I haven’t told Monroe, but I like him. He’s a good kid, and a great teammate. And, of course, his obvious hero-worship of me helps. My ego loves it.
“You’re wasted,” I point out as he stumbles ahead of me.
“I’m sorry,” he says, regret filling his tone as I step up beside him to stop him from tumbling into the pool.
“Bro, you don’t have to apologize to me. I’m just gonna take you home to make sure you’re safe. We need you in one piece, ready for next season.”
“You need me?”
“We all need you,” I say, reaching out and messing up his already messy hair. “Best second line D man I’ve ever had.”
Pride fills his face as his smile widens.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” I say, clapping him on the back as I direct him to my car.
He climbs in, thankfully without needing any help. I might be more than willing to help hoist Bea up into my truck, but there’s no way I’m putting my hands on Monroe’s ass.
I join him seconds later, and no sooner have I got the engine running than he has his head back and his eyes closed.
He looks exhausted, his skin pale and the shadows under his eyes dark, almost like two bruises.
Something is going on with our rookie.
I put some music on and let it fill the cab quietly as I back out of the driveway.
“Uh, I don’t know where you live,” I point out when I get to the intersection at the end of the street.
His eyes pop open, and he blinks a couple of times before I point at the screen, awaiting his address.
“Put it in there and then you can sleep.”
He reaches out with an unsteady hand and pokes at the screen but misses every time.
“Shit,” he curses.
“Just tell me.”
So he does, and the second I hit go, my heart lurches. He doesn’t live all that far away from Bea.
I grit my teeth as I try to tell myself not to think about it. Not to try and picture her at home alone. I wonder if she went for that bath I suggested. Is she thinking about me and the night that led us to where we are now?
I’m so lost in my own thoughts, driving on autopilot, that I jump when Monroe suddenly speaks.
“Are you missing Parker?”
“Uh…yeah. I guess.”
For the last few years, I’ve lived my life with my sister only on the other end of the phone for most of the time. So her being away right now feels almost normal. And of course, I can’t deny that it’s a relief that I’m not having to endure my best friendgrabbing her ass and shoving his tongue down her throat, among other horrifying things. I swear, the two of them only do it to drive me to the brink.
I drag my hand down my face as I think of them. As much as I might not want to think about what the two of them get up to, I can’t deny that both of them are happier than I’ve ever known. And really, that’s all I want for either of them.
“You’re close, right?”
“Less so in the past few years. But growing up, yeah. We were pretty tight.”
“Must be nice having her back in your life.”
