AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I met Wade before I knew he was Dex’s brother. We hit it off, and immediately, I had a crush. But once we realized the connection, he took dating off the table. He had his reasons, and I’ve respected them, but my crush has never gone away completely.” It would have been so much easier if I was able to move on. “Do I wish we could act like a real couple? Sure. But I’m not going to force something he isn’t ready to deal with.”
My phone vibrates on my desk, and I pick it up and look to see it’s yet another number I don’t recognize.
Sighing, I ignore it.
Matt shakes his head. “Okay, Bernie, I’ll back off. But that doesn’t mean I agree with him keeping you a secret.”
I give him a tight smile. “Thanks for looking out for me, Matt.”
He sends me a jerky nod. Guys are strange.
My phone buzzes again. Cringing, I read the incoming text.
317-555-1342:Why won’t you answer my calls?
317-555-1342:I thought we were friends.
317-555-1342:This will all be easier once we meet up, Bernie.
“What’s that look for?” Matt asks.
“Someone has been calling me, and now they’re texting me and I don’t know who it is. It’s getting creepy.”
He holds out his hand for the phone. “Let me see.”
“Please don’t reply. I’m not answering or replying to this person.” I hand over my phone.
Matt reads the texts, his face disgruntled. “How long has this been going on?”
“Meh, a few weeks. I get random calls from numbers I don’t know, but normally, they leave a voicemail if it’s important. This number is new, though. The texts are new as well.”
He scratches his jaw. “You should change your number.”
That’s not a horrible idea. But I don’t like that I have to do that because of someone else not being able to take a hint that I don’t want to talk to them.
“I’ll look into it,” I tell him, then turn my chair toward my rig. “I think I’m going to head back to my place and take a nap. I hate camping. It takes a lot out of you to be in a situation you feel uncomfortable in.”
I lock my screen and turn off some of my gear. I say good bye to Matt and make good on my attempt to nap off this funk I’m in.
Somehow, I’m able to push all this shit tumbling around in my brain out of my mind and enjoy binge-watching the Thor movies on my Sunday evening. My phone is quiet for once. No one calls, no one texts. I would have loved to hear from Wade, but I guess sex in a tent doesn’t equal daily communication.
I keep my head down on Monday. We have a tournament in Dallas over the weekend, and we really need to kick it up a notch so we dominate like normal. I know everyone has other things going on, but I feel a lack of focus overcoming the team.
After hours in the game room, I come home, shower and get ready for another night in. A burst of excitement radiates through my body knowing who’s on the other side of the door when the knock comes.
He’s dressed in dark wash jeans and a dark gray button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows. He’s freshly shaved and delectably handsome, but what’s noticeably missing is our dinner.
“Hey,” I say and open the door wider to let him in.
“So I decided we should go out like you suggested. That okay?” He gives me a kiss on the cheek.
“Yeah, of course.” I’m giddy because after my chat with Matt, I haven’t been feeling great about what’s going on with the hiding.
“Get your shoes on, and we’ll head over to The Bar.” He points to my Converse next to the door. I do that, and twenty minutes later, we’re sitting in a booth ordering our drinks.
“So, the other night…” Wade causally tosses out.
I fight back a blush. I’ve thought about our time in the tent, and I’ve also thought about if it will happen again. “Yeah.”
