Page 83 of Trick Play

“Hey.” I smiled at Haley since she was the safest option at the moment.

“You’re here.” Ethan jumped up and pulled me into a tight hug that lifted me off the ground.

“Oh!” I grunted. “Hi.”

“I think he missed you.” Reid chuckled from behind me.

“It’s been two days,” I said as Ethan put me down.

“A very long two days,” he replied and pulled out a chair for me.

I couldn’t remember the last time he was this excited. Was this all because of his grades? It was a huge relief, but what did that have to do with the rest of the guys.

“How are you settling in?” Haley asked.

“I really like it,” I admitted. “I was worried at first. It didn’t seem like the best location, but it’s a lot more convenient for me and Lauren than I expected. There’s more shopping than I realized too. We won’t have to venture too far to get everything we need.”

“That’s so nice. Are you able to take the bus to work, or do you have to drive?”

“The bus. It’s only a few stops actually, so I can walk if I ever need or want to.”

She grinned, and Ethan leaned toward me. “I thought you hadn’t decided on what job you were going to take.”

That was true. When I left, I had two great offers I was considering. That was before I got the call on Monday.

The table was silent, and I glanced around to see everyone waiting for my answer. “The company I interned for each summer was bought recently and the majority of the people I worked with either left or were let go. I assumed that was a lost cause, which sucked because I built up a rapport with them. Anyway, the woman that headed the design and marketing department left and started her own company. She remembered I was graduating this semester and offered me a job.”

Ethan reached for my hand under the table, and I gripped it back waiting for his response. “That’s amazing. So that’s what you went with?”

“Yeah, I’m her third employee, so that part is crazy, but I’ll be in a really great position as the company grows.”

“That’s so exciting!” Haley beamed. “I’m so happy for you.”

“Me too,” Ethan said, pride shining in his eyes.

“To Kennedy!” Hunter held up his glass of water, and everyone followed.

“Thank you, guys.”

This wasn’t how I expected dinner to go. At all. No tension. No drama. It was so easy and comfortable. Like I fit.

Ugh. No thinking like that. I didn’t know where Ethan and I stood. He came to me on graduation day and helped me move, but he never said anything about what that meant. We were okay to talk again? He did invite me tonight. We needed to have a serious conversation.

“Do you want to get two or three pizzas and share?” Benjamin asked.

“Sure, pepperoni, meat lovers, and BBQ chicken?” Reid offered.

Everyone agreed, and Benjamin went to the counter to order.

When he got back, Haley leaned forward and looked at the guys. “So, are you all going to start talking, or do I have to pull it from each of you?”

I glanced at Ethan and his smile grew and he tightened his grip on my hand. “Reid, you go first.”

He straightened. “Coach told me Utah, New York, and Seattle are interested.”

Everyone clapped and cheered but I remained silent, and once they calmed down, I turned to him. “I think I missed something. What’s going on?”

He laughed. “Sorry, Coach Weston told us that there have been scouts that have been coming to the games and a few have asked to set up meetings. We’re sharing what teams he’s heard from.”