“My brother used to say the hottest girl cheering from the bleachers makes you play harder, because you want to impress her.”
I turn my head. Matt’s blue eyes are locked on mine. There’s only about eight inches between us. It feels intimate, isolated. My heart races, but I can’t look away.
“My brother was wrong, Liz.” His voice is low and rough. “The woman who makes me play harder is the one waiting for my perfect pass. The one who shares the agony of the loss if I can’t pull off a win.”
I lean closer without meaning to, cutting the gap in half.
“I don’t want the spectator, Liz. I want you.”
My inner voice is screaming at me to say something, anything. But instead I sit there, a lump of clay.
Matt sits back. I want to call him closer again, but nothing comes. For the second time tonight, someone has shocked and flattered me into silence.
“I’m not going to push you,” Matt says at last. “If you’re interested, available, then you let me know. If not, we pretend everything’s back to normal. The puck’s on your stick, Liz — shoot if you want.”
He stands, circles behind my chair, and plants a soft kiss on the top of my head. Then he disappears inside.
The spot tingles where his lips touched, and I sit frozen in the wicker chair long after he’s gone.
Chapter 14
Ben, February 28
When my eyes peeled open this morning, I was genuinely shocked I’d ever fallen asleep. The last thing I remembered was staring at my phone, waiting for an update. I grabbed it, flipping through text alerts, my brain circling uselessly. Who was the new center again? Had he rated on her scale? I remembered he was charming, maybe even funny. But had Liz ever been interested in him like that?
Ben: Good morning, babe. Go well with the injury?
Normally, with the time difference, it takes Liz forever to reply. I’ll be halfway through my Saturday before she even wakes. But this morning, it only takes fourteen minutes.
Liz: Men suck.
Ben: Excuse me?
Liz: Matt assaulted me with his lips.
Ben: You’ll have to explain that one while I purchase a plane ticket to come over and kick his ass.
Liz: HAHAHA. I dropped him off after the doctor. We were sitting in the car, he stopped me from getting out. Then he leaned in and freaking kissed me. No warning whatsoever.
Ben: What did you do?
Liz: I left. I came home and got mad.
Ben: At?
Liz: Him. You. Men.
Ben: I’m afraid to ask what I did.
Liz: Nothing.
Good.
Liz: Which I suppose is the problem.
…Oh.
Ben: Ouch.
