I breathe. “Isn’t it?”
His mouth slowly grows into a grin. “With you, it feels like it.”
With that, he stands up and takes our dishes to the sink. “I will do these dishes since you cooked, and then I’ll go.”
I stand up, too. “I’ll help.”
I stand next to him at the sink and lift the sleeves of hoodie up to my elbows. He washes, and I rinse. It’s quiet in here other than the sink water running. I hear the drum of my heart every time his body brushes against mine.
When we dry our hands, I pull off his hoodie and hand it over. “Thank you for coming over.”
He grins, taking the hoodie and puts it on. “I’ll text you.”
I nod, heart hammering. “Okay.”
I look up at him.
He looks down at me.
“Good luck,” I say.
He leans in and kisses my cheek. “Thank you, Melly.”
Then he walks out the front door. He glances at me one more time before he shuts the door. My heart leaves with him.
I don’t move for one full minute. I close my eyes and let my whole face do what it has been holding back from doing all morning, which is smile.
Chapter 18
Blue
Stanleychirpedmetheentire way through the away game.
The moment the house realized I had not slept in my own bed on Thursday night, my phone was a war zone. The group chat was a war zone. The bus to the airport on Friday morning was a war zone. Stanley led the charge. He cited the rule. He cited Benson, who has personally broken the rule, who is currently in love with his sister’s best friend, who has spent one month making heart eyes at his own girlfriend across our kitchen, and who was, instead of defending me, giving me equal shit because Benson is captain and captains give their men shit. I told Benson he could go fuck himself. He told me he loved me too. Stanley laughed for forty minutes.
I don’t care.
I broke the rule. So what. I’m going to keep breaking it if it means I gether.
We won Friday’s away game three to one.
I have an assist on Stanley’s goal in the first. I don’t pick a fight, which is the first time in four games. The shoulder isn’t so bad.
Melly texts me when the game ended, but I don’t look at it until we’re on the flight back.
Melly: I watched your game.
Melly: Proud of you for not getting into a time-out tonight.
I smile while reading it. My mom and Devin sent me text messages about the game, too. It makes me smile that they still watch from home.
Saturday morning, I sleep until nine. I get up. I lift weights in the garage. I bike for twenty minutes and stretch for fifteen. I clean my room. I eat lunch in the kitchen with Benson and Lucy.
Benson says to Lucy, “Baby, there’s no party tonight, but do you want to invite the girls anyway? We can play board games and––”
“Why, so you can cheat at Uno?” Lucy asks.
He smirks at her. “Baby, it’s Stanley’s rules.”
