“I’m sorry for how I parked.” She clears her throat, appearing genuine. “I don’t know what came over me.”
Look at us apologizing while ignoring the actual issue between us. Welcome to adulthood, I guess.
Side by side, we walk down the hall to the elevator. The ride is silent as she steals glances at me, pretending not to, which only heats the air between us.
When we reach the lobby, I stretch out my arm, gesturing for her to go out of the elevator first, and hold the door open for her.
Heading to our cars, my eyes take in the delicate curve of her back. My fingers itch to touch her. It’s as if I need to reacquaint myself with every inch of her skin. Recreating her from memory doesn’t do justice to the reality of her, yet she’s closer to me in my fantasy than she could ever be in real life. What a damn shame.
She opens the door to her car. “Ian…”
“Don’t.” I cut this off at the root. I can’t hear an explanation for why she didn’t want me afraid of spiraling down into misery once again. But living without knowing is a wound that keeps festering.
I drive away in a heap of screeching tires, speeding toward the stadium as if trying to outrun my Lilly intoxicated brain.
Once I get out, everyone greets me as I head to the locker room. Inside, the guys get ready for practice.
Coach Parker steps inside, tapping his pen on his notebook. “I want you at your best. Who doesn’t give a hundred percent will be benched.”
We all nod, following him outside onto the field.
Levi puts his pads on and pats my shoulder. “Take this chance. The waiting will kill you softly.”
I jerk my chin at him. “Speaking from experience?”
“Yes, asshole. And I’m blaming you for that,” he grumbles.
I cock a brow at him. “You still went there, pissing all over the bro code.”
“You’ll never let me live that down, will you?” he huffs, shaking his head at me, but smiling like the proud idiot he is.
Levi pins me with an intent stare. “Wanting something you can’t have is hard. Loving someone you can’t have is even worse. Be happy you’ll never have to look at the girl you love but can’t have her.”
“Boom,” Roman, the star running back, says.
The other teammates drop the mic, and I stick up my middle finger at them. “Show me the same attitude on the field.”
“Yes, Captain,” they all parrot.
After warm-ups, we break into position groups. I throw passes, and Levi catches them with ease—a well-oiled machine.
Everything in my head quiets, and I become one with the ball. This is my field. With the ball clasped in my hand, the process goes smoothly. My body knows what to do from muscle memory and experience.
I love football. I love playing, but doing this with my best friend at my side is a dream come true. Levi anticipates and catches all my passes, and by the end of practice, we both sweat, grinning.
“Number three,” he says in a reverent tone.
“Number three,” I reply solemnly.
One ring for every finger. That is the goal.
In the locker room, after I shower and dress, Levi and I grab our bags and walk side by side to our cars.
“See you at my place. Knowing Amelie, she made cupcakes,” he says, clear longing reflected in his eyes.
This guy is smitten with my sister and her cupcakes. It’s a wonder he’s in such good shape with the amount he eats.
I park in front of his building, and my thoughts redirect to Lilly. It’s always me and them. These two make me feel like something is missing from my life.
