And Tessa hugs me tightly. “You were amazing out there!”
My parents are next. My dad smiles. “Good game, Kiddo.” He gives me a big hug, and then my mom pulls me from his arms and into hers.
“Great game, Riley.”
I pull away from them. “Thank you for coming to watch.”
“Great game,” Reid’s parents tell me.
I give each of them a hug. “Thank you for coming.”
And then, I finally find my mate. Reid stands a few feet away, a smile on his face. I walk over to him and right into his arms. He wraps those long, strong arms around me. “Good game, Sweetheart.” I pull back so I can look up at him. “I knew she’d put you at your sweet spot.”
I poke his chest with my finger. “You didn’t know that;Ididn’t even know she’d change my position.”
He just smiles. “And twenty-seven points? Your first game?” He just shakes his head. “I knew you’d be amazing.”
I can’t contain my smile. “Thanks for coming to watch.”
He takes my hand in his. “I wouldn’t have missed it.”
I lean into him. “And tomorrow night, we’ll be here for your game.”
“Let’s go celebrate Riley’s win,” Zane says to our group. “Pizza at Ronnie’s?”
Everybody gives their agreement. Reid wraps an arm around me as we walk. “Ride with me?”
I smile up at him. “Of course.”
It’s a crazy night of laughter and good food and fellowship. The parents sit at a table, and the rest of us are at another table. My sides hurt from laughing so hard. Throughout the entire evening, Reid stays next to me, making it the best night ever.
The next night we gather, once again, to watch Reid’s first game of the season. His team is explosive and so fun to watch. When Reid dunks right above our heads at the end of the first half, I scream my heart out. He’s so fun to watch; they all are. Reid, Caden, Adam, Jay, and Ex have been playing together since their freshman year, and there are several really good juniors that play with them as well. I expect them to go to the NCAA championship this year and maybe go all the way.
If I’d known how things were going to go, I would have spent more time savoring our first games. Reid leaves for a set of away games right after that, and before he gets back, I leave for mine. It goes that way for the next few weeks. We can’t really seem to catch a break. We call and text as often as we can, but I’m buried beneath my school load and basketball. The stress feels like it’s catching up to me, and I wonder how I’m going to make this work all season long. Now, it’s the first week in December, and I’m counting down the days until Christmas break. Our last day of class is December twelfth,but we have a game the thirteenth, the seventeenth, and the twentieth. Then we will get the week off for Christmas and then be back to play our game on the twenty-eighth and get right back into it. I know the break won’t be long, but I’m so looking forward to it. I grab my bag when I hear a knock at my door. “Ready?” Stephanie asks when I open it.
“Yes. Ashley are you coming with?”
My roommate is in the bathroom, finishing her makeup. “No, go without me. I have to cram for a test this morning.”
“Good luck on your test,” I call out. I slip my phone in my pocket and follow Stephanie out into the hallway. Stephanie, Ashley, and I have been trying to meet for coffee in the morningat least once every week or every other week. My schedule has been so crazy, and I rarely get to eat lunch with them. So, we made this change, and it’s been good. I check behind the counter, but Evie’s not working today. Stephanie and I both order a coffee and find an empty table near the back.
“Man, I swear it gets busier every time we come,” Stephanie says.
I laugh. “Yeah. It really does. I feel like it’s been forever since we did this. How are you?”
Stephanie takes a sip of her hot coffee. “I think it’s seriously been like two weeks again.”
I groan. “Sorry. That’s my fault.”
She waves off my apology. “You can’t help it.” She looks around the shop. “Isn’t this so cute? I love when they decorate for Christmas.”
I take a moment to look around. “It really is. I can’t believe we’re staring down Christmas break.”
Stephanie grins. “Isn’t it wonderful? Well, wonderful and terrifying because exams are coming.”
“Shh,” I scold. “Don’t mention that bad word in here; this is a sacred place.”
She laughs and takes another sip before eyeing me over the top of her cup. “How are you doing? You feel like you’re able to keep up with everything?”
