“I don’t know what our future looks like. Her dad hates me. I’m afraid that the team, at least Coach Petrov and the guys who went through hell with me last time, won’t give her a chance.”
“Jude and I were around last time, and we’re both willing to give her a chance.”
“My parents won’t be that understanding.”
“They’ll come around.”
“Her parents won’t.”
“That’s something you’re going to have to deal with. Something the two of you will need to talk about at some point. But not yet. Right now, you should be focused on finding each other again. In whatever way works for you. Why worry about all the negative stuff when you don’t know what’s going to happen.”
“Because if I fall in love with her again, it’ll be too late.”
She smiles. “Come on. Don’t be an idiot. You’re already in love with her. You always have been. She’s the one who got away. If you can’t admit it to me, you’d better be admitting it to yourself. Otherwise, you’re going to be even more confused.”
Christ.
Do I still love her?
I care about her, and I’m still attracted to her, but I can’t possibly be in love with her.
Can I?
“Look, we’re not going to solve any of the world’s problems tonight, so why don’t you get some sleep and we can talk again.”
“I invited her over tomorrow night,” I blurt. “Here. To the house. I want her to meet you guys.”
“Okay.”
“It’ll be late. After the game.”
“It’s fine, Jordan. This is your house too, so you can have company. And I’m looking forward to meeting her. Jude and I had just started dating when everything blew up for you so I never actually met her.”
“Thanks, Chloe. You’ve given me a lot to think about.”
We talk for another minute before I turn and go back to bed.
Tomorrow is going to be a very long day if I don’t get some sleep.
Everyone’s in a good mood after the game. We won 5-4 and I had a goal and an assist so everyone is joking around, making plans to go out.
“You’re not coming to Cicero’s?” Milo asks when I say I have something to do. Cicero’s is an Italian restaurant and pizzeria that’s owned by Vaughn’s wife Juliet and her family. We go there as a team all the time. They stay open late for us after games like this so we can hang out as a group.
“You’re hooking up with someone,” my buddy Aiden Barbeau says knowingly.
“I just have something to take care of,” I protest. “Why is it a big deal?”
“Because we always go out after games,” Milo points out.
“We’re not attached at the hip. Sometimes I have other plans.” I close my locker and shrug. “And you nosy fuckers don’t have to know everything.”
“This is absolutely about a girl,” Milo says to Aiden, who nods.
“Yup.”
I roll my eyes. “See you fuckers later.”
“How come it’s a secret?” Aiden calls after me. I lift my hand in a dismissive wave.
