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I smile, dropping my hand to my thigh. I stare at my empty wrist and remember that I didn’t pick up my bracelet when I left the locker room. I rarely forget it, but obviously, Scarlett’s return is making me fall into old habits. It felt funny to have this feeling when she was about to leave, after giving me back my mouthguard. I had just made her detour just for an oversight, and she didn’t say anything. I had a twinge and it hit me.
It was as if she had never left and that I had found the kid to whom I entrusted my most precious possession. The one who was always in the bleachers, traveled miles to follow us, supported us at all costs, and kept our valuables without asking questions. At first, we gave her our phones, in addition to my bracelet, then the guys ended up dropping this habit. Mine stayed. She never complained about it. And when I gave it to her earlier, I felt like it was right. It made my chest flush because I hadn’t given it to anyone else for a year. It’s always been both of us, kind of a ritual, and when she walked into that locker room it brought back a lot of memories.
I was happy to see her. Glad she was there.
“Me too,” I finally tell Harriet after a short silence. “I’ll call you when I get home.”
As I hang up, Milo sits down next to me. I take a quick look behind my back, checking that the Jeep is still there, before smiling at him.
“What do you want, Sullivan?”
“You made me feel sorry for you all alone in your corner, so I thought you needed some company.”
I chuckle. “I was not alone.”
“Did I bother you watching porn?”
“You’re an idiot,” I laugh to myself, patting his shoulder. “I was on the phone with Harriet.”
“Porn, I said.”
“Shut up,” I cut him off as a playful smile lights up his features. “You see, I was going to sleep, but since you’re here you’re going to talk to me.”
“Keep dreaming, man. I just wanted to confirm that we’re still good for Thursday evening. Gabe is available if you want to come over for dinner. I told the guys, they are down. Ed will take care of telling his sister.”
“Awesome.”
I cross my arms, leaning my head against the back of the seat a second time, then gently close my eyes. It’s always like that when I come home from away games. The intense physical effort, the mental preparation, the rocking of the engine, I become a wreck.
“You seem to think it’sgreat,” he says ironically. “You sleep?”
“Tired.”
“What an asshole,” Milo chuckles.
I sketch a smile, nevertheless unable to hold back the sleep that is relaxing all my muscles. It was a long day.
***
We’ve been home for a little over an hour, and after eating a pizza, we all locked ourselves in our rooms. Scarlett didn’t come straight home, staying with her girlfriends for a while. It’s not until I open my bedroom door after hearing a knock that I notice that she’s back, too. She still has her brother’s jersey on and freezes for a moment when she notices I’m only wearing sweatpants.
“Am I bothering you?”
“Not at all,” I say sincerely. “I just finished unpacking my bag. I was going to refresh my ice.”
I show her the cold packs I took out of the fridge.
“How are you?” I ask her.
She stares at my belly for a long moment, from which a slightly purplish spot stands out near the ribs, where I took an unfortunate blow, then raises her gaze to mine.
“It’s to you that I should ask that,” she replies with a smile.
She looks embarrassed. Scarlett is never embarrassed with me. I frown for a microsecond, but her demeanor completely changes, and she sits on my bed without any restraint.
OK, she’s not embarrassed at all. I imagined it.
“I’m used to it,” I laugh. “I think your brother took a few more hits.”
