Fuck. He’s right. I might be inlikeright now, but what’s the point if I don’t think the possibility of more is there? It’s definitely not worth jeopardizing my baseball career. I mean, mostly not worth it. Stone is really fucking hot.
“Every relationship can fail,” Easton says quietly. “It’s rare that the first person you’re with is your forever. You are going to fail at more of them than you succeed at. That doesn’t mean you don’t try, though.”
Paulie’s video call tone goes off, and the three of usjump. He glances at me in question, and I give him an upnod.
He smiles at his phone. “Hey, babe.”
Shelby’s soft “hey” fills the room. There’s so much affection in that word it makes my stomach flip over.
“Oh, hey, Madz!” Paulie says.
I’m assaulted by a two-hundred-plus pound wall of muscle as Easton scrambles over me to get to the phone. “Maddy,” he squeals, his smile eating his face. He settles next to Paulie, both sitting with their backs against the headboard.
“Hey, baby.” Maddox’s deep tone filters into the room. “Shelbs and I are doing an impromptu movie night tonight.”
“We were both kind of being pathetically mopey,” Shelby says. “So, I told him we should just be pathetic and miss you guys together.”
Something soft and aching swirls through my chest. I swallow hard as my stare sweeps over my friends. Their love-struck expressions as they stare at the phone are nauseating. Ugh. Easton and Paulie are right. I want that. I want people to throw up when they look at my sappy expression too.
It’s never been more glaringly obvious than right now that something is missing. The closeness, the non-sex intimacy that my roommates share with their partners. To miss someone and have them miss me. And there’s a very specific somebody I want that with.
It’s hard to believe that could ever be a reality for me. Shane Michaels isn’t meant for more. No, he’s parties and sex and a good time. Sometimes not even that. Not when people really looked and realized they didn’t like what they saw when they found out who I truly am. Would Jed bedifferent?
“Congrats on the win. Amazing pick in the fourth.” Shelby’s exclamation snaps me back to the present.
Paulie’s grin widens. “I know, wasn’t it?”
“Um. Excuse me. I deserve credit too!” I say with mock affront. “I’m the one who tagged the guy.”
“Only because my placement set you up perfectly,” Paulie argues.
“Maybe… Just maybe, you both were equally responsible for the great play. Given it’s a team sport and all,” East throws out there all logically.
Our chuckles echo around us, and then Maddox breaks the silence. “Hey, Shane. You hanging with East and Paulie tonight?”
“He’s avoiding Stone,” Easton the Ass says.
“We’re giving him relationship advice,” Paulie the Bastard adds.
I hate them. I mouthwhat the fuckat them, and the fuckers just laugh.
“Ohhh, turn us around!” Shelby’s high-pitched tone bounces around the room.
Paulie flips his phone so now I can see Shelbs and Madz and they can see me. I give them a wiggly finger wave.
“So, this is Stone we’re talking about? I want the gossip,” Shelby says.
I let out a huff. “I’ve realized I sort of maybe kind of foolishly developed some small feeling-things for Stone. But he cut things off between us because teammates messing around is bad news, and it totally freaked him out that Paulie and East found out. But these two goons think I should still try to pursue Stone, see if maybe he has feeling-thingys for me too.”
“I’m Team Pursue-Stone,” Shelby says without hesitation.
I roll my eyes. “There are a million?—”
“Answer this,” Maddox cuts me off, his strong, steady voice setting some of the nervous energy in me at ease. “Take out the reasons not to. What do you want, Shane?”
“I think I want…to see if there’s anything there on his end.”
“And if there is?” Maddox prods.
