My head whips up.
See him later?
Finn must sense something, because he turns to me and says, “To Archie’s. She came last time, and I guess she’s down for an encore. Obviously, I won’t askyouagain. Getting turned down really hurts my ego.”
“What’s that about your ego?” Archie chimes in, slinging an arm around Finn’s shoulders. “Inflated? Yeah, I’d say so.”
Finn shoves him away, but Archie just cackles.
“I’m coming,” I say flatly to Archie. “To your place, after the game.”
The two share a knowing look, then drill me with a stare.
“Why?” Archie asks, his eyes narrowed. “You never come.”
I raise an eyebrow. “You lot whine about me not coming, and now you’re suspicious when I do?”
Finn shares another look with Archie. “Well… yeah,” he says. “‘Cause you never come.”
I grab my towel and stand up, stripping off my shirt. “Don’t make me regret it.”
As I walk away, I can still hear them whispering about how weird it is, but I don’t care. I had a good match. I scored tonight. Why wouldn't I want to celebrate a bit?
After hitting the showers and changing into a fresh set of clothes, I make my way to Archie’s luxurious residence. With the shortcuthe gave me, I’m here in five minutes with no traffic. I knock on the door, and Millie answers with her signature smile.
“Hey, you came!”
My heart booms in my chest like a prat, and I order it to settle down. “Um, yeah. You know they keep badgering me to come, and it was a good night for me,” I say a bit too quickly. Why am I justifying myself? These are my mates, after all.
“Yeah, you did. That was a great goal you scored.”
I grin before I can stop myself. “Thanks.”
We just stand there for a beat, staring at each other. I don’t know what she sees, but I notice her skin. Smooth. Warm. Kind of… velvety. Not that I’d know what velvet actually feels like.
She clears her throat and steps aside. “So, want to come in?”
“Right, yeah.” I run a hand through my hair and follow her inside. Everyone except Fallon is here, and I wonder how they all made it to Archie’s place before me. I guess I did take a while in the shower, but I needed to clear my head.
“No Fallon?” I ask, my eyebrows pulling together. I assumed she’d be here.
“Not after evening games,” Cameron explains, picking at the couch’s upholstery.
“You know how my sister loves her routine,” Finn adds. “She’s not fond of staying up late.”
“But we’ve gotyoutonight.” Wade raises his glass for a toast. “So we’re not getting the short hand of the stick.”
Cameron rolls his eyes and mutters, “I beg to differ.”
Archie tosses a crisp in the air and catches it, shooting Millie a goofy smile. “So, how did you like watching from the sidelines, Millie? Pretty fun, huh?”
Her face lights up. “I loved it. It’s much more intense and exciting than up in the stands. You feel everything, as if you were right there on the pitch.”
“Noteverything, I assure you,” Finn says, massaging his ankle, and we all chuckle.
Millie nods. “I was talking with the med team earlier, and I honestly don’t know how you guys manage to keep going. The toll on your bodies is—”
Archie groans and flops back on the couch. “Stop. You’re making me tired just thinking about it.”
