I chuckle. “A whole village, huh?”
He rolls his eyes. “Honestly, our house feels like a village.” He gives me a bemused smile, but he can’t fight the way it climbs. I happen to know that the reason they all live under one roof is because that’s what the twins wanted.
Knowing them means my life is never dull. There’s always something to catch up on.
“You going to be at practice this evening?” I ask.
Declan shakes his head. “Nope. I’m scheduled for Frosty.”
“Of course you are.”
“It’s all good. Zarek will keep him in line. It’s actually amusing to watch. There are so few people that manage to make Frosty back off, but Zarek manages now with just a look.”
“I’ve seen that look. It’s scathing.”
His smile is wide when he looks at me. “It’s hot.”
“Woah. Keep your kinks to yourself, man. We’re just friends. I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that.”
Declan laughs and shoves me. “Whatever, man. Hey, I’ll see you later.”
I nod, waving him off. Dropping the ball back on the grass, I kick it back to the athletic building. It’s time to get ready for practice. Check in with Harper. Do all the things I should be doing as coach.Notspend the afternoon texting Ruby since I know he’s busy moving his belongings into his dorm. His last-minute transfer to Longwood finally went through, but it gave himdaysto get his shit in order.
I sigh. At least we can talk tonight.
My phone ringsas I’m stepping outside. I tuck my tablet under my arm to fish it out of my pocket. With a smile, I answer as I watch my team gathering by the bench.
“Hey, Ruby,” I answer. It’s already been far too long since I’ve heard his voice.
“Hey, so, I need to ask you something,” he says. There’s something about his voice that makes me slow.
“I’m heading out to the pitch right now. I’m going to have to call you back. I’m sorry.”
“No, this is important. What’s your last name? Where do you work?”
Grinning, I answer, “Lennon. Rainbow Dorset University. Yes, that’s a real place.”
I expect the same confusion I hear from everyone when I tell them where I work.You made that up, didn’t you?Instead, his voice is… stressed? “Alka, I need to tell you something.”
“Is it an emergency?” I ask, concerned.
“No,” he says. His voice sounds sad.
As much as I want to be able to talk to him right now and assure him that everything is fine, I can’t show my students that it’s okay to take phone calls unless it’s an emergency. I’m a firm believer of leading by example, which means not being late and not being on the phone when I shouldn’t be.
“Sweetheart, I swear I would give anything to be able to take a few minutes to talk to you, but I can’t right now. My team is gathered. I’ll call you directly after. I promise. Okay?”
“Yeah.” His voice is quiet. “My name is Roux Kipler.”
This time, I pause as I consider his words. “Roux. Not Ruby.”
“Yes. I’m sorry. I have a reason.”
“We’ll talk about it after. I promise.” A nickname is a nickname after all. Not a big deal.
“Okay. See you soon.”
“Soon,” I promise, forcing myself to pull my phone from my ear and hang up. I need to focus on my team, then I can talk to my boyfriend all fucking night.
