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"I can't believe you got ejected, bro. That team was playing dirty all night. Even Coach agreed they had it coming. How are the knuckles?" Matthew puts in, grinning widely.
I let my eyes wander to the hands holding his menu and notice his right hand is wrapped tightly in a white bandage.
"Hurt like a bitch," he cringes before Matt speaks again.
"I have one question, though. What did the guy say to you out there? None of us could hear."
Oakley sits silently for a few seconds before shrugging. "Just some bullshit about the team." He clears his throat and swiftly changes the subject. "Who's hungry? I know I am."
As if on cue, the waitress finally tends to our table. She looks to be around our age. She flips her shoulder-length, brassy hair over her shoulder and eyes us warily. She pushes a strand behind her ear nervously, her cheeks pink. It's not hard to tell she's nervous—presumably because of the gorgeous male specimens waiting to order. Can I blame her? Absolutely not.
"Hi! I'm Jenny and I'll be taking care of you tonight. What can I get you?" she asks, her pen floating over her notepad.
"I'll have a vanilla milkshake, a cheeseburger, and an order of curly fries, please. Thank you," Oakley speaks kindly, although he doesn't look up from his menu. I didn't think he noticed me gawking at him until I hear him chuckle under his breath.
The waitress raises her eyebrows at me expectantly, but Adam orders for me before I can fumble together a coherent sentence.
"Two strawberry milkshakes, a double cheeseburger, and two orders of fries. Thank you."
I smile at him. "You remembered."
"Of course, beautiful," he grins and rests his arm around my shoulders again. I catch Morgan's raised brows and shrug slightly. She stares at Adam and me, seemingly bemused by the odd show of affection. I tilt my head and look across to Oakley. He watches us curiously, but he looks away as soon as I catch him.
The tension dissipates when our food arrives. It even sparks an argument about onions of all things.
"I'm just saying, onions are disgusting. There's something seriously wrong with anyone who enjoys them," Oakley says, shrinking away from the onion I'm dangling in his face.
"Well, I happen to love them."
"I should have known. Now I get it," he teases, winking flirtatiously. I feel my face turn red and immediately look down at my lap, hoping that he doesn't pick up on my embarrassment.
???
Morgan links her arm in mine as we leave the diner an hour or two later. She shoots me a smug look, winking before sending a nervous pang to my stomach.
"Hey, Ava!" she shouts. "I have to drive the guys to the gym. Oakley, would you be able to give her a ride home for me? I won't have enough room in my car."
Why am I not surprised? Morgan would pull something like this. Going to the gym? At eleven o'clock at night?
"I don't have to go. I can walk home," Adam shrugs. "You'll have enough seats then, right?"
Morgan immediately narrows her eyes on Adam's stoic expression, silencing him.
"Sure, I don't mind," Oakley insists, to Morgan's delight—and my not-so-well hidden dismay.
"Thank you, Oakley," she says through gritted teeth, squeezing my arm way too tight.
"We'll see you guys later then." Oakley eyes me curiously before offering me a comforting smile when I continue to avoid eye contact. "Thanks for the invite. See you at training tomorrow, Matt." He waves at the rest of the group, then gestures to a white pick-up truck parked a few feet away.
More confused than ever, I raise my eyebrows questioningly at Morgan. She rolls her eyes in response and blows me a kiss.
Oakley waits by the passenger door of his truck once I choose to join him. "You know I can open my own door, right? I have two working arms." I wave my arms around to emphasize my point.
"Oh, I have no doubt. But unless you feel like trying to jump in, you should let me help you," he laughs lightly.
Without warning, he grabs my waist, forcing a gasp to escape my previously closed lips. With what seems like no effort at all, he lifts me and places me neatly in the truck's cab.
"Lucky for you my mom taught me always to help a beautiful girl in need," he flirts confidently before heading to his door.
