"That's what friends are for, right?"
"I can do friends." My cheeks warmed when amusement colored his face. "Notdofriends, but we can be friends—"
"I know what you meant, blondie."
He smiled widely. God, I was going to miss that goofy grin in my bed. At least this way I could keep him around.
The truth was I didn't want tojustbe Soren's friend, but I also didn't want to lose him. I couldn't. Maybe it was time to stop thinking about what I wanted and focus on what I needed. What we both needed.
I needed to be on my own, to be my own person. Soren needed the Roasters. They were his shot—his big one—and I'd never forgive myself if I got in the way of that. At least this way we could still be in each other's lives.
Plus having another friend couldn't hurt, right?
Soren
Roasters 10-3
"Guys, check it out," Roman whispered, loud enough for the rest of us to hear, but not so loud that it woke the sleeping puppy cradled between his thighs. "Eenie fell asleep on me."
Pink tilted his head to the side. "I think that might be Meenie."
"Who do I have?" Matty asked.
I released my ankles, transitioning out of butterfly hold and into a relaxed sit. When I turned to my left, I bit back a laugh. The tiniest of the basset hound litter had nestled herself into Matty's neck.
"That's Mo," I told him. "She's the runt."
"She's not a runt," he said defensively. "She's just petite."
"That must make you Miney," Pink whispered to the puppy snoring soundly between the two of us. "Don't tell the rest of them, but you're the cutest one of them all. Yes, you are."
Pink plied Miney with baby talk and belly scratches, both of which she seemed to enjoy. Though I could only feel his warmth, I knew it was Eenie resting against the base of my spine.
When some of the team had shown an interest in taking up yoga, this wasn't exactly what I had had in mind. Dani and Clarke had seized the opportunity to organize an entire team-bonding shindig, one that included puppies, pictures, and a livestream on YouTube.
Apparently, two-thousand people were interested in watching us stretch and cuddle puppies.
"Stretch and Fetch" was a new collaboration between Rose City Dog Rescue and Now & Zen, a nearby yoga studio. Tuck, Matty, and I had already made plans to check out a class or two at the studio, but the dogs had been an added bonus. Not to mention, the push needed to get the rest of the guys on board.
While Roman had spent the bulk of our class vying for the instructor's attention, Pink had done the same with the puppies. Tuck and I seemed to be the only ones actually interested in the yoga part of the yoga class.
Well, except for Clarke.
I thought bare and breathless Clarke was a work of art, but Clarke in yoga pants was a goddamn masterpiece. Especially since I was fairly sure she wasn't wearing anything underneath them. I'd nearly fallen flat on my face—and crushed poor Meanie—when she transitioned into downward dog.
"Damn, I miss having a dog." Pink sat up, resting Miney's back against his raised knees. He toyed with her long, droopy ears, flapping them back and forth. "We had a German shepherd named Rex growing up. He slept in my bed every night."
"My mom has two Cavapoos," Tuck said.
"What the hell is that?" I asked him.
"Cavalier King Charles spaniel mixed with toy poodle. They're small, loud, and cute as hell."
I flexed my legs out in front of me, mirroring our instructor's movements. My knee had been holding up well since the season started, mostly because I was actually taking care of it. Coach Ward had set me up with one of the league's physical therapists, I'd developed a healthy workout routine that wasn't too strenuous, and I hadn't engaged in any . . . extracurricular activities since Asheville.
There would be no extracurricular activities moving forward. Not now that Clarke and I werefriends.
"How about you, Sinclair?" Roman stared at me expectantly.
