“No one canplanon going pro,” I snap. “It’s a crapshoot. I mean, look at last year. I got injured, and everything almost went to hell. If that happens again, I’m done.”
Colten’s gaze sharpens. The alcohol haze in his eyes clears just enough for his intensity to burn through.
“I’d bet my future on it,” he says.
I blink. “What?”
“I would bet my own future on you making it,” he says firmly, before adding, “I already have, since I’m going to beyourpersonal PT. You’re stuck with me, farmboy.”
The words land somewhere deep in my chest, and all the anger drains out of me like someone pulled a plug.
Still, it leaves behind heavier feelings, a painful swirl of frustration, hurt, and confusion weighing me down. Feelings that have gotten heavier every day he’s created distance between us.
“Then why are you avoiding me?” I ask, my voice cracking a little. “I could help you with the magic thing. What did I do wrong?”
Some of the sharpness in Colten’s eyes fades, replaced with something like…uncertainty, as he watches me.
“Tell me what I need to fix,” I say, dragging in a shaky breath. The words feel raw coming out, painful and jagged, but I can’t stop. “I don’t want to lose my best friend. I miss you.”
The bathroom is very quiet. Colten blinks up at me, his pupils huge. “You…miss me?”
The way he looks at me has a warmth to it that makes my stomach swoop.
Even though I’m over nine inches taller than him and basically blocking him into the counter, suddenly I feel…smaller.
Which is ridiculous, and yet.
Colten’s hands come up against my chest, and I brace for him to shove me away.
He doesn’t.
Instead, his fingers curl into my wet shirt.
“Patrick,” he says, a slight rasp to his voice that wasn’t there a moment ago.
My heart immediately starts beating way too fast as his eyes slowly move over my face.
Then he pulls hard, dragging me closer.
My breath stutters out as I’m practically bent over him, our faces inches apart.
We’re both breathing hard, which is strange, since we’re just standing there. It’s getting hard to think with Colten’s face so close and the heat of his body pressed against mine.
The drink must’ve finally hit me, because I feel dizzy, almost drunk as the smell of Colten’s fancy bergamot shampoo surrounds me.
Colten’s cheeks are flushed, his eyes dark. I’m close enough to realize he’s wearing some mascara as well, his lashes thicker than usual as they frame his eyes. They look more black than green, right now.
I catch a glimpse of his tongue flicking out over his lips, as if to chase the taste of alcohol.
It makes my brain short-circuit a little, but then he does it again, and I suddenly becomeextremelyaware of how close his mouth is.
Heat spreads across my neck.
I look up from his lips, and Colten is already staring straight at me, the intensity of his dark eyes making my skin prickle.
One of his hands moves up from my chest to the back of my neck, his fingers tightening in the hair at the nape of my neck.
It feels like I’m on the edge of a cliff, high enough that I can’t see the bottom, with the wind pushing me towards the unknown darkness below.
