The sliding door creaked open more and Connor leaned in, hair damp, a T-shirt and sweats hanging casually from his body. He smiled when he saw me, the same easy expression he’d worn last night, like nothing had shifted in the hours since we’d gone to sleep tangled together.
“Morning,” he said. “You sleep okay?”
I nodded, quickly. “Yeah, you?”
He crossed the room, coming to stand in front of me. His thumb brushed along my jaw, absent, thoughtless, like muscle memory, as he dipped to kiss me, soft and gentle.
My hands found his hair and I held him there for a little longer, reveling in a moment that felt good.
“You want to take a walk on the beach with me?” he asked against my mouth.
I nodded, forcing a smile I didn’t fully feel, but wanted to. “Yeah. I’d like that.”
He grinned, satisfied, and turned away, pulling clothes out of his drawers.
I stayed where I was for a beat, watching his back as he moved, my lips still warm from the kiss and my stomach twisting with the certainty that whatever we’d been doing, there seemed to be an expiration date lingering between us now. It didn’t matter how good this was.
Some things could feel easy and still change everything.
Nothing told me this was wrong, though. Or that I was ready for it to end.
My phone buzzed on the table, a message from Micah lighting up the screen, as though she knew.
Micah
You’re not home again. I don’t need to know everything, just tell me you’re okay.
Guilt dropped like led into my stomach. I had been avoiding being one-on-one with her because I hated lying, and I was sure she knew something was up. At first, the idea of keeping this quiet was because of the media frenzy, but now telling our friends might not be as scary as I once thought. I still wasn’t sure if Connor was moving, and I knew I wasn’t ready to hear theanswer to that. I didn’t want to burst the bubble, but I needed to do something.
Teddy
I’m okay. We should probably talk after the game tomorrow.
Micah
I think we should, too. I hate it when we have secrets.
So. Much. Guilt.
“Here you go.” Connor passed me my T-shirt and yoga pants as I locked my phone and briefly smiled at him.
I dressed, and we took a short walk to the beach.
Feeling the sand on my feet was exactly what I needed, the grains warm and shifting under every step while the tide whispered in the distance. The morning air carried that clean salt smell that always drifted around the stadium and I inhaled deeply. Connor’s hand found mine, further settling me in the moment. I was confident enough to say, “I think I’m going to tell Micah about us.”
His hand tightened around mine as we found a spot near the rippling shoreline. Turning to me, he crooked his forefinger and thumb under my chin, leaning in close. “I think that’s a good idea.” He pressed his lips against mine. “I don’t want you to feel like we’re a secret. I lo—like being around you a lot, but I don’t want you to do anything you aren’t ready for.” He immediately cleared his throat, but his eyes stayed fixed on my face.
I swallowed at the word he’d almost said and my breathing quickened. My nerves frayed a little, and suddenly I wanted to ask him everything about Ireland and if he’d planned on leaving after all, because if that word came up, then surely…? I don’t even know. But instead, “Me too,” came out. “You can tellwhoever you need to as well.” Which was another way of saying,if you’re staying, you can tell your friends.
“Jake will have a field day over us,” he said with a smile. “I think Bobby might be a better choice. At least then Micah doesn’t have to keep it from him, too.”
I exhaled at that, some tension loosening. It wasn’t much, but it was enough for now. I was all for baby steps.
He sat down, guiding me between his legs as we watched the waves lap meters away from us, the soft swoosh echoing in the rhythm of his breathing behind me.
His arms rested around us both, fingers tracing slow lines in circles around my wrist. I wasn’t even sure if he knew he was doing it. The steady movements worked its way through the leftover tension in my shoulders and they dropped.
I rested my head against his shoulder. “Do you think they’ll be surprised?”
