’ve had felt wrong. I kept telling myself it was bad timing, bad luck. But it was always you.” I looked at him then, really looked. “It’s always been you.”

He took a step toward me, stopping just inches away. “Because I was terrified that once I crossed that line, I’d lose you forever. And I’d rather have you as my best friend than not have you at all.”

I shook my head, tears stinging. “You don’t get to be jealous if you never claimed me.”

“I know,” he said, voice breaking just slightly. “But I am. I’ve been jealous for years.” That confession hit harder than anything else he could’ve said.

“I’ve loved you since high school,” he admitted. “Since I realized nothing was the same without you there, it made it unbearable. Every time you talked about another guy, I told myself it was none of my business. And every time, it felt like I was lying to myself. I chose here because being away from you felt like losing a piece of me.” he said quietly. “I told myself it was about football. About opportunity. But that wasn’t the truth.” My heart pounded so loudly I was sure he could hear it.

“You don’t just get to drop that on me,” I whispered. “You don’t get to stand there and tell me you were jealous while I spent years convincing myself you didn’t see me that way.”

Arch took another step closer, his voice lower now, rough around the edges. “Do you have any idea what it felt like watching you let him touch you? Like I was watching something that belonged to me slip through my fingers... and knowing I had no right to stop it.”

“That’s not fair,” I said, even though my chest ached at his words. “You can’t want me silently and expect me to read your mind.”

“I wasn’t expecting anything,” he said quickly. “I just thought if I stayed close enough, eventually it would be enough. That wanting you quietly was better than not having you at all.”

“It wasn’t enough for me,” I admitted. “It never was.”

His jaw tightened. “I know. And every time you laughed with someone else, every time you mentioned a date, I told myself to be happy for you. I told myself that’s what a best friend does.” He let out a breath. “But it killed me.” The room felt smaller, charged with everything we’d never said. Arch reached out, hesitating for a split second before his fingers brushed mine, like he was still afraid I’d pull away.

“I don’t want to be your best friend tonight or ever again,” he said softly. “I don’t want to watch anyone else think they get to know you the way I do.”

I swallowed hard. “Arch…”

“Just tell me if I’m crossing the line,” he said. “Because I’ve spent years standing right on the edge of it.” I looked at him then. At the boy who’d been there through everything, the man who watched me like the world narrowed when I walked into a room. The one I’d been in love with longer than I wanted to admit.

“You crossed it a long time ago,” I said quietly. “I just didn’t think you’d ever admit it.” Something in his expression broke. He cupped my face gently, like he was afraid of startling me, his thumb brushing along my cheek.

“I should’ve told you,” he murmured. “I should’ve told you every time I wanted to.”

“Then don’t stop now,” I whispered.

The kiss was slow, deliberate, years in the making. Not desperate but certain. His hand settled at my waist, steady and familiar, like it had always belonged there. When we finally pulled back, his forehead rested against mine, his breath uneven.

“I don’t want to be jealous anymore,” he said quietly. “I want to be with you. I want you to be my girlfriend.”

I smiled through the ache in my chest. “I thought you'd never ask.” For the first time, the truth was finally out in the open. And it felt like coming home.

[jamarrsgriddy]

Mine | Arch Manning

It's been a few weeks since Arch and I started seeing each other. He's taken me on dates, holds my hand, opens my doors, and always makes sure to find me in the crowd at his games. He's been great, and I really like him!

Today is game day, but this isn't an ordinary game day. Texas plays Oklahoma, our biggest rivals. The stadium is split in half between Texas and Oklahoma fans. It looks insane, and it feels just as intense as it is. I know Arch is feeling the pressure, but he has seemed to be handling it well the past few days I've seen him.

As Texas is out on the field warming up, Arch spots me. He gives me one of his sweet smiles and a wave. He looks calm, cool, and collected out there during warm ups. Rep after rep throwing the perfect pass, reading the routes like he was made to do this, it's one of the things that makes him so fun to watch. He makes it look effortless. I know it's not, I know the amount of hard work, dedication, and time he puts in to make it seem easy.

The game starts, and the energy never dies down from either side. It's loud, people are always screaming, a ref is always making a bad call, it's pure chaos, but Arch handles it perfectly. He led his team to a big win with the help of a defensive interception.

The Texas half of the stadium, the student section, and the team are all going crazy. It's exciting and overstimulating at the same time. We clear out pretty soon after to head back to Austin. My friends and I carpooled to Dallas together, and the ride back was even more fun. Music blasting, plays of the game being recited, and discussing what we're gonna wear tonight when we go out. On the way back, Arch texts me.

'Thank you for coming today'

'I loved seeing you there'

'Go out with me tonight?'

I smile down at my phone when I see his name pop up on my screen.

‘I’d love to’

Three little dots appear almost instantly.

‘Pick you up at 8?’

‘Perfect’

“What are you smiling about?” one of my friends asks from the front seat.

“Nothing.” I lie, my grin making it way too obvious.

“Yeah, okay.” she says, laughing. “You’re seeing Arch tonight, aren’t you?”

“Maybe.” I say, trying to act casual, but failing. The rest of the ride back to Austin passes in a blur. My friends are still buzzing from the win, replaying Arch’s throws like they’re analysts on ESPN, but I’m only half listening. My mind keeps drifting back to him. The way he looked so focused out there. The quick smile he gave me before jogging back to his teammates. The way he always finds me, no matter how big the crowd is.

By the time we get back to campus, the sun is already starting to set, and the air feels different. It's cooler, calmer, like the chaos of the game never even happened. Back in my dorm, the energy shifts into full chaos mode. Music blasting, makeup everywhere, outfits thrown across beds and chairs. Everyone talking at once, trying on clothes, changing their minds, changing again.

I take a quick shower, letting the hot water wash away the lingering smell of stadium air and sunscreen. I dry my hair, curl it loosely, and pull on my favorite black top and a pair of jeans that make me feel a little too confident. I keep my makeup simple, but I spend a few extra minutes on my lashes. When I’m done, I end up in front of the mirror, staring at myself longer than I should. It’s not nerves exactly, it’s that feeling of wanting everything to be perfect without knowing why it matters so much. At exactly 7:52, my phone buzzes.

‘Outside’

My heart flips. I grab my bag and head downstairs, spotting his truck idling by the curb. He’s leaning against it, hands in his pockets, looking unfairly good in a simple white tee and a burnt orange hat pulled low over his hair. When he sees me, his face lights up.

“Hey! he says, pushing off the door.

“Hi there!” I smile back.

He steps forward and pulls me into a hug like it’s the most natural thing in the world, like it’s something we’ve been doing forever. Then he opened the door for me. He looks me over for half a second longer than necessary. “You look really pretty.”

“Thank you!” I say, feeling my cheeks warm as I climb in.

He shuts the door gently before walking around to the driver’s side, and when he starts the engine, his hand finds mine like it always does. Like it belongs there.

“So where are we going?” I ask.

“Somewhere loud,” he says. “Somewhere fun. Somewhere I get to keep you close.” That line hits harder than it should.

“I was thinking we could meet up with some of the guys, maybe grab a drink downtown. Unless you had something else in mind?”

“That sounds perfect,” I say, squeezing his hand.

“Good,” he replies softly. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

When we pull up to the bar, the place is already packed. Music thumping, people everywhere, Texas jerseys and burnt orange scattered through the crowd. The second we walk in, I feel it, the attention, the looks, the whispers. Not because of me. Because of him. But Arch doesn’t care about any of it. His hand stays on my lower back, guiding me through the crowd, keeping me close like it’s instinct. Like it’s protective. Like it’s natural.

We find his friends, grab drinks, and the night blurs into music, laughter, bodies moving, lights flashing. I see some of my friends spread out through the place, giving me looks every so often. Teasing me when we get a chance to talk. At some point, Arch gets pulled away by one of his teammates. Just for a minute, he promises, squeezing my hand before disappearing into the crowd.

I stay near the bar, sipping my drink and half watching the people around me, waiting for my friends to come back from the bathroom. The music is loud enough that everything blurs together.

“Hey.” I look up to see a guy standing way too close already. Dark hair, confident smile, Texas jersey.

“Hi.” I say, polite but distant.

“You’re really pretty,” he says, eyes lingering. “I’ve been trying to work up the nerve to come talk to you.”

“Thanks.” I reply, shifting slightly, hoping he’ll take the hint.

“So what’s your name?” he asks, leaning in again. I glance past him toward the crowd. “I’m actually here with someone.”

He grins like that’s a challenge. “Yeah? I haven’t seen him.”

“He’s around.” I say, taking a small step back.

“Well, until he gets back,” he says, lifting his drink, “you could hang with me.”

“I’m good.” I say more firmly.

He chuckles. “You don’t even know me yet.”

“I don’t need to.” I answer. He opens his mouth to say something else, but a hand lands on my waist. Solid. Certain.

“She said she’s with someone.” Arch’s voice is calm, but it cuts straight through the noise.

The guy turns, eyes flicking to Arch, then back to me. “Didn’t hear her say that.”

“I did.” Arch says simply.

The guy scoffs. “Relax, man. I was just talking.” Arch steps closer, his body fully between us now, hand still on my waist, thumb pressing lightly like a warning.

“Yeah,” he says evenly. “That’s over.” The guy doesn’t leave right away. He lingers, glancing between me and Arch with an amused smile, like this is entertaining to him.

“Relax,” he says. “I didn’t realize she was taken.”

Arch’s arm tightens around my waist, pulling me closer without looking away from him.

“She’s not taken,” Arch says calmly. “She’s with me.”

The guy laughs under his breath. “Didn’t hear her say that.”

“I said it.” I cut in.

He shrugs. “Sounded like an excuse.”

Arch steps closer, his body fully shielding mine now. His voice stays even, but there’s no mistaking it.

“Walk away.”

The guy hesitates, clearly deciding whether this is worth it. After a long second, he scoffs and finally turns, disappearing into the crowd.

The moment he’s gone, Arch exhales.

“You okay?” he murmurs.

“Yeah,” I say quietly. “He wasn’t getting the hint.”

“I know.” His hand stays firm at my waist, grounding. He leans in, lips brushing my ear as he lowers his voice. “I don’t like people thinking they can talk to you like that.” My breath stutters. “And I really don’t like it when they don’t listen.” he adds. I tilt my head slightly toward him without thinking. His grip tightens just a bit.

“I’m trying not to make a scene,” he whispers, a smile hidden in his voice, “but you make that difficult.”

I laugh softly. “You handled it fine.”

He pulls back just enough to look at me, eyes darker now. His gaze drops to my lips, then back up.

“Tell me to stop,” he says quietly. I don’t. The kiss is slow and deliberate, nothing rushed. His hand slides up my back, holding me close like he’s claiming the space around me. The noise of the party fades, replaced by the way he kisses me, sure, steady, like he knows exactly what he’s doing. When we finally pull apart, he rests his forehead against mine.

“Mine,” he whispers. And I don’t argue. A couple of hours later, the bar starts to die down. The music is still loud, but the crowd has thinned, and I’m more tired than drunk now. Arch leans in close to my ear.

“Ready to go?” he asks.

“Yeah,” I nod. “I’m exhausted.”

He takes my hand and leads me outside, the night air cool against my skin. The walk to his truck is quiet, comfortable. Once we’re inside, he starts the engine, the radio playing softly as we pull away. For a few minutes, neither of us says anything. His hand finds mine on the center console, thumb brushing over my knuckles like he always does. I can feel something building, like he’s holding his breath. Halfway back to campus, he exhales.

“I didn't like that.” he says.

“What?” I ask, turning toward him.

“The way that guy looked at you tonight. The way he wouldn’t leave you alone.” His jaw tightens. “I know you handled it, but I hated it.”

I smile a little. “You were very obvious about that.”

“Good,” he says. Then, quieter, “Because I’m not subtle when it comes to you.” My heart skips. He pulls into an empty lot near campus and puts the truck in park. The engine hums between us. He turns fully toward me now, serious.

“I’ve been trying to be patient,” he says. “Trying not to rush things. But I don’t want to do this halfway anymore.” I don’t interrupt him. “I think about you all the time,” he continues. “I look for you in the stands, in rooms, everywhere. And I don’t want anyone else thinking they get to step in like that. I want you to be my girlfriend,” he says. “I don’t want to wait any longer."

“Yes,” I say immediately. “I want that too.”

The tension melts off his face. He smiles, soft and relieved, then leans in and kisses me. It’s slow, sure, like he finally got the answer he was hoping for all along. When he pulls back, his forehead rests against mine.

“All mine,” he whispers, barely audible.

I smile, brushing my thumb along his jaw. “All yours.” He kisses me again, deeper this time, one hand tightening on mine like he’s afraid I’ll disappear.

Sometimes I think back to the night he asked me to be his, sitting in his truck with the engine still warm and his hand wrapped around mine. How simple it felt. How right.

Now, he still opens every door, still finds me in every crowd, still smiles at me like I’m something he’s proud of. And I still steal his sweatshirts, still sit in the stands just to watch him do what he loves.

Life is busy, loud, and messy, but with him, it’s steady. And in a world that never stops moving, I found something that stays. I found Arch.

[jamarrsgriddy]

Best Friend's Brother 4 | Arch Manning

Arch picked me up the next night for dinner. In the passenger seat of his truck, waiting for me, was a beautiful bouquet of flowers that made me smile. He opened every door for me, held my hand on the drive, and told me how good I looked. Everything a girl wants to hear on a date. He took me to a barbecue place about 15 minutes from campus. It's one of my favorite parts about living in Texas, there's amazing barbecue pretty much everywhere.

Barbecue reminds me of home, of my dad. He was my best friend growing up, we were inseparable. He coached all my sports teams in grade school, picked me up from practice before I could drive in high school, and always made sure I felt loved. I always held the flashlight, got the flathead screwdriver, and made sure to tell him good night every night.

He taught me how to be grateful and know what I want. He also gave me high standards for my future partner. If he can't fix my car based on the rattling sound or always make sure to be truthful when my dad always has been, what's the point of having him around?

I think that's why I've been single all of college, these guys just play around more than anything. We don't have to get engaged and pregnant, but I'm not dealing with your habit of cheating on every girlfriend you've ever had. I just never truly found a guy I thought was interesting besides just being hot, until Arch.

While I do love barbecue, I can be a mess when I eat, so I picked the safest option, pulled pork. You can eat it with a fork, with or without sauce, and it's delicious. Arch got wings, and we both got fries.

Conversation with Arch has always flowed easily, ever since I first met him. He is easy to talk to, and I feel like I can just trust him. I would probably tell him my deepest secret if he asked.

"Tell me something about yourself that I don't know?" He asked me while we were eating.

"I like to run." I tell him, after thinking for a second it's the only thing I can remember about myself.

"Have you always liked to run?" I love it when he asks questions, I can tell he genuinely cares about the answer.

"No, I hated it up until freshman year of college."

"What changed your mind?" We've pretty much finished our food at this point, but neither of us wants to leave.

"I don't have to think when I'm running. I can just be, with no anxiety. Whatever's happening outside of that moment doesn't matter. It feels freeing, if that makes sense." I tell him, I've struggled with anxiety like a lot of people have. I've been in and out of therapy since high school. Like everything, there are good moments and bad, but I never really like talking about it, but with Arch, it feels easy. It doesn't feel so heavy.

"That makes sense, I get that. That's what football is to me, just peace." He says.

"It doesn't seem like peace, it seems like a lot of work and stress." I tell him.

"Yeah, it is, but when I'm on the field in the moment of the game. Nothing else exists outside of the turf. The stress is worth it." As he says it, I start to smile. This doesn't feel heavy or pressured, it feels easy, like it's meant to be. It feels like things are aligning, and it feels good to be with Arch. To be with someone I can talk to, who listens, and who cares.

"What, do I have something in my teeth?" He asks me, chuckling, smiling right back at me.

"No, I'm just happy, happy we are doing this." I tell him honestly.

"Me too, I really like you." He tells me, and I can see his face start to turn red.

"I like you too, Arch." I tell him as he grabs my hand from across the table. Now my face is starting to get red.

"Heid just may be my favorite sibling now." He says, which makes us both laugh. "Let's get out of here." And we do. We get back in his truck and as we're driving, I see us pass campus.

"Is this the part where you kidnap and murder me?" I ask him, confused.

"No, I just have a strong belief that every good meal ends with dessert." He says as his thumb rubs up and down the top part of my hand. "Plus, that means more time with you." Which gets a smile out of both of us.

A few minutes later, we pull up to a little building I've never seen before. It's painted bright blue, and there are string lights all around the patio table area. There's a big sign in the front that reads 'ICE CREAM'. It's adorable.

"Hey, Arch, how's it going?" The guy working the window asks him after we walk up. He can't be older than 17.

"Zach, my man! It's going pretty good. How have you been? How's your season going?" He asks like they are old friends.

"Good, we just beat Southern last week, I threw 3 touchdowns and for 270 yards!" He tells him excitedly.

"That's what I'm talking about!" He says as they dap up through the window.

"You want your usual?" He asks Arch.

"Yeah, get me 2 please." He says and pays. Zach comes back a minute later and hands us 2 cones through the window.

"So you come here often?" I joke as we go to sit down on the patio.

"I told you, I strongly believe in dessert." He tells me, laughing.

"So what's the usual?" I ask.

"It's a chocolate and vanilla swirl soft serve dipped in chocolate on a cone. They have the best soft serve. It's basically just his family that runs it. Zach goes to Austin, he's the quarterback for his team, so we like to talk ball when we can." He tells me as I start to eat my ice cream. I have to give it to him, it's pretty damn good.

"That's sweet, this is so good!" I tell him as I can feel myself shiver. It may be hot during the day, but spring nights in Austin are cold and add ice cream on top of that, I have goosebumps.

"Here, take this." He takes off his sweatshirt and hands it to me. It's a black Nike sweatshirt that says 'Texas Football' in orange across the chest. I thank him as he holds my ice cream so I can put it on. It's soft and it smells like him.

"My sweatshirt looks pretty good on you." He says, giving me a smile and making me blush.

"Good, I was planning on stealing it." I grin, grabbing my ice cream from him.

We sit there longer than necessary, the string lights glowing overhead while we talk about everything and nothing. Classes, football, my sorority, his teammates. There’s no awkward silence, no pressure to fill the space. It’s comfortable.

Eventually, my ice cream melts faster than I can eat it, dripping down the cone and all over my fingers. I laugh quietly, trying to manage the mess.

“Here.” He grabs a napkin and gently takes my hand, wiping the chocolate from my fingers. His touch is warm, careful, like he’s afraid to do something wrong. My stomach flips.

“Thank you,” I say, a little quieter than before.

“You’re welcome.” His thumb lingers for half a second longer than necessary before he lets go.

When we finally leave, the night feels calmer somehow. He walks me back to his truck, opening the door for me again like he’s been doing all night. The drive back to campus is quieter, but not uncomfortable. The radio plays softly in the background, and his hand finds mine on the center console again.

When he pulls up outside my dorm, neither of us moves right away. I unbuckle my seatbelt but stay seated, turning slightly toward him.

“I had a really good time tonight,” I say.

“Me too.” He looks at me, eyes warm. “I’m glad it was with you.”

My heart does that stupid flutter thing again.

He walks me up to the entrance, stopping just outside the door. The air feels heavier here, like something is hanging between us.

“Good night,” I say, rocking slightly on my heels.

“Good night.” He hesitates, he hugs me, and then leans down and presses a soft kiss to my cheek. It’s brief, sweet, and somehow more intimate than if he’d kissed me anywhere else.

I watch him walk away before heading inside, his sweatshirt still wrapped around me. As I climb into bed later, the fabric smells like him, and I can’t stop smiling.

[jamarrsgriddy]

Best Friend's Brother 3 | Arch Manning

The knocks on my door came at exactly 9:30 on Friday night. I knew it was Arch because the pre game doesn't start until 10, and even then, most people show up late. I let him in and give him a quick hug after he sets his pack of beer and my pack of seltzers on the counter.

"Thanks for getting these! After the first week back, I drank one too many of these and was too traumatized to look at them in my fridge, so I threw them away." I say as I grab a can of one of the black cherry White Claws. It was a rough weekend last time I had one of these, to say the least.

"Yeah, no problem." He shrugs as he puts both packs in my pretty empty fridge.

"What do you eat? There's no way you can live off of a half-drunk Starbucks, two limes, ranch, and a tub of yogurt." He asks, still looking in my fridge.

"You'd be surprised. Now come on, I need to get ready." I say as I head to my room, and he follows. I already have music playing softly from a speaker on my nightstand. The classic get ready playlist, full of Megan Thee Stallion, Drake, SZA—everything you need for the start of a good night.

"Don't you have a roommate?" He asks as he takes a seat on the end of my bed. I can see him through the mirror, looking around at all the decorations and pictures on the walls and surfaces.

"Yeah, she's in Alpha Phi with me, but she basically lives at her boyfriend's. She'll be at the party tonight." I reply as I start to clip back my hair and pull out my makeup bag. I'm not a big makeup person, not because I'm one of those girls, just because I don't know how to do a lot. I've got the basics down pat, though, and it saves me a lot of money at Ulta.

"Your room is nice. I like all the lights." He says, referring to the many sets of fairy lights and lamps I have around. The big fluorescent school lighting is my mortal enemy. I even changed out the lights in my bathroom so they weren't so harsh.

"Thanks, I hate having the big lights on. This is so much better, not so harsh and sterile feeling." I tell him. This is nice—Arch hanging out on my bed, keeping me company while I get ready for the party we're headed to later. I have to stop myself from daydreaming of this perfect life in which he's my boyfriend, and this has just become our routine. It feels so natural and meant to be.

"Are these your parents?" He asks, holding a picture frame he got off my dresser.

"Yeah." I answer, turning back to my mirror on my desk to blend out my blush.

"You look more like your dad. Is this your brother?" He asks, picking up a new picture frame. I don't even need to turn around. I know the two pictures I have on my dresser—they’ve been the same since my freshman year. Me and my parents at my high school graduation and me and my brother at the lake on our jet ski.

"Yep, that's him." I say. I feel exposed in this moment. This feels almost too intimate.

"You guys could be twins. What's his name again?" He asks, putting the frame back on my dresser, hopping back up on my bed.

"Peyton, we got that a lot growing up." I reply as I move on to doing my eyebrows.

"Peyton, that's right. He's older, isn't he?" As he says that, I can't believe he would remember something like that. I've only ever told him about my brother the first time we met after Heid had left. That was months ago.

"Yeah, by like two years. How do you remember that?" I ask, turning to look at him. His face looks a little red, almost like he's embarrassed he remembered.

"I don't know, I just listen, I guess." He says, looking everywhere but at me.

"I like that about you." I say, going back to my makeup. I can hear him chuckle behind me. He just gives me new reasons to like him every time I see him, I swear.

I finish my makeup not long after and begin on my hair. Nothing crazy, just curling a few pieces. I had curled it a couple of days ago because we had our weekly chapter meeting and we had to look nice, so I just needed to touch it up.

We fall into an easy conversation about football, his roommate Parker, and my theory on aliens. He gets up and grabs me another drink after noticing I finished mine, and that gives me butterflies. I think that's my new love language—just knowing he noticed those things.

Finally, it’s 10:07, and I’m done getting ready and just need to get dressed, so I have to kick Arch out of my room. People would be arriving soon too. I pick out my jean mini skirt and can't decide between a cropped black top with lace trim around the neckline that makes my boobs look good—which is one of the main requirements of a going out top—or a pink, also cropped top that’s almost entirely backless except for a small strip at the very bottom holding it together.

"Arch, should I wear this top? Or—hold on." I ask, walking out into my hallway in the pink top, letting him look me up and down before heading back into my room to change.

"Or this one." I add, coming out in my black top. I walk closer to where he's sitting on a chair at the counter, drinking a beer.

"Hmm, you look amazing in both." He says, standing up and stepping closer, looking me up and down.

"But if you wear the black, we can match." He adds, his hands finding their way to my waist, making the butterflies in my stomach go crazy.

"Black it is." I smile, my hands making their way to his neck as I play with the hair at the base of it.

"You look so pretty." His voice pulls my attention back to him.

"Thank you, you look pretty good too." I reply. He's wearing a pair of blue jeans with a black open button-up and a white shirt underneath. He leans in and gives me a gentle kiss that neither of us pulls away from. Normally, I wouldn’t be so bold with someone I’ve only kissed once, but I’m on my third drink now. You know what they say about liquid courage.

I feel him tighten his grip on my waist as he pulls me even closer. My hands are tangled in his soft curls, and I can taste the beer he's been drinking. Everything feels perfect, and I never want it to end—until there's a knock at the door and we have to pull away.

"Noooo." He whines as he lets me go so I can answer the door, taking his seat back at the counter. Soon, my dorm is filled with about fifteen people total. Some girls from my sorority, some of Heid's friends I've gotten to know over the last semester, and Parker—Arch's roommate. Since my roommate is pretty much moved out, my dorm has become the common pre game place.

At about 10:45, Heid suggests we start our walk to the Fiji house, and everyone takes their final shot, grabs their stuff, and heads out the door. One of Heid's friends leads the way as Heid and I trail behind.

"So…" Heid drags it out.

"Yes, Heid?" I glance over.

"Arch was the first one here tonight." He raises his eyebrows at me.

"Yeah, he came a little early. Said he wanted the full experience of a night out with me." I keep my voice low. We're a few feet behind everyone else, but still.

"Anything happen?" He asks, grinning, clearly a little tipsy.

"We may have kissed." I admit, staring straight ahead as my cheeks heat up.

"You're blushing!" He pokes my cheek.

"No, I'm not. I'm just wearing blush." I smack his hand away.

"You can't fool me." He slings an arm around my shoulders, pulling me in.

"I'm happy for you." He rests his head on top of mine as we walk.

"Thanks, but don't get too excited. All we've done is kiss, and he told me I looked pretty." I try to keep my expectations in check.

"Bro, he likes you. Don't be oblivious." He nudges me.

Soon after, we make it to the house. It's immediately chaotic. I can feel the bass of whatever rap song is playing, people cheering in the kitchen, and the mix of alcohol and sweat that always fills these parties. The floor is already sticky, which is exactly why frat shoes are so important.

"Now what?" Arch yells over the music.

"Drinks!" I yell back, grabbing his hand and pulling him through the crowd toward the kitchen fridge. I hand him an unopened beer. Normally—or when I’m sober—I don’t like beer, but after a few drinks, all alcohol tastes the same.

We clink cans and take a drink as a couple of Arch's teammates come over. As he introduces me, his hand wraps around my waist. Maybe Heid had a point. Kissing me in private is one thing, but this is different. It’s public, and it says the quiet things. Even if we aren’t defined, we’re together.

I've finished my beer and am at a happy level between tipsy and drunk. I won't forget anything or get sloppy, but I can definitely feel the effects. As I scan the room, not paying too much attention to the conversation about spring practices, I see Olivia.

Olivia is my roommate and my closest friend after Heid. Once she spots me, she squeezes her way through the crowd until she reaches me. She pulls me into a big hug, forcing me to step out of Arch’s hold. This is her telltale sign that she's drunk—she usually hates physical affection like this.

"Girl, I haven't seen you all night! When'd you get here?"

"Not even an hour ago." As I respond, a modern-day classic party song comes on. Rich Baby Daddy is blasting, and the floor is shaking even more than before.

"We have to dance!" She grabs my hand and pulls me toward the living room.

I look back at Arch, and he’s already watching me. He flashes that beautiful smile of his, and I smile back before getting swallowed up by the crowd.

We stay on the dance floor song after song. So many of our friends from the sorority are here, and all we want to do is dance. One girl, Paige, disappears and comes back a few minutes later with about ten shots in little solo cups. I have no idea how she got them, but we all take one.

I spot Heid a few times as he comes on and off the dance floor with whatever girl he's flirting with. I haven't seen Arch in probably an hour, though, and he’s not where I left him in the kitchen.

"I'll be right back!" I yell to Olivia as I push my way off the dance floor.

I check the bottom floor, then head upstairs, but I can’t find him. On my way back down, I spot Heid on the stairs.

"Have you seen Arch?" I yell over the music, interrupting his conversation with some people I don’t know.

"Last I saw him, he was out back. Go get your man!" He shouts.

I shove his shoulder and keep moving toward the back door. When I step outside, I spot him immediately. He’s sitting with a few guys around a fire, stretched out on benches. Don’t ask me why frat parties in Texas always involve fire—it’s just a thing.

"There she is!" He grins when he sees me.

"Hi! I hadn't seen you in a while. Thought I'd come check in." I sit next to him on the bench. The music is still audible, but much quieter out here.

"You having fun with your friends?"

"Yeah. Needed a break, though."

"Y’all want anything to drink? I’m going in." Parker stands up on the other side of Arch.

"Whatever’s left."

"Same." Arch nods.

I rest my head on Arch’s shoulder, the tiredness finally catching up to me. He wraps an arm around me, rubbing up and down my arm. When Parker comes back with three beers, we fall into a debate about Adam Sandler movies.

Then I hear it. My head snaps up instantly. Nokia is playing inside.

"You okay?" Arch asks.

"I love this song."

"Nothing wakes a girl up faster than her song." Parker laughs.

"Come dance with me?" I tug on Arch’s hand.

"I don’t know… I don’t really dance." He looks nervous.

"Please, Arch."

"You better go dance with the girl." Parker nudges him.

"Yeah, listen to him." I’m already standing, still holding his hand.

"Okay." He stands too, and my smile stretches impossibly wide as we head back inside.

We’re still holding hands when we reach the dance floor, just as the chorus hits. He pulls me in, hands settling on my waist as he matches my movements. We sway easily, effortlessly. Feeling his hands around me and his chest behind me sends a rush through my body, like I just took another shot.

He turns me so we’re facing each other. My hands slide up his chest and around his neck. I don’t think I’ve ever smiled this much in my life. The alcohol tempts me as I glance at his lips, then back up at his eyes.

"You look gorgeous." He leans in close so I can hear him.

"Thank you—and thank you for dancing with me."

"I had to get the full experience." I can hear the smile in his voice.

"So what do you think?"

"I'm glad I came. I'm having a great time with you." He pulls back just enough to look at me.

Fuck it, I think, leaning in and kissing him. His lips are soft, tasting like beer, and my heart is pounding. When I pull away, he leans close again.

"Now I'm really glad I came."

I laugh as we dance for a few more songs. Eventually, the night catches up to me, and I grab his hand. "Come on, I'm tired."

"There you guys are." Heid appears around the corner as we are leaving the living room.

"I'm hungry. Can we get food?"

"I'm ready if you are." I glance at Arch.

"Yeah, let’s go."

The three of us head out, walking down the sidewalk before ending up at Sonic and taking it back to my dorm. Heid falls asleep sitting upright on the couch, one bite from his burger.

"I had fun with you tonight." I steal one of Arch’s fries.

"Me too." He looks at me for a moment. "Let me take you out on a date tomorrow."

"I’d really like that." I smile.

[jamarrsgriddy]

Best Friend's Brother 2 | Arch Manning

"Hey, did you hear about Kappa Alpha's party on Friday? Do you wanna go out?" I asked Heid as I took my seat next to him in our english class. He was early today, which wasn't like him. He's more of a show up as the professor is beginning their lecture type of student. Especially considering this class started at 9:15.

"Hello? Did you hear me? Party this Friday." Heid still hadn't looked up from his phone since I sat down. Which was weird considering he loved a good party more than most people I knew.

"What's going on with you and my brother?" He asked me, finally looking up from his phone.

"What do you mean?" I asked him, confused. I didn't exactly tell him we went to lunch yesterday, but it never came up when I saw him that night either. It felt weird not telling him, like I was keeping a secret from him, but just because we went to lunch doesn't mean anything. Arch and I are friends, Heid knows that. Just because I have a small crush on Arch doesn't mean anything.

"You guys went to lunch together yesterday." He told me and showed me his phone. There it was, an awkwardly low angled picture of me and Arch in the campus Chick-fil-A. Both laughing, both leaning in towards each other. Both of us completely oblivious to a photo being taken.

"He just asked to get lunch since we haven't seen each other since we got back to campus." And that's the truth, but still I can feel my cheeks getting red.

"Just lunch?" He asks me, and it feels like he's staring into my soul in this moment.

"Just lunch." I repeat back to him.

"So then why are your cheeks bright red?" He asks just as the professor lowers the lights and begins her lecture on proper format for research papers. Talk about saved by the bell. I feel bad, I feel like I left Heid out and in the dark. I feel like one of those girls in middle school who would talk with everyone else about the sleepover that weekend that you weren't invited to at the lunch table in front of you. At least those girls didn't hide it from you until you found out that night on Snapchat. I don't know which one is worse.

As class nears the end, I can feel my heart rate start to pick up. I am no where closer to knowing what to say to Heid, and there is no way he's just gonna forget about this and drop it. As the professor is wrapping up class and reminding everyone about the first draft we have due next week, I can feel my palms start to sweat, and I'm a little shaky trying to get all my stuff in my backpack. It's quiet as we get up and walk out together towards the Starbucks we always go to after class so I can get coffee.

"Look, if you like Arch more than me that's fine but just tell me, don't go behind my back and sneak around with him." He says staring straight ahead as we walk. Yep, I feel like shit. Just like one of those middle school girls.

"No, of course not! You're my best friend and I don't want to change that. I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to be anything sneaky, but Arch is my friend too. You've known that." This is the first serious conversation we've had about something like this.

"Yeah, but y'all have never hung out without me. Like I wasn't even invited and you never even told me. Neither did he." As he says that, I feel even worse than before. I don't know why Arch didn't tell him though, they are pretty close.

"Is it not okay for us to hang out without you?" I ask him, not in a mean way, just genuinely curious.

"No it's not that, you guys can do whatever you want." He answered.

"I honestly didn't know how to tell you. Not that I wanted to keep it secret from you, just felt kinda weird to tell you, you know." I tell him honestly.

"Why would it be weird, like you said, I know you guys are friends?" He asked me. Yeah, I'm fucked. There's no way around it.

"I don't know, maybe I felt weird about it because I kind of like him." All of a sudden Heid stops in his tracks. Shit, this can't be good.

"Like dead ass, you like him?" He asked, still standing in the middle of the sidewalk.

"I don't know when it started, but yeah. I wasn't going to try anything, he's your brother. It's just hard to turn him down when he asked just me to lunch, and then I felt like if I told you then I'd have to tell you this, and I don't want it to change our friendship." I tell him.

"So it's not because you like him more than me?" He asked.

"As a friend." He quickly adds.

"No, I don't like him more than you silly!" I tell him, and I feel better. I grab his elbow and pull him forward so we can stop blocking half the sidewalk.

"You know he told me he was gonna ask you to do something, but I didn't believe he'd actually do it." Heid says, chuckling as he finally starts walking on his own without me dragging him.

"What?" I ask him confused.

"Arch is just normally really bad with girls. He gets all flustered and stutters. It's funny to watch, his face goes beet-red most of the time." He tells me, finally looking at me.

"I don't get it? Are you trying to tell me he doesn't like me because he doesn't act like that around me?" I ask him, even more confused now.

"Who's silly now?" He asks, clearly teasing me.

"Shut up." I tell him as I gently shove his shoulder.

"Seriously though, I don't care if you guys hang out. Just tell me next time you see me. We don't have to make it a whole thing." He tells me and I'm very grateful for that.

"You're the best!" I tell him.

"I know." He says back, not surprisingly. Which makes me laugh. Finally, we get to Starbucks, and a lighter topic of conversation. I get my brown sugar oat milk shaken espresso, and we are off to the library to work on homework. We go to the top floor, where you are allowed to talk and make our way towards the back, where we always sit. It's Heid's favorite table because it's giant and no one usually walks back this far.

"You actually have to let me focus today, I need to lock in." I tell him as we sit down and begin to pull all of our stuff out.

"Why are you telling me? You're the one who always talks first." He says, fully lying through his teeth. I'm not here to argue though, I meant it when I said I need to lock in. And I am locked in... until I'm not. Until Heid brings up the girl in our class who followed him on Instagram and how he wants to go to the zoo next weekend to see the penguins. This is what made me and Heid such good friends in the first place, we can both talk someone's ear off. It's been so long since we started talking about nonsense that both our laptop screens are black.

"I thought I heard y'all back here." Arch says pulling out the chair next to Heid and sitting down. Here comes the nerves.

"It was definitely her you heard, not me." Heid tells him.

"You're kidding, right? You know how you get when you talk about parties. I was definitely him, right?" I ask Arch. As I turn my head to look at him, he's already looking at me, smiling.

"Yeah, it was him I heard first." He tells me, chuckling.

"See, I told you!" I tell Heid.

"What party?" He asks, still looking at me.

"At the Kappa Alpha house this Friday." I tell him, I tear my eyes away and refocus on turning my computer screen back on.

"We're gonna go if you wanna come." Heid offers to him. Fuck my life.

"Yeah, that sounds fun." He says, and I can feel his eyes on me but I refuse to look at him. After telling Heid about my feelings for Arch, I feel like I'm hyper-aware of everything I do and say.

"Arch Manning going to a party, that's crazy." I say typing on my keyboard, none of it makes sense. It's a distraction though, I seem busy.

"I want to see this party girl in action I keep hearing about from Heid." Arch tells me, and that makes me giggle. I'm not a crazy party girl, but I definitely know how to have a good time. Put me in a room with my girls from Alpha Phi, a few drinks, and Heid, and the energy is off the walls. Heid and I practically feed off each other's chaotic energy when we go out together. Plus, it's always fun to dance with my friends. I may not see my sorority sister much, but we always find each other on the dance floor at the frats.

The conversation eventually drifts until Heid announces he's overworked and overstimulated and needs to go take a nap, leaving Arch and me alone.

"Did Heid ask you why we hung out without him yet?" Arch asks me a little while after, breaking the comfortable silence we sat in.

"Yeah, this morning. Did he ask you?" I ask him.

"Yeah, he called me last night. I had a good time with you, though." He says, and once again I can feel him looking at me. Daring me to look up.

"I did too. It's weird someone took a picture of us, I didn't even notice." I tell him, giving in and looking up at him.

"Sorry about that, welcome to my world." He says, chuckling.

"Does that bug you? People just taking pictures of you whenever." I ask him because it sure bugs me, and it happened to me once.

"It used to, I'm just kind of used to it now. I feel like I'm pretty boring anyway if all they can catch of me is me having lunch or losing my student ID." He says.

"The party should be fun on Friday, I'm glad you're going." Maybe Heid was hinting at something earlier. I don't know if I'd even believe it if he were, but I'll take a party with Arch if I can get it. I want to see him drunk. I don't think I've ever really seen him truly let his guard down. I don't blame him, people are constantly taking pictures of him and tracking him as if he weren't just another person who goes to UT.

"Me too, and I want the full experience." He tells me.

"You've been to a frat party before, we just talked about this yesterday." I say confused.

"No I mean with you, I haven't been to one with you before." He says, making my cheeks heat up so I look back down at my computer, hoping he won't notice.

"So when do we start?" He asks me.

"Usually we get there around 11." I tell him. Heid and I have our routine down pat. We pre-game at my dorm and then get to the party late enough, it's already packed, and leave before people get too sloppy drunk. Then we walk to whatever fast food place is still open and take it back to my dorm before we crash somewhere. Sometimes he makes it back to his dorm, and sometimes he makes it just to my couch.

"No, when do you start pre-gaming or getting ready, you know?" He asks.

"Oh, you want to be there for that?" I ask him, I can feel my nerves buzzing waiting for him to answer.

"Yeah, I said the full experience." He says. Shit, shit, shit.

"Probably like 9:30." I tell him, still not looking at him. I don't know when he started making me so nervous, but I can't help it.

"Okay, I'll come over then. I have to go to class, but I'll text you." He tells me as he starts to stand up.

"Actually, do you want to get dinner tonight?" He asks, and that throws me completely off guard.

"I can meet you at your dorm, and we can just go to the dining hall." He asks, his cheeks slightly red. He looks almost rigid and tense, like he thinks I might say no, but how could I ever say no to him?

"Yes, I'll see you then." I tell him, mirroring the smile that appears on his face.

"Great, can't wait! Bye!" He says, walking away. He looks looser, but now I feel tense. Did Heid say something to Arch when I had gotten up and went to the printer? There's no way he meant it like that, he's just being friendly. We're friends, I remind myself.

I was nervous when Arch knocked on my door that night. I don't know why, but him coming here to walk with me, even just to the dining hall, felt different than last time. Last time we just met up outside. I didn't have time to clean my dorm either. I was just hoping he didn't want to come inside.

Dinner with Arch was nice. He's so calm that it helped ease my nerves, and it felt like it did when we went to lunch. Like it was easy, easy to talk to him, easy to breathe. I even met a couple of his football friends who had walked by us and talked to Arch.

He told me about his parents and his sister, and I told him about my shoe addiction and my favorite books. Time went by so quick I didn't even realize it had gotten dark outside. Though it wasn't surprising considering it's pitch black by 7 every night now in Austin.

Arch insisted on walking me back since it was dark, saying it was the gentlemanly thing to do and he wouldn't take no for an answer. It didn't matter that it was a 10 minute walk back to him.

"Thanks for walking me back, Arch." I tell him as we are walking down the hall toward my door.

"Of course, we can't have anything happening to you before our big night out." He says. Once we reach my door, he pulls me into a hug. His hands around my waist, my hands around his neck. He smells heavenly, finally like cologne and fresh laundry.

He pulls back slightly, and before I realize it, he's leaning in. I feel like I could be dreaming in this moment, and I'm gonna wake up any minute now. Even if this is a dream, I'm gonna take what I can get and lean in too. It's a quick kiss, longer than a peck but not a make out.

"I hope that was okay." Arch says after, letting go of me and taking a small step back.

"No, yeah, totally." I tell him, very happy this is not a dream.

"Well good, I had a good time with you tonight." He says.

"I did too, I'll see you soon." I tell him, smiling.

"Okay, I'll text you." He says, turning away back down the hall towards the elevators.

"Text me when you make it back!" I call after him. He tells me he will as he continues down the hall and into the elevator. I still question if I dreamt that or not. I replay the moment countless times in my head as I'm getting ready for bed and trying to sleep that night. Just 15 minutes after he left, I get a text.

'Made it back'

'Thanks for keeping me company'

'I like spending time with you'

[jamarrsgriddy]

Best Friend's Brother | Arch Manning

I met Heid about a year ago, my sophomore year at UT, in an intro to humanities gen ed class. He sat next to me the first day of class. I watched him pull out his laptop just for it to be dead.

"You know it's Monday at 9 am on the first day of classes, right?" I asked him as he just stared at the dead battery screen showing on his laptop.

"I thought I had charged it, but that may have been last Sunday now that I'm thinking about it." he said, closing his laptop.

"Freshman?" I asked him, chuckling at his response.

"Is it that obvious?" he asked, laughing now too.

"Yes, very. We can share my laptop if you want." I offered. I felt bad for him in this moment. It was probably his first college class ever and he showed up with a dead computer.

"Thank you, that'd be so helpful." he said, giving me a smile and reaching out his hand. "I'm Heid."

"Nice to meet you, Heid." I said, shaking his hand. I slid my laptop in between us as the professor started our lecture.

Ever since that moment, Heid became one of my closest friends, my best friend. I had a handful of friends, technically more than that. My freshman year, I rushed and joined Alpha Phi. That's where the 'technically' comes in. I talk to my sisters and hang out with them at our campus events, recruitment, and parties, but outside of that I never get many invites. Everyone has always been nice to me, but I'd never made a college best friend until Heid.

He just got me, and I got him. When he first started asking me to hang out, I thought it was just because he didn't have a lot of friends on campus. Then he came to a frat party on campus jointly hosted by Alpha Phi, and I don't think he ever ran out of people to say 'hi' to. Heid could be in the dictionary for the terms outgoing and extrovert.

As the semester went on, we started hanging out more and more. One random Wednesday while we were in the dining hall eating lunch, I met him. Heid had mentioned his brother plenty of times. I knew we were the same year, he played football, and he and Heid were pretty close, but I had never met him before. Heid said he didn't go out too much, especially during football season. I didn't see him coming until he slid into the booth next to Heid.

"Hey, mind if I eat with y'all?" he asked as I finally noticed another person. I looked up from my phone and holy shit, if I were in a cartoon, my jaw would've fallen onto the table and my eyes would've popped out of my head. He had the prettiest blue eyes that contrasted perfectly with his muscular figure and sharp jaw.

"You must be Heid's new bestie he's been telling me about. I'm Arch, his brother." he said while extending his hand to me. As I shook his hand, he flashed me his smile, and that was the end of me. Metaphorically, of course.

"Both of you guys shake hands, very old-fashioned." I said, giggling. I don't know how long we sat there shaking hands across the table, but it was a little too long.

"You can stop shaking her hand now, Arch." Heid told him while he looked back and forth between us. I don't believe in love at first sight, but all I know when he let go of my hand, it felt wrong.

"Sorry." he said as he looked down toward his tray and picked up his fork, but I could see the tips of his ears and the tops of his cheeks starting to turn red.

"I'm gonna go get more Sprite, don't scare her off," Heid said, looking toward Arch as he got up and walked away. It's quiet for a little bit. I'm almost too nervous to say anything but, "That's ridiculous, I just met him," I tell myself. I tried to think of what I knew about him to start a conversation.

"So Heid's told me you play football, what position?" I ask him, almost begging him to look at me again, just so I could see him. I don't know much about football. As a born and raised Kentuckian, all we really care about is college basketball and horse racing when the Derby comes around.

"Quarterback. Do you ever go to the games here?" he said as he finally looked back up at me, his face still a little red from Heid's comment earlier.

"Sometimes, but I honestly don't pay much attention. I don't know much about football, but I like tailgating," I tell him. And that's the truth, I just like any excuse to get dressed up, have a few drinks, and go to a party after.

"Does your family watch football?" he asked me.

"My dad watches the NFL, and I'm technically a Bengals fan, but it's not a big deal back home. Not many good teams, so people don't really care. If anything, they go for an excuse to drink all day. Half the time they don't even remember the game the next day." I tell him, thinking back to all my years in Kentucky before I decided to go away for college. There's nothing truly wrong with my home state or my hometown, I was just ready for a change after being in the same place my whole life up to that point.

"Where are you from?" he asked me, and it truly felt like he cared too. I could tell he was listening.

"Kentucky. We like basketball a lot more than football." I feel like I could tell him my deepest, darkest secret in this moment. There's something about him, more than just his looks that I can't quite put my finger on.

"That's a long way from Texas. Do you miss it?" he asks me. Neither of us has touched our food in I don't know how long. My chicken bowl is probably cold, but I couldn't care less.

"I miss my family. I still like Kentucky, but I like seeing new places too. Do you miss Louisiana?" I ask him. Heid tells me about their hometown all the time, mainly about how good the food is and Mardi Gras.

"Not as much with Heid here now. He helps with that." I had totally forgotten about Heid until Arch said that. I don't know how long we sat there talking. Heid eventually came back and joined in on our conversation about Bevo, the longhorn cow mascot that is always at the football games. I didn't want to get up, and Arch never got up.

"I have class in 10 minutes." Heid said, looking down at his phone. As he stood up, grabbed his stuff, and his tray, neither Arch nor I moved. He hesitated for a second, looking back and forth between us again, but he never said anything about it. We just told him bye as he left.

"Thankfully, I don't have any classes left today." Arch said, flashing that perfect smile at me again.

"Me either." I said, smiling right back at him. We talked about everything from my favorite hometown restaurant to the time he hit his neighbor's mailbox when he first got his license. I didn't realize how late it got until Arch's phone started ringing.

"Hey man... oh shit, yeah... yeah, I'm coming." he said to whoever had called him.

"Sorry, I didn't realize the time. I have to get to practice. Can I give you my number? I liked talking with you." he told me after he hung up. How could I say no to him, ever?

"Yeah, sure." I said, unlocking my phone. We switched phones, and he practically ran away after we traded back. When I looked at my phone, I noticed he put his contact name as 'Your favorite Manning,' which made me laugh.

From that point on, he started showing up at Heid's dorm when we were hanging out or in our building in the mornings after we had our humanities class. He would text me throughout the day, random things from his warm-up songs, which consisted of a surprising amount of Kesha and Fergie, whatever he was eating, the funny thing his friend did at practice, and asking me any question he thought of whenever he thought of them. It didn't take long for him to know my childhood dog's name or my Starbucks order.

And then it came, one day during the first month of spring semester. His text read, "u wanna grab lunch?" "havent seen you since you got back." We had never hung out without Heid before, it made me nervous. I didn't want Heid to be mad, but I had also started really liking Arch.

Since football season ended over break, we started texting more. We even FaceTimed a couple of times, but Heid was always there too. I was scared to be alone with him, not because I thought anything bad was going to happen, but because I was scared I would like him more. I had no clue if he liked me. I never saw any sign, and Heid never mentioned anything either. But because I liked him, I also couldn't say no.

"That sounds great!" I texted back."

[jamarrsgriddy]

The Little Things | Arch Manning

"Baby, please..." Arch calls from my bed for the fifth time in the last 10 minutes.

"You are too far!" He says matter of factly. He always does this when I get up from my bed with him to be at my desk, studying. Which he knew I needed to do when he asked to come over after practice.

As a nursing major, there was always an exam or an assignment coming up that needed my attention. Even more than Arch lying in my bed alone, even though he would never admit that. He loves how hard I work and how much I care about my education. He's always had a thing for driven women. That doesn't mean that he's not going to complain when I'm trying to focus on something other than him, even if it is school work.

"Arch, I told you I have to study for at least an hour. I have an exam next week in pharmacology." I tell him again, refusing to turn around and look at him. There's something about those damn eyes and that damn smile that makes me forget the word 'no'. Junior year is just as bad as everyone warned me it would be. Constant exams and quizzes over confusing topics that I never feel I have enough time to learn. Through the stress of it all, Arch has been there for me every time I cried, got too stressed I forgot to eat, and when I start doubting myself after a long day or a bad grade.

"Why don't I go get us some dinner? Then by the time I come back, you'll be done studying, and we can eat together." Arch asks, finally accepting that his girlfriend is not gonna give in to his pleas tonight.

"That sounds perfect, but you have to walk." I tell him in hopes he'll be gone a little longer, so when he gets back, I can truly be done studying and focus on him.

"Fine, I'll walk. What do you want?" He asks me, even though he knows exactly what he wants to eat.

"How about Chipotle?" He never doesn't want Chipotle. He would eat it for every meal if the store on campus opened up early enough. I think it's just fine, but he loves it, and it's the little things for him. Plus its across campus and it's always packed. It really is a win-win for both of us.

"Have I told you how beautiful you are today and how much I love you?" I can hear his grin while he's talking. Like I said, it's the little things. He gets up from my bed and makes his way over to me, and I tilt my face slightly so my cheek is turned up for him to kiss. He always gives me a kiss before he leaves. Even if it's to the kitchen to get a drink. A kiss is a necessity for him if I won't be in his line of sight.

"No way, baby." He says as he grabs my chin gently and pulls me to look at him. He gives my lips a quick peck, grabs his shoes, and heads towards the door.

"I'll be back, I love youuu." He yells from the door.

"No power walking!" I call after him in hopes he heard it. Then the door shuts, and I am left to my peace and quiet to focus on my current toxicology chapter.

When I finally feel like I've made a good dent in the lecture slides and my notes, I decide to check my phone. It's been an hour and a half since Arch left. I don't know what's taking him so long, I thought an hour was a stretch in itself.

"I'm in a zone, I might as well keep going until he gets back." I tell myself. It's these moments when you could stop, you passed your time goal, you feel a better understanding of the information, that separates a good student from a great student. And as an often member of the dean's list and a self-proclaimed great student, you keep pushing.

"Hey, I'm back. Sorry it took so long." It's been over 2 hours by the time you hear Arch let himself in your dorm door. You don't have to worry about roomates you have a one-person dorm, perks of dating the school's famous QB1. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to get a single at UT.

"One minute!" I call back to him as I gather my pens and highlighters and shut my laptop.

"The line was practically to the door." He says as I walk out of my room.

"Anddd... I wanted to get you these!" He says, smiling and revealing the most beautiful bouquet of roses, lilies, poms, and your favorite, hydrangeas. With shades of white, blue, and purple, it is a gorgeous bouquet. I think he knows it's the little things for me too. These are some of my favorite moments with Arch. It's not about the flowers or the things, it's the thought. The joy I feel hearing him come in. The hugs he always gives me when he arrives. Knowing I am about to get to spend the rest of my night with him and fall asleep in his arms. I love the peace our relationship brings me, and I love him.

"Archie, these are stunning!" I gush as I give him a hug and get on my tiptoes to give him a kiss. His hands have a tight hold on my waist as mine slide into his hair. An innocent thank you kiss has turned into a full-on make out in my kitchen. His hands slip down to my ass as he picks me up and places me on the counter. I can feel him smile into our kiss as he moves in between my legs to get closer to me.

"Babe, let's eat first." I pull away finally. Smiling ear to ear, and I can feel my cheeks starting to turn red.

"I got my meal right here." He says, still smiling while he looks down at me. Even sitting on the counter, he's still taller than me.

"No, I'm serious, I know you didn't forget about the Chipotle." I say, full on blushing at this point.

"Fine, fine, fine, anything for you." He complains but is still smiling as he lifts me off the counter and puts me gently on the floor. Giving my ass a quick slap as I turn to head towards the table.