Her eyes snapped open, wide, and she quickly slid off me as she pulled the phone from her waistband.
“Yes?” she picked up, sounding breathless, as I peeled myself off the damp field. “Yeah, I'm coming. Lost track of time... Dex?”Her eyes found me as I stood. “No... I mean, yes. He's with me. Oh, yeah, his phone is probably in his bag. Class policy and all... no, Aaron, you don't know my schedule fully. Don't be an ass. I still need to shower and lock up. I'll meet you guys there. Yes. Bye.”
I arched a brow as she hung up, and her shoulders slumped. “Apparently, we're late for your team dinner.”
“Fuck me,” I groaned. I totally forgot about it.
I used to love team dinners with all my friends. It was always the highlight of my month. But this time, the team dinner was a reminder of every game I spent sitting on the bench and all the time passing me.
Sour taste filled my mouth, and it must have been written all over my face, as Rosie touched my hand and gave it a light squeeze as she threaded our fingers.
“I'll be there with you.”
And fuck if that didn't melt my heart.
I tugged her closer to me, shielding her from the wind, while enjoying the warmth of her body once again. “And I'll be there for you, Thorn.”
Rose rolled her eyes as she slumped against me and we walked off the pitch holding onto each other. This girl, who went through worse things than I did twice, was the glue that held me together. And I knew at that moment that I wasn't ready to let go of her. In any capacity.
The Italian Restaurant we usually frequented was loud and buzzing with my teammate’s energy. The smell of pizza mixed with garlic insulted my senses, and all I could think about was how hungry I was. The table was filled with garlic bread and various pizzas, which we all decided to share. But all I could do was stare at Rosalie sitting across from me. She did a quick change inour locker room and emerged in a beautiful baby blue dress. If I thought I liked pink on her, blue was a very close runner-up. Especially when she slid into my car, and I drove her to a restaurant. For a split second, I felt like we were going on a date.
But then we were met with all my teammates, including her brother.
I couldn't pinpoint the moment I started looking at her like a woman, but it happened, and I couldn't stop thinking of how well her body fit against mine and my reaction to her.
It could have been the fact that I haven't been laid in months, or that she was beautiful. Or a mix of both. Whatever it was, I was a total goner.
Aimlessly, I reached for the pizza, not even tasting the melted cheese and the ham as I chewed and swallowed my food. Rosalie threw her head back laughing at something her brother or Oliver said, and she was locked in a deep conversation with both.
Jealousy swirled in my stomach as I wanted her attention back on me, as I had it on the field. Just the two of us.
“So, how are you feeling?” Nova asked, nudging me with her elbow and making me turn to look at her. “You ready for the game?”
“Super ready to sit on the bench,” I replied mockingly and gave her a thumbs up.
She wrapped her hand around my thumb and twisted it. “Dex...”
“Nova...” I mimicked her and forced my face into a casual smile I always flashed around. “All good, really.”
“He's been working very hard in class,” Rosie chimed in, coming to my defense. “His balance is much better, and his muscles around his knee have almost fully regained strength.”
I could have kissed her. I wanted to, but this was a different kind of desire; it was more about the overflowing gratitude I felt in my heart.
“Dad wasn't sure if you could start,” Nova muttered, giving me insider info on what Coach thought.
With a sigh, I shrugged. “It is what it is; there are people who are now better than me.”
“It's still your spot,” Aaron groaned. “You should have it back.”
Considering how close he and Oliver were, who wore the number 10, despite being an attacking midfielder and top goal scorer in my defence. Plus, there were Seb and Marco, who were equally good at making the game and scoring, so it didn't look like they were missing me. Last season, they still won.
Without me.
“Yeah, dude, I miss my scoring buddy,” Oliver grinned at me, and I returned it half-heartedly.
Instead, my eyes wandered to my best friend, Max. He was our captain; he sure as hell knew what Coach thought and had his own reasoning to agree with him. Max played for the national team, played in the big leagues, and knew how to put the team and the win first, not his friend.
“We could practice some free kicks,” he offered, like he did last week. “Maybe that will help.”
