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“We give each other shit, Dallas, but we’d never make fun of something that’s clearly important to you.”
“Okay.” I nod and down the rest of my drink. I’m stopping after this one otherwise I’m going to pay for it tomorrow, but I need a little liquid courage. “Maven and I have had a lot of moments over the last few months. She’s become one of my favorite people in the world, but lately, things are different.”
“Different how?” Reid asks, and he rests his elbows on the table. “Good different?”
“Yes,” I say right away. “We, uh, had this FaceTime call last week. I told her I was reading one of her romance novels. She found the vibrator she bought that I was keeping in my closet for her. We might have watched each other get off and?—”
“Oh my god,” Maverick hisses, and he scoots his chair closer. “You had phone sex and we’re just now hearing about it? What is wrong with you?”
“Yes, we had phone sex and it was…” I laugh and dip my chin. My cheeks flood with heat. “It was the hottest thing I’ve ever done, y’all. Watching her touch herself was unreal. Then last night, I was literally on top of her on my couch and pouring tequila in her mouth. If June hadn’t had a nightmare and interrupted us, I would’ve kissed her.”
“Wait. You two haven’t kissed?”
“No. I’m not allowed to kiss her.”
“Why not?” Maverick asks.
“Because she could lose her job if anyone found out. Shawn had to fire an assistant coach a couple years back because of aninappropriate relationship. He’d fuckingmurderme if he found out Maven and I were a thing.”
“So don’t let them find out,” Reid says, like it’s the easiest fucking thing in the world.
“Besides the whole team ethics thing, if we did get together and broke up, what would that mean for June? I’m not just dating for myself. I have to think of her, too.”
“You’re making a lot of excuses for why you shouldn’t be with her,” Maverick says. “Forget the league—you have ten more years in you, tops. Forget June—she’ll be old enough to understand emotions soon. Forget about ethics and rules and all of that shit. At the end of the day, Dallas, what’s going to make you happy?”
“I can’t?—”
“You can. You think about others too damn much. What the fuck doyouwant?”
Her.
“I want her,” I admit, and I lift my head to look at them. “Y’all know I prefer to keep people at a distance, but Maven found her way into my life, and I don’t want to ask her to leave. I know we could get in trouble, but I want to do it anyway. The consequences aren’t anything compared to how much I—” I blow out a breath, and my laugh borders on hysterical. “I’m fucking falling for her, and I haven’t even had her yet.”
“Hell yeah you are, man.” Maverick slings an arm around me. “Your cheeks look like they must hurt from smiling so much. You’ve always been a happy guy, but this is different."
"You look at her like she’s the sun,” Reid adds, and he hugs me too.
“No. She’s the stars. Always there. Shining and bright, even when everything in my world goes dark. I’d stay up all night just to see her.”
I feel like I’ve been fumbling through life the last four years. Stumbling along and searching for any source of light but coming up short. Then she ran into me, and now all I see are colors.
“God. Look at our boy growing up.” Maverick wipes his eyes and scrubs his hand over his face.
“Jesus,Mav. Are those tears?”
“Shut up. We’re not making fun of each other, remember?” He grabs a napkin and blows his nose. “I’m just so fucking happy for you, Dal. I’m happy June has a role model besides the dipshits we can be. I’m happy Maven is sogood. She’s funny, man. Not in that way where she’s trying to impress you, but actually fucking funny. And she likes you back. This is what you deserve.”
“You think so? I’m afraid I’m going to tell her and she’s going to laugh in my face.”
“In no world do you tell her how you feel and she says she doesn’t feel the same way,” Maverick says.
“What do I do? Do I tell her now or wait until after the game?”
“If the worst-case scenario happened to you in the game tomorrow, would you die wishing she knew how you felt?” Reid asks.
“Yes,” I say, and I’m already on my feet, decision made. “I’m going to see her. Right now.”
Maverick jumps up. “Hell yeah you are. Go get your girl, Dal.”
