“You’re welcome.” I couldn’t stop staring at her fingers on my arm. She brushed her thumb over my skin, rubbing it, and it was such a simple, sweet gesture that there was no reason to feel her touch from there to my toes. Clearing my throat, I focused on the green slide when I said, “What do you want as your reward?”
“Wait, for real for real?”
“You technically beat me.” I flicked my attention to her, and the hope on her face solidified my answer. “You can pick anything.”
She narrowed her eyes, a glint of malice brewing behind them. Would she make me clean the toilets? Sing to her? Girls were strange creatures, so I wasn’t sure.
“We do friendly stuff like this every once in a while.”
“That’s what you want?” I gripped the back of my neck. She wanted tohang outwith me? Why? “How many times?”
“Do you plan your hangouts, Monroe?” She smirked, then smacked her forehead. “Of course you do. Monday night special, Friday night get your freak on.”
My muscles tensed, the urge to defend myself on the tip of my tongue. “I live by a tight schedule.”
“No kidding.” She stared up at the sky, sighing. “How about this? I’ll make a punch card for our hangouts and send you a calendar invite.”
“That seems extra.”
“Monroe, I am extra.” She flashed another grin, and all traces of the lingering sadness disappeared. Then, she yawned.
Her face was an open book, every thought and emotion displayed with her full lips and wide eyes and button nose.
“Come on. We’re walking back.” I stood and held out a hand to help her up. She took it, and the same tingling shot through my arm to my heart. I made another mental note—don’t touch her.
I didn’t regret volunteering to help her because Eric was a prick, but if a simple hand-holding had me flustered, I couldn’t imagine what a kiss would do.Like I would let that happen.
Dean would murder me if I touched his sister in any way that wasn’t friendly. I had a defense for us hanging out tonight—one he couldn’t find a fault in. But if Ieveracted on my deepest fantasy, it was game over for me. He could punch me, kick me out of the house, and ultimately, he could affect our relationship on the field.
Football had to come first, always, and distracting Lorelei for one night was a momentary blip of judgement. That was all. It wouldn’t happen again. I’d find a way out of hanging with her… I had to.
CHAPTERNINE
Lorelei
Words mattered and were important. Messaging made a difference. Images set a tone and could either drive you away or pull you in, and it was clear as day that our school didn’t quite value the girls’ soccer team.
One of my marketing class’s assignments was to study signs on campus and note the purpose. Did they succeed or fail? I eyed the large, blue and orange football billboards and signs and banners. They were all dark, intense, with the players’ faces and their team motto: unfinished business. Intensity and unity and toughness shouted from the marketing.
Dean’s dumb face looked over the campus, like he knew he led the entire student body when he threw a football across the field. Oliver and Callum were around too but not as much as Luca. The giant and grumpy tight end never smiled in his photos, and it somehow worked? Like this was the guy who blocked for his teammates or caught the ball from Dean.
Our field was only two streets away from the football stadium, yet I didn’t see more than one banner with girls’ soccer. Did we bring in the same amount of money? No. But we deserved a marketing blast.
My professor had turned down my initial project idea—a marketing push for the girls’ team. With the popularity of the US Women’s team and increasing viewership, now was the time to get those young fans excited about girls’ soccer. She said it was too easy for me since I was on the team and that a future in marketing meant promoting things I wasn’t all-in on. She wanted me topush myself.Staying with soccer meant I was playing it safe.
The already familiar thud of footsteps alerted me Luca was home. It had been three days sincethatstrange night, where he had been friendly but refused to accept that we were friends, and the momentary high had faded into confusion.
Blame it on my people-pleasing upbringing, but I hated knowing someone didn’t like me. I was a people pleaser, enjoyed being liked. Who didn’t? So, knowing there was someone who lived across the hall who just didn’t want to be friends? It bothered me like a hole in the bottom of my sock. I could ignore it for a bit, but I knew it was there, growing and being a pain.
“Is she okay? In pain? I can’t… I can be there Saturday, but I have a—”
I sat up. Luca’s voice was pained, hoarse. My door was clearly open, but he didn’t seem to notice or care that I could hear. Who was in pain? Who wasn’t okay?
He stalked into his room, shut the door, and kept talking to whoever was on the phone. I couldn’t make out the exact words, but the unease and hard syllables broke through.He’s worried.
I could pretend I didn’t listen to this. Focus on coming up with a new marketing plan to pitch to my professor. Not only did I need a theme, a purpose, but creating a proposal would take time. Lots of time. However, that excuse wasn’t enough to keep me in my room. I could rewatch all of Ted Lasso and imagine my life with Roy Kent. I could…be the better person.
Luca had helped me out Monday. I could offer to support right now as one of our hangouts. I smoothed my crew neck sweatshirt and made sure there weren’t any crumbs on my tight black shorts. My hair sat in two buns on the top of my head, the rest of it down, butwhy am I worrying about how I look?
