Ford
I don’t understand the logic, but based on Liam’s analysis, I hope you all find my fiancée hideous because you’ll end up six feet under if you ever make a move on her.
Liam
Relax. No one is after little Hunt.
Mia and I have been friends for years, men and women can definitely be just friends.
Chase
They can, just not when they look at each other the way you two do.
My hand runs down my face as I see Mia walking back to the truck. My jacket wrapped around her body, bright red leggings and black and white sneakers. Her hair is twisted into some kind of bun on the top of her head. Fuck. Why’d I bury this for so long? Why’d I convince myself that I wanted anyone else?
Because she needed a best friend, jackass.
The thought hits me in the face in the same way that the wind does as she opens the door and the wind takes it flying, almost pulling her little body with it.
“Sweet Jesus!” she yells with a laugh as she hops in and pulls the door closed. “We’re leaving just in time.”
“Yeah, looks like it.” I glance at the last text from Liam before I shift the truck into reverse to pull out.
Liam
Call if you need anything. We’re all thinking of you and want you back when you’re ready. And about Connor… Yeah, he’s a good guy, but you have history on your side. You need to prove you can be more than just friends without actually losing the friendship part. Now go get her.
It feels like I’m drowning in feelings for her and I have no idea where she stands. I’d have to assume she stands firmly in the friend zone. Where she placed me years ago and I happily took up residence. Can she just fucking evict me now, though?
“Did you see that car back there with a thousand bumper stickers? I’ve always wondered why people want to put a bunch of bumper stickers on their car.”
Instead of stopping for the night immediately, we take an extra few hours to drive since there isn’t a lot of traffic.
“The aggressive ones are always my favorite,” I answer.
“One of them simply just said ‘go around me.’” Mia blurts out a laugh.
The sound of Goo Goo Dolls hums through the speakers in my truck as we drive a little further for the night. I can see Mia out of the corner of my eye nodding off every so often though. There’s a buzzing in my door handle where I placed my phoneand I see my agent’s name flashing on the screen as an incoming call. When I glance at Mia, her eyes are completely closed so I grab my phone and answer it.
“Hey, Phil.” I’ve had the same agent since I entered the league. He’s been good to me, gets me deals I need and sponsorships. He called me after I decided to take a break and told me that he already spoke with my brand partners and they all shared messages of support, which I appreciate.
“I finalized everything you emailed me. That realtor was a real chatterbox, Campbell. Had a lot to say about you. Did you sleep with her or something?” A hearty laugh rumbles in my throat.
“No, I definitely didn’t. She’s just a big football fan.”
“Alright, well hey take care of yourself. Keep in touch. Take the time you need. Make a statement when you come back, don’t worry about it now. I’ll talk to Bex.” Bex is my publicist. She’s emailed me twice asking if I plan on making a comment on my departure, and I do plan on it, but I want whatever I say to hold value, to have meaning… not just that I’m stepping away to fix myself.
“Thanks, Phil.”
Once I place my phone down, I take the next exit to a hotel for the night. We only have a few more hours until we’re in Wisconsin, but it’ll have to wait until morning. I’m barely hanging on and Mia’s already out. We’ll both be better off getting at least a few hours of sleep in a bed tonight.
“I’ve been added to a group chat with your sisters,” Mia tells me this morning as we get back into the truck, about to make the lastfew hours until we’re at the cabins. “Bree said that they’re taking me to some bar tonight.”
Gretchen and Bree just turned twenty-one, so they’re in the phase of life where they want to go out all the time. Well, Bree mostly. Gretchen tags along.
“Oh, what bar?”
“They didn’t say, but they did say there is karaoke.” Her eyebrows wiggle in my direction and I turn off the GPS since I know where we’re at.
