Page 236 of On His Team

“And then approximately twenty-four hours away.”

“Long time.”

She laughs. “I brought a bag.”

“Good.”

I kiss her.

Stanley walks by carrying his ridiculous number of bags.

“Please move this away from my parking space.”

Gianna pulls back just far enough to look at him. “Sounds difficult.”

“It is.” He goes inside.

Gianna looks back at me. “I missed you. Did you?”

“Yeah.”

“Say it.”

“I missed you.”

Her whole face softens.

I kiss her again before she can make it into a thing.

That night, Hawthorne fills without anybody planning it. That happens more often than actual parties now. Melly comes. Lucy is obviously there. Mara shows up with a bag of fast food nobody asked for. Penelope arrives sometime after eight. Aspen sits on the kitchen counter while Stanley makes her watch his shift before the overtime goal for what I’m guessing is the tenth time.

Gianna stays close to me. Not attached the way she was around her parents on Senior Night, but close enough that I keep finding some part of her against me. Her knee under my hand on the couch. Her shoulder against my arm in the kitchen. Her bare foot tucked under my thigh when she sits beside me.

At ten, she gets up to take her plate to the kitchen. I catch the back of her sweatshirt before she gets away.

Gianna turns. “What?”

“Come back.”

“I’m putting this away.”

“Then come back.”

Her smile starts slowly. “Yes, sir.” She laughs and goes into the kitchen.

Five minutes later, she hasn’t come back because Lucy has trapped her near the sink.

I wait maybe another minute. Then I get up.

Stanley watches me cross the room. “Where are you going?”

“Kitchen.”

“Your girlfriend has been gone six minutes.”

I keep walking.

“Six minutes, Laurens.”