If anything, I was most disappointed in myself. What was I doing wrong that made the team suck so bad? How had I let them down? Why could I be good for myself and not for them?
But this night I didn’t want to dwell on it. Because this night I had plans.
Violet waited for me in the WAGs room, a space where partners and families could wait for the team without being bothered. It struck me how relaxed her posture was when I entered the room. Her back was to me, and she was talking to Mara and Jeanine. It looked like she hit it off with them, and that sent tingles through me. I wanted her to be happy, and have friends.
Because if she was happy, maybe she’d stay.
I couldn’t consider the alternative.
They call people you’ve loved before your old flames, or say you carried a torch for them. My internal eternal flame for Violet was sometimes worn down to a flickering nub of a matchstick, but I still held out hope. Because what if, one day, she came back?
I couldn’t push her. I couldn’t rush whatever it was that kept her away. All I could do was wait, and hope all my waiting wouldn’t prove futile.
And here she was. Long hair cascading down her back. Hands tucked into the sleeves of my sweatshirt, one leg crossed over the other where she stood. How long had it been since Violet waited for me after a game? When I made it to her side, I stroked my hand down her back. “Did you stay warm?”
She turned to me with a smirk. “I am quite warm, thanks. Good game, Cap.”
I grimaced and she mirrored me. “Not so loud,” I mumbled.
“My bad,” she said. “Everybody wants to know if we’re going out.”
“No. Because we have other plans.”
“You were serious about that?” she asked.
“As long as you’re good with it. It won’t set you off?”
She lifted a shoulder. “I feel like it could be a good healing moment.”
I grinned. “Was hoping that would be the case. Though it’s fine if you ever want to bail.”
“I know. I trust you.” Her blue eyes glowed up at me with that statement. It took everything in my power not to bend and plant a kiss on those upturned lips. “Shall we?”
I went to reach for her hand, but realized I shouldn’t.
Friends.
My hand flexed at my side before I stuffed it in my pocket. “Yeah. Let’s go.”
I didn’t have too long to mope about the lack of affection, because Violet shot one mischievous glance over her shoulder before running toward the garage.
“Last one there doesn’t get to come!” she called. Thank god no one was around to hear her.
We sped off toward my car in the garage, giggling all the way. This was fun. It was an adventure, just the two of us. We were neck and neck racing down the hallway. I beat her to the double doors that opened to the garage and I acted like I was going to hold the door for her.
“Always a gentleman,” she panted. “Sucka—HEY!”
With a light shove, I pushed her back from the door while I went through myself and pulled it shut behind me.
She pounded on the door until she flung it open and chased after me. “I could bite down while you’re in my mouth, you know!”
“You won’t, though. It’s your favorite wiener!”
I kept running until I noticed I didn’t hear her footsteps. I turned to look for her, bending to see if she’d fallen. “Vi? Hey, you okay?”
Then, Violet burst out from between two cars to my left. “Eat shit!” she taunted me.
We were within sight of my car and she was closer. There was only one way for me to win.
