AllFreeNovel Stories worth discovering

Center Sneak

Page 91

by Sadie Henley

“Are you staying with your brother tonight?” Calvin asks her.

“Nope!” she chirps.

His face drops, just a touch. “Oh, are you staying with your sister?”

“Nope!” she says with the same pep. “Staying at a hotel tonight!” she shares willingly.

“Oh, that so? Staying anywhere good?”

Olivia shares her hotel name and details, a nice hotel just a few blocks from both the stadium and the guys’ building.

Families start to disperse, the room slowly clearing out with just a few waiting members left. I don’t always come down here, but I have more often this year because I usually escort Annie down and say hello to my brother.

No other reason.

“Your family here, Calvin?” Olivia asks.

He shakes his head no, and doesn’t expand. I have yet to meet any family of his in the five years I’ve known him, not that I would meet them per se, but I haven’t seen them from a distance. I know he said that games were hard for his mom, but you would think that someone would support him. His lone sister maybe?

“So nice of you to say hello to us,” she adds.

“I do my best.” Calvin turns his body, and then adds, “Oh, look! Sebastian finally arrived!” He pats him on the back, and then steps back to make room for my brother, who hugs Annie first and then Olivia.

Calvin leans in and whispers in my ear, “Do you want to celebrate with me?”

I can feel the blush creep up my cheeks, but I ignore it. “Sure,” I say softly, my answer just for him.

“Perfect. Want to catch a ride back with me?”

I glance over to Liv and back.

Crap.

It would be easier to go back with Calvin, but I’m not sure if it’s smart to walk out with him at this moment.

I’m about to answer, but his face turns tense, a look I usually don’t see on his face. “Forget it,” he says while waving his hand, but then turns to our small group.

“Nice to see you all,” he says, a beat happier. “I’m heading out.”

Sebastian and Calvin pound fists before Calvin is out the door.

“Girl.” Liv just stares at me.

“I’m older than you,” I remind her.

“Well, I’m smarter than you, especially right now.” She bats her eyelashes at me.

I just roll my eyes, but I don’t disagree. I’m sort of regretting my decision, or lack of one, especially after seeing Calvin’s reaction.

“Do you want to grab food or anything?” I say instead.

“Nah. I’m going to head back to my hotel,” she says with a fake yawn. It’s not even that late yet.

“All right. Want to ride the T together or catch a ride with Sebastian?”

“So my hotel is a stop before Sebastian’s place on the train?”

I visually pull up the Boston transportation map full of bright colors, and think over what stop she is. “Yeah, it is actually.”