Relax? Am I kidding?
I’ve never been good with crowds and functions like this. I don’t even know what relaxing is. I’m not sure if I’ve ever felt relaxed.
Leaning my head back, I let out another slow breath before forcing myself to open the door and get out of the SUV. I grab my bag, my palms sweating, my pulse pounding between my ears.
Walking up to the front door, I knock and wait… until it’s obvious no one is going to answer. But I can hear voices inside. With my breath on hold, I knock again, louder this time, then push the door open.
Still no one’s noticed me, and I quietly slip into the house and toe off my shoes. Padding into the main living area, I’m immediately hit with a delicious smell.
I’m not sure what it is, but my mouth pools with water, my stomach dancing at the prospect of food.
I kind of skipped lunch, too unsettled to eat as I drove away from the place I’m supposed to be to the place I should be. I’m so torn. Even as I stand here taking in this chaotic, fun energy,I’m still second-guessing myself and wondering if I need to turn around and head back home.
“Shit, these onions are killing me!” Sawyer wipes his eyes and sniffs while he dices them on a thick wooden chopping board. Something’s in a pot behind him, bubbling away, and I can see the oven’s on. I wonder what he’s making. Maybe something Italian? It smells so good!
“Give me that,” Mac mutters, taking the knife off Sawyer and nudging him away from the board. Sawyer lifts the bottom of his T-shirt and dabs his eyes while Mac gets to work.
They must be strong because he’s blinking now too, but you won’t hear him complaining. The guy is stoic when it comes to pain. I know this for a fact, because he fractured his finger last year and played out the rest of the game without saying a word. The only reason anyone found out is because the assistant coach and I found him in the locker room after the game about to pass out. He’d retreated into a corner and had his swollen hand resting against his chest. His skin was practically gray, and the second we saw him, we knew something was seriously off.
“Just leave it,” he whispered. “I’m fine.”
Whatever. Mac was forced to go for X-rays, and yep—a broken finger. Thankfully, it was an easy reset and didn’t need a full cast or anything. He had it taped up for about six weeks and did miss seven games, but still… knowing him, he would have kept on going like nothing was off.
Coach was so annoyed that Mac played the rest of the game. He could have made his injury so much worse, but he hid his agony for over an hour.
And now he’s hiding how much these onions are stinging him too.
Maybe that’s why I like him so much.
I mean, sure, being overly stoic is probably borderline stupidity, but I just like that he never makes a fuss. He’s no drama queen, and I find that very appealing in a friend.
“Oh, hey, Jimmy.” A bright female voice announces my arrival, and I dart my eyes to the stairwell just as Darian’s younger sister jumps off the bottom step.
All eyes turn to me, and I feel that heat rush through me. I hate being the center of attention.
My skin ripples like a quick rash is forming all over my body. I force a closed-mouth smile and nod, then dart my eyes at Mac.
“Good to see you, man.” He smirks, then wipes his burning eyes with the back of his hand.
“Where should I put this?” I lift my bag, not sure what else to say.
“Just crash wherever you can find a spare bed.”
“Cool.” I nod, feeling anything but cool. I’m just supposed to search the house for a spare bed?
Where’s the organization?
Why wasn’t someone put in charge of deciding where each of us was sleeping?
“Head up the stairs and take a left. I’m pretty sure there are a few spare beds down that side.” Charli smiles at me, and I swallow.
“Thanks.” My voice is all croaky, my insides flushing as I fail not to notice her skimpy shorts and long legs. She’s always been a stunner, but when she’s dressed in practically nothing, it’s hard not to notice the shape of her. She’s long and lean with perky breasts and?—
Don’t look at her breasts! What are you doing?
I grip my bag strap and quickly shuffle past her. I told myself when I started college that I wasn’t going to get into the party scene. I wouldn’t get mixed up with girls and drama.
So far, I’ve done pretty well, in spite of Mac’s efforts.
