I knew she was asking because we’d lost the game against the Razors last week. But this weekend, we were playing the Boston Snakes, one of our biggest rival teams. We were squared up on winning historically, but our head coaches had a long-standing rivalry that bled into the team every time. There was a hunger to win; the matches were almost always rough and no one was left clean. I gnawed at my lip. Their team was strong this season, having taken on a couple of promising forwards, and ours was dealing with changes. It might mean something, or it might not. Either way, I wanted us to win, and I knew we could.
“I hope we beat their arses. Especially on their turf.” Our flight was the day after tomorrow, and I was eager.
There was a quiet hum on the line, the sound she made when she was thinking and pretending she wasn’t worrying. “Just remember whose name is on your jersey,” she said gently. “He’d be so proud of you.” A string was plucked inside my chest. Wearing my grandad’s name always made me proud. Then she added, “We’re all so proud of you, for everything you do, son, you know that right?”
A lump formed in my throat, but I cleared it. “Yeah, Mam, I know.”
“Well, love, I’ll leave you to whatever you’re doing. Come see us soon?”
“I will. Love you, Mam.”
“Love you too, my boy.”
The line went dead, and I stood there, phone still in my hand, thinking about what she’d said. There were still moments they wanted to see. For me, my career. But I still wasn’t sold onso many things. I was waiting for a phone call before I made promises I wasn’t sure I was qualified to keep.
I shoved my phone into my pocket and turned back to the half-finished task of tidying my place. It was harder than it should’ve been. Things had gotten a bit chaotic since the season kicked off, and because I’d been staying at Teddy’s more often than not, my house felt like somewhere I passed through some days, not somewhere I lived. Not that I was complaining at all, because things had been going good for us. The sex was—fuck the sex, though it was mind-blowing. The woman, the audacity of her being everything I’ve ever dreamed of… I was hooked.
I wasn’t left alone with my thoughts for long when my phone rang again, seeing Jake’s name flashing across the screen as I swiped.
“Dude, I’m coming over with Nate. We’re concerned for your well-being.”
I snorted. “The fuck are you on? My well-being?”
“You’re hardly ever with us anymore, too busy, too tired, too secretive, and I’m over it.” It sounded like he was pouting.
“You’re full of shit. I’m always with the team.”
“I’m talking about me, not the team. We’re driving over to your place right fucking now.” Nate’s voice cut in from the background, chastising him—something about needing to chill. Not sure Jake was capable of that, given the way he snapped back at Nate.
I started to sweat a little at them thinking I wasn’t spending time with them. Nobody knew about Teddy and me, and no one would. Well, maybe Micah, but I hadn’t asked. I wasn’t scared to tell anyone, the opposite in fact. I just didn’t want Teddy to feel like we suddenly had all eyes on us. The media were rabid, and I knew she hated their attention based on the first Buzz campaign we did together. I didn’t want to push this either; we weren’tready for a conversation to figure out where this was going. I didn’t want to scare her off so soon.I wanted to enjoy her.
“We’ll be there in two minutes,” Jake said, then hung up. The man was more of a diva than he’d ever admit. And if missing him meant seeing him every day at the stadium while he complained I’d vanished, then sure. I’d missed him.
I stripped off my hoodie and swapped it for a clean one, ran a hand through my hair, then paused, letting out a breath. This was ridiculous. I wasn’t a teenager sneaking someone past a curfew. I just… wanted this to stay mine for a minute longer.Ours. Untouched by opinions and group chats and speculation.
The jingle of keys and a low murmur of voices reached my door, and then it swung open, reminding me exactly why giving them keys had been a terrible idea. When I’d brought this house, it was meant to be a haven away from the stadium, and it was. The beach wasn’t far, the back wall all glass doors to stare at the sun setting. I loved it here, but my friends had zero boundaries and used my keys more often than not. Sometimes it was like being back in college. I probably wouldn’t change it, though.
Jake barreled in first like he owned the place, arms spread wide. “Look at him. Upright. Breathing. Clearly thriving.”
Nate followed more calmly, giving me an apologetic look as he shut the door behind them. “I told him you were fine, just like you were fine when we saw you yesterday,” he said. “He doesn’t listen.”
“I listen,” Jake scoffed. “I just don’t trust.”
“I was on the phone with my mam,” I said, grabbing three bottles of water from the fridge. “If you must know.”
Jake’s eyes lit up immediately. “How is Siobhan? Still lusting after me?”
I didn’t even hesitate to launch the bottle at his chest. It smacked into him with a dull thud. He clutched his heart andthe drink dramatically. “Violence. From a man raised by such a lovely woman.”
I passed the third to Nate. “Why did you bring him here?”
Nate twisted the cap with a resigned sigh. “Because if I didn’t come with him, he’d have shown up anyway.”
“You’re the buffer.”
He nodded. “Reluctantly. Not that I don’t love you, man. I just see your ugly face all the time. I was going to see my sister and my nephew today, but Jake bulldozed.”
“You have a sister?” Jake asked, an octave higher than usual. “How did I not know that? And you call yourself a best friend for life.”
