I blinked, taken aback by the sudden graphic nature of her words, but she looked so damn serious about it that I couldn’t help but smile.
“Graphic,” Shai’s voice came from behind us, her tone tinged with a mischievous edge. She was now standing over us, casually relieving the poor teenager who had been helping her with frisbee duty. Sullivan had apparently taken over, and to the kid’s dismay, Shai’s focus had shifted completely.
“Me like,” she said, practically falling to her knees and rolling onto her side on the blanket, the crop top she wore revealing far more of her sun-kissed skin than I’d ever felt comfortable showing. I resisted the urge to ask if she was cold. Now wasn’t the time for that.
“So,” Shai continued, peering up at me with a knowing grin. “Whose balls are we popping? Travis’s or Teddy’s?”
I was just about to respond when Sam held up a hand, cutting me off. “Wait. Why are we popping Teddy’s balls?”
I groaned, massaging my temples. “Can you both stop saying ‘popping’?”
Shai didn’t skip a beat, scooting over so her head rested in my lap with a playful grin. “Yes, dear. But please… gossip… now.”
I stared at the sky for a moment, feeling the weight of what I had to say. But it was out there now. I’d started it, and there was no way around it. “Travis still wants to marry me.”
Both of them went dead silent for a long moment before they exploded into a chorus of curses so creative I would’ve been impressed if I wasn’t so rattled.
“That fucking fuckwad. What a ducking douche.” Shai’s hands clenched into fists like she might start swinging at someone—maybe even the air.
“What an asshole.” Sam’s tone was sharp and steady, a clear indication that she wasn’t the type to tolerate bullshit from anyone, least of all a man who couldn’t take a hint.
I ran a hand through my hair, suddenly wishing I had braided it this morning. I wasn’t used to letting people see me like this—undone, uncertain. “He knew cheating was my line. Sometimes, I wonder if love even really exists.”
But the truth was, I did believe in love. I had to. I’d witnessed it every day of my childhood, in the quiet moments between my parents. They’d been two halves of the same whole—so perfectly in sync that they seemed to speak the same language. They fought, sure, but I never remembered why. The only thing that mattered was that they always found their way back to each other.
“Speaking of true love…” Sam’s voice was casual, but her eyes were sharp as she pointed toward Ryder, Rowan, and Teddy, who were making their way across the grass toward us. My heart skipped a beat. How did she know what we’d been… “Shai has had a hard-on for Rowan since he joined the team.”
Oh.
Shai kicked Sam’s leg lightly with her foot. “Not true. We’re friends.”
I didn’t believe her for a second, but my focus shifted involuntarily to Teddy. He was looking at me so intently, a quiet heat stirring inside me. His gaze felt like it was reaching deep into me, like he could see everything—my thoughts, my doubts, my secrets. His eyes were brighter than usual, probably because of the yellow shirt he wore, but I loved it on him. There was something about the way he seemed so effortlessly put together—no hockey gear, no sweats, no pre-game suit. Just him, looking impossibly good in casual clothes that made my pulse race. Sunglasses sat cocked on his head, but they were completely unnecessary; he didn’t need them to hide his gaze. Those glorious eyes were fixed on me, unwavering.
I looked down, my heart a little unsteady, at my phone resting on the grass beside me—the phone that still held all ofhis unread texts. I couldn’t help but wonder how many times I should’ve responded.
“Ladies.” Ryder’s voice broke through the tension, his aviators hiding the expression on his face. He looked as laid back as always, but there was a hint of curiosity in his demeanor.
The trio stopped in front of us, and Rowan kicked at the ground awkwardly before mumbling something about frisbee and making a hasty escape toward Sullivan. Ryder stayed, but Teddy? Teddy didn’t wait for any invitation. He dropped down at the edge of the blanket beside me, his body half in the grass, crossing his feet at the ankles like he had all the time in the world. He leaned on his elbows, casual and composed, his presence as effortless as ever.
“Hey, Coach.” His voice was low, smooth, nothing in it but the familiar calm, the same easygoing Teddy I knew. No one else would have guessed a thing, but I could feel everything unspoken between us, pulsing beneath the surface.
Except Ryder. Ryder wasn’t hiding his interest. His eyes flicked between me and Teddy, back and forth, like he was piecing something together.
Shai, sensing the tension, sat up and broke the silence. “Anyone want to kick a soccer ball around?” She reached into her bag and pulled out a bright orange ball, her casual tone covering whatever had been simmering between the two of us.
Ryder gave a lazy shrug and followed Shai’s lead. But Sam? Sam jumped to her feet and ran after them, calling over her shoulder. “You guys can’t leave me with them!”
And then, there were two.
The air seemed to thicken around us, and I felt his presence in every nerve, every heartbeat. Then, just like that, his pinky finger brushed mine. The soft, subtle contact sent a shiver through my skin, and I couldn’t help but yearn for more.
“They totally know, don’t they?” My voice was barely above a whisper, the words slipping out before I could stop them.
Teddy shrugged, his eyes still locked on mine. “Maybe. Don’t know. Don’t really care.” His smile was easy, but there was something beneath it, a flicker of something I couldn’t quite place. “Well, scratch that. I do know Ryder and Rowan guessed, but only because I kept looking at my phone, waiting for you to text me.”
I didn’t know how to respond to that. A part of me was glad he hadn’t pushed me for an answer, but another part of me wished I’d been braver, that I’d done something sooner.
Without breaking our gaze, he reached forward, gently unlinking our hands, and grabbed my phone. “Might want to check your messages. I think you missed a few today.”
