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I wasn’t finding the energy to fight him about it anymore. I’d start school in a few weeks and we’d have even less time together, so it made sense for us to live together. I think I just liked making him work for it a little bit. And yeah, the day I came home to find a slew of various make-up and every type of shower essential possible, I knew I was milking this cow for all it was worth. Shhh.
"All right!" Becca yelled, "I'm exhausted, that's enough for today."
I finished my sprint, running past the net and exhaling a heavy breath. I rested my hands atop my head as I started my cool down. We didn't have long before we had to head home and get ready. Liam and Penn were taking us out for Mexican food to celebrate the end of summer. All of our schedules would get crazier in the next few weeks. I’d either start school as planned or I’d hopefully receive my letter for the USA Soccer Association any day inviting me Olympic tryouts. Fingers crossed. And maybe my toes, elbows, eyelashes, and legs, too.
“I’m going to eat every single taquito they have on the premises,” Becca declared as we headed off the field.
“That’s disgusting.”
She scowled at me. “Don’t you dare judge me. I’m starving.”
“Taquitos are gross. Let’s order like ten plates of nachos.”
“That’s my girl.”
…
The next two weeks passed as if time was moving at 4x speed. Everything beyond soccer, Liam, my friends, and family fell completely by the wayside. I forgot what TV was, I hadn’t cracked my laptop open, and I swear there were cobwebs surrounding my makeup and high heels.
But I loved every second of it. I loved training alongside Liam after we both finished our team practices. He pushed me to become better, and I tried to do the same for him. I’d finally made the final transition to move in with him and I loved coming home to his house every day. I couldn’t feel the exact moments when our relationship began growing into something more, but one night as we laid in bed recounting our days and cuddling around one another, I realized that this was it.
He was it.
I buried my face against his chest and I kept my thoughts to myself. After all, we’d only been together four months and I was still nineteen… a baby in the eyes of most people.
Early the next morning, I woke up to my phone vibrating on the nightstand beside Liam’s bed. I rolled over and reached blindly for the traitorous device, hoping in vain that my spidey senses would kick in. Nope, nothing. I had to actually blink my eyes open like a real person.
Emily’s named flashed across the screen and I groaned before answering.
“Emily? What’s up?” I asked with a sleepy voice. Why the hell was she calling me so early? I’d see her at practice in an hour anyway.
“KINSLEY! You got a letter!” She squealed into the speaker so loudly that Liam shifted in his sleep next to me.
“What are you talking about? My mom sends me stuff all the time. Just bring it to—”
“No! Kinsley, you got the letter. It’s from the USA Soccer Association. I haven’t opened it, but it’s a thick packet and I know it’s your invitation!”
That sentence woke me up as if I’d just downed five espresso shots. My mouth fell open and my fingers loosened around the sleek phone. In slow motion I watched it clatter to the hardwood floor.
“Kinsley! Kinsley?!” Emily called through the speaker.
“HOLY SHIT!” I screamed, and jumped out of bed.
“What? Kinsley, what’s going on?” Liam shot up, rubbing his eyes and trying to piece together the strange wakeup call. I was too busy dancing around his room to care that I woke him up.
“Liam! I got a letter this morning from the USA Soccer Association! Emily called—”
“Yeah… I’m still here by the way.” I heard her muffled voice through the speaker of my phone and started laughing.
I ran back over and grabbed the phone. “Ah! Will you bring the letter to practice, Emily? I’ll open it there.”
“Okay. I’m so happy for you! I’ll see you in a little bit.”
“Thanks Em,” I hung up, dropped my phone on the bedside table, and slowly turned to Liam.
He was sitting there shirtless with the comforter bunched around his waist. His hair was sticking in every direction, but his smile caught my breath.
“You did it,” he murmured with a scratchy voice.
I mashed my lips together to quell my emotions. “I don’t know if it’s actually the letter. It could be something else.”
He dipped his head and gave me a little smirk. “Babe, you did it. They don’t bother sending letters of rejection. If you got a packet, it’s an invitation.”
“Liam…”
His smile widened, and he tossed the blankets off his body before reaching for me. His fingertips caught my waist and I squealed as he pulled my body onto his.
