“If I went to the Saints, what would that do to you?”
She looks down at her hands, tightly twisted together in her lap. “I’d miss you. Long distance is hard.”
My heart catches. “What about your job? How would you ref a game if I was playing?”
She looks up at me. “I wouldn’t. I’m not going to be reffing for the MUSSL anymore.”
Shit, that’s why she’s so upset. She lost her job because of me and then thought I deserted her. “Andrew, you cannot give up your job for me.”
“It’s already done, so don’t worry about it. And before you try to tell me differently, you’re worth it. I’m not gonna say it’s fine, because we all know it’s never fine when I say that. It’s good. They’re adjusting the pay, so I won’t be making less in the WUSSL. I also won’t have to deal with assholes like O’Marra, so it’s actually good. We both win.”
I feel my face fall. How am I going to tell her?
Her expression matches my own. “Oh. Oh ... I see. I ...” She stands up, pushing me out of the way, practically climbing over me. “I didn’t mean to assume that we would be together. But I had to be upfront with them. There was a lot on the line for a lot of people, and I didn’t want to jeopardize it all by hiding us.”
“Andi, you didn’t need to do that.”
She swallows, looking around. She spies her bag in the corner and moves across the room to pick it up. “I’m sorry that I dragged you into this. Don’t worry about me. It’ll be better this way. You won’t have to see me at your games.”
She won’t let me get a word in edgewise. “Andrea, stop!” I yell, if only to get her to cease talking. “Would you let me speak?”
Her mouth snaps shut, her eyes growing wide. I’d better take my opportunity while it’s here.
“I wasn’t out talking to the Sacramento Saints. You didn’t need to sacrifice your role in the MUSSL because I’m done playing soccer.” I hold my hand up to her lips. “And before you tell me I shouldn’t have done that, yes, I should have. Soccer isn’t my passion. It never has been. And if the choice came down to you having the job of your dreams or me being in a job that I’m ambivalent about, then it was an easy decision. Anyone can see that. Even if you don’t want to be with me, you should be doing the thing you love.”
“I want to be with you,” she breathes.
That’s all I need to hear.
“Good. I want to be with you. We are together. It’s official. So as long as we’re done jumping to conclusions, can we jump into bed?”
Andi laughs. “You really are a Neanderthal, aren’t you?”
I pick her up, slinging her over my shoulder. “Let me show you the ways.”
––––––––
ANDI PULLS HER HAIRup into a ponytail, using my favorite red hair tie. “I’m never getting that back, am I?”
“Some girls steal hoodies. I steal hair ties.”
“Is this a thing you do?”
Andi laughs. “I’ve never been with anyone with long hair before. If you’d have asked me a few weeks ago, I’d have said the man bun was a deal breaker.”
“And now?” I’m propped on my elbow, our bodies flush. My hair is a mess, and in all honesty, I could use a hair tie too.
“Almost everything I thought about you was wrong, Brandon Nix.”
She’s piqued my curiosity. “What did you think about me?”
“I thought I hated you as much as I hate raisins masquerading as chocolate chips in cookies.”
I put my hand over my chest, feigning shock. “You hated me? Do you still hate me?”
She lifts her head off the pillow, her lips meeting mine. “I definitely don’t hate you.”
“I don’t hate you either.”
