“You’ll see her again,” he said with confidence.
“How do you know?”
“Just because she’s injured doesn’t mean she won’t be at the field. Give her some time. You know what it feels like to get injured during the season. She’s feeling that right now.”
My heart ached. “Fuck.”
“Yeah.”
It was the worst feeling in the world, knowing you were losing part of a season, or potentially all of it. Of course she wanted to be alone. I’d be fucked up over it, too, if I was in her shoes.
“So don’t stress about not seeing her. You will. And my bet is she will come around and want to see you sooner than that.”
“But that’s the fucking problem,” I said, shaking my head. “I’m upset because she doesn’t want to see me, but I should be thanking her. We both signed contracts. We’ve already crossed the line, and maybe this was what we needed, a cold, hard crash back to reality.”
“Look, man. It’s probably not that serious… for you, anyway.” Kyle sat up, folding his hands together, elbows on his knees. “If we’re being honest, the most you’d get is a slap on the wrist if you two got caught. However, I can’t say the same for her…” He shivered. “Claire is no one I’d want to fuck around with.”
“She’d be off the squad for sure.”
“Probably,” Kyle said, grimacing like he wanted to argue but knew it was the truth. “But that doesn’t mean you have to completely walk away from her if you’re both into each other. Just be careful.”
“Right. Because sneaking around is a brilliant idea.”
“It is if you like her.” Kyle paused, his eyes locked on mine and not letting me back down. “Braden, I’ve never seen you give a shit about a girl the way you do about her, and you’re not even officially dating. For the first time, I see you flirting with the idea of putting yourself first, of letting yourself want something, letting yourself have the joy you deserve.”
I swallowed, not able to look at him any longer. My gaze fell to my shoes.
“If she’s the key to that, then I think it’s worth the risk.”
“What if I did lose it all,” I whispered. “What if Coach benched me and let my contract run dry, if I didn’t get picked up by another team, if it was all over?”
“Don’t get caught and you won’t have to find out.”
I shook my head, even as something inside me stirred at the prospect. I knew it was stupid and reckless, and yet my pea brain was jumping up and down with excitement likesee? Kyle thinks it’s a great idea, so it probably is!
Like Kyle Robbins was the one to take sage advice from.
Then again, on the heels of his voice I heard another older, wiser one. My father’s.
What’s the best that could happen?
Before I could say another word, my phone buzzed, and I reached for it so quickly I bobbled it and caught it just before it hit the ground.
Kyle laughed. “You have got itsofucking bad.”
“Fuck you.”
“Is it her?”
Trouble:I’m alone. Can you come?
My heart leapt into my throat.
“It is, isn’t it?” Kyle smirked, clapping me on the shoulder as he stood and left me staring at the screen. “I’ll let Madelyn know you won’t be staying for dinner after all.”
And he was right.
Because she’d finally texted, and one look at it had me on my feet, keys in hand and already halfway out the door before I could think twice.
