Slater cocks his head. “Ben’s going to be a pretty terrible name if we have a girl first.”
I laugh, and something eases in my chest. “Yeah. Can you imagine?” He smiles, and I feel it straight in my heart. “Congrats on the win, Hotshot.”
“Well, I was afraid of what you would do to me if we didn’t.” There’s no heat to his words, though. In fact, there’s a soft smile on his face.
“You better believe it,” I tell him. I take a breath and blow it out. “I wish I could give you a big hug. You pulled it out.”
“Wepulled it out,” he corrects.
“Yeah. Everybody had a good game.”
“Slate!” Coach Goodwin calls.
Slater scowls. “I’ve gotta go.”
“I know. I’ll see you at the game on Monday.”
"I’ll see you before then; I’ll figure out a way.”
I smile. “Okay. Go, before you get in trouble.”
He takes a few steps backwards, still eyeing me. “Stay close to the guys and pay attention to your surroundings. I’ll stay in touch.”
“Go,” I say with a laugh. “I’ll be fine.” He turns and jogs to catch up to his teammates. “Slater!” I call out. He stops immediately and turns around. “I’m proud of you,” I say one last time.
I don’t wait around; I don’t want to keep him any longer and risk him getting into trouble. He doesn’t shout, but I hear his words clearly. “Thanks, Shorty.”
Chapter 41
Tessa
Before I climb into the truck, I pull up my phone and look at the number I asked Zane for earlier today. I push it and put the phone up to my ear. “Please let it be her that answers; please let it be—”
“Hello.”
My stomach drops. “Hi, Mr. Thorne? This is Tessa, Slater’s mate. Please don’t hang up on me,” I rush to say. For one awful moment, I think he’s hung up on me. But then he speaks in a gruff voice.
“What do you want?”
I take a breath. “Slater’s team won today’s game. They’re playing in the finals on Monday night here in Cary, North Carolina. I know it’s a bit of a trip, but I know it would mean the world to him if you came.” He doesn’t say anything, and I leave it at that. They’ll either come, or they won’t. But at least I know I tried. “I just wanted you to know. Thank you.” I wait just a beat. “Bye.”
A sort of melancholy clings to me as I climb into the truck. It’s a certain kind of melancholy that’s directly related to the absence of a certain soccer player. Thankfully, Zane, Quint, and Evie just let me be. I stare out the window for the drive to the house where we’re staying for the next few days that Zane booked for us. I tried to offer money, but he flat-out refused any. When we get to the house, Quint and Zane prepare to climb out of the vehicle. I don’t move as fast, and it takes me a moment to realize Evie hasn’t yet either. “Are you okay?” she asks gently.
“Yeah.” I force a smile.
She’s quiet for just a moment. “It’s okay to miss him.”
Her words feel like a physical blow because I do miss him. “It feels stupid. I literally just saw him,” I finally admit.
“It’s not stupid,” Evie says with a vehemence in her voice. “When you love someone, it’s normal to—”
“Whoa,” I say cutting her off. “I don’tloveSlater.”
“You sure about that?”
“Yes. It’s much too soon, and he’s not...I don’t...” I finally stop, running out of words.
“Well, let me know when you finally choose to be honest with yourself. In the meantime, yes, it’s hard to be away from someone youcareabout, but it’s also the bond between you. You don’t feel the effects of it the way he does, but that doesn’t mean it’s not affecting you in some way.”
