I pulled back, slightly embarrassed that I’d thrown myself at him. Only a few weeks without him had left me unsettled and antsy, like I was terrified he’d disappear again. We texted every day, but it wasn’t the same as inhabiting the same space, breathing the same air.
“Just missed you, I guess. Sorry, I probably smell disgusting,” I grimaced, suddenly hyper aware of my shirt sticking to my sweaty, cooling skin.
“Nah. I always found it sexy, remember?”
My face heated at the burning gaze he swept over my body. A shiver rippled through me and the pressure in my athletic cup was hella uncomfortable now.
“R-right,” I swallowed roughly. “Well, I’m gonna go shower real fast. Are you good to wait for me?”
“As long as it takes,” he rumbled, an intense gleam in his eye. His double meaning wasn’t lost on me and I fought against the grin trying to overtake my face as I darted inside.
I rushed through my shower comically fast. I couldn’t seem to wipe the smile off my face knowing Theo was outside waiting for me, that he’d come to surprise me. It brought back memories of happier times, of him waiting outside my classes or by my truck after practices in high school. Maybe we could be happy like that again.
I gathered my things and got dressed, mostly tuning out the dying buzz of the locker room as the guys started filtering out. I wanted to race out the door, but was thwarted as I crossed in front of Coach’s open office.
“Hayes, come here for a second.”
I bit back the annoyed grunt as I stepped into the room, and Coach motioned me forward. His dark eyes settled on me and I struggled not to squirm under his appraising look.
“How are you feeling about this season?”
“Good, sir.”
Coach let out a low, vibrating laugh. “A man of few words, just like your grandpa. You remind me of him. Quiet, determined, a strong leader. I learned a hell of a lot playing under him back in the day. It makes me proud to watch you follow in his and your dad’s footsteps.”
There was a sharp pang in my chest at his comparison. Growing up, those words would have meant the world to me, but now? They were a cruel taunt that I was only going to let them down, disappoint them and the legacy they left for me.
“You’ve been looking good out there, Hayes. It’s exactly what I want to see from you this year. You keep this up and you’ll have NFL scouts from here to Washington after you. I guaran-damn-tee it.”
Something sour coiled in my gut at his praise, but I forced a smile. “Thank you, Coach.”
I bolted out of his office. I wanted to tell him that I had no plans to enter the draft, that hanging any NFL hopes on me was pointless. I didn’t think I could put it off for the rest of the season, but here we were, three weeks into practice and I’d pussied out every time.
All I wanted was to get to Theo. Since talking with Micah, it was like my need for Theo had been unleashed. I craved his scent, itched to feel his skin on mine, wanted to wrap myself in his warmth like I used to after a bad day.
I lengthened my strides and barreled out the doors, Theo’s head swinging my direction. He broke out in a wide grin and my heart punched out a faulty rhythm at the sight.
“About damn time. I was beginning to think you’d stood me up. So am I worthy enough to score a lunch date with the hot quarterback?”
His teasing smirk set off a cascade of sparks throughout my body. An ache settled low in my stomach, a deep hunger that had nothing to do with food.
“Depends. Can we hang out at your place and order in?”
He waggled his eyebrows ridiculously and a smile stretched my lips.
“That’s why God invented DoorDash. Your wish is my command.”
I wasn’t claustrophobicby any means, but I had never struggled with enclosed spaces more in my life than I had in the last fifteen minutes. The car ride to Theo’s apartment was torturous with his tempting smell permeating every molecule of air around us until I was damn near dizzy with it. I had to twist my fingers together at one point just so I wouldn’t lunge at him across the console.
Then the elevator. Holy Dante’s inferno, the elevator. Theo was so close, his body heat stoked a flame in my lower belly that was getting impossible to ignore and his scent was amplified in the tiny box. The surrounding mirrors made it almost impossible to hide my roving gaze, but Theo seemed blissfully unaware of my suffering. Unaware and unaffected. With his hands in his pockets and head nodding along to the elevator music, he was the picture of serenity.
I was clinging to my sanity by the time Theo opened his door and led us inside. I trailed him to the kitchen as I took in the space. It was a mirror image of Bash and Micah’s unit, but without their lived-in feel. The apartment looked like a model, clean and cold. Nothing like I imagined Theo’s place to be. I hated it immediately. It wasn’t lost on me that my reaction had more to do with how I used to picture any place of Theo’s actually beingours.
“Alright, so what do you want to eat? There’s this great burger place down the street, or—oh! We could do pizza, if you’re digging that. I also wouldn’t say no to sushi, but you might not want raw fish after practicing in a hundred degree weather. Feels like a misstep,” Theo snickered, tossing a glance over his shoulder. “Hey, you okay?”
“Yep, I’m good,” I choked out. “Uh, how ‘bout burgers?”
Theo cast me a suspicious glance, but thankfully dropped it long enough to order. We settled on the couch while we waited for the food, talking about the last few weeks we’d spent apart.
