I’d broken my rule.
And I’d paid for it.
Again.
13
KINSLEY
Iignored Royce the entire next day.
His texts.
His calls.
And especially when he’d stood on the other side of the door telling me he’d fucked up—my words, not his.
I’d allowed myself exactly one day to sulk, pretending everything was fine when Nessa wanted to video chat with Remi. She was going to bereallymad when she found out about all this.
That was future me’s problem.
But I couldn’t stay holed up in my apartment forever, so I asked a couple of the girls to meet me at the sports complex. We’d run drills and scrimmaged, but I couldn’t shake the way Royce’s words had settled inside me.
My phone vibrates on the bench as I wave goodbye to my teammates, and I regret even opening the screen.
UNKNOWN: It’s a dangerous world out there, Baby
UNKNOWN: You’d do good to remember that
I wantto scream and throw the damn thing because Scott needs to fuckingstop.Royce had been adamant it’s not my ex, but if it’snotthen who could it be? The thought alone makes me want to throw up, the unknowns debilitating.
I hate feeling out of control of my own life.
And because the universe has a sense of humor, my phone goes off again.
ROYCE: Where are you?
KINSLEY: At the field
ROYCE: Can I meet you there?
I wantto ask him why he even cares, but I just don’t have it in me.
KINSLEY: No one’s stopping you.
I tossit back on the bench and return to the field. I dribble the ball up and down the field, pushing myself harder each time before hammering the ball into the goal. The side door of thecomplex bangs shut, and even if I didn’t hear him, I’d know Royce is here.
It’s strange, being so in tune with someone other than my teammates, and right now I hate it.
“Sorry,” he says, hitching his thumb over his shoulder at the door. “I didn’t know it would be so loud.”
“Makes no difference.”
“Kinsley, please. I’m sorry I?—”
“Don’t even worry about it, Royce. We’re all adults, right?”
He drags his palms over his face, mumbling something into them before meeting my gaze. “I messed up.”
