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Liam and I jogged over to where the rest of the LSU football team players were queuing up in front of the lines of cones, ready to do drills. I took my place behind Levi, a first-year uni student and one of my housemates.
Levi twisted to face me with a sympathetic smile. “Having an off day? It happens to the best of us.”
“You noticed?”
A heavy arm fell across my shoulders, and Travis was suddenly there, frowning at me. “We all noticed. You’re normally the one keeping up the spirits of the rest of us.”
“Guess I am having an off day,” I mumbled as the line moved forwards. Travis’ arm dropped from my shoulders, and I mindlessly dribbled the ball between the cones, my body working on autopilot while my brain was stuck on the same thing it had been stuck on ever since Thursday night.
Itcouldn’tbe Elliot that was making me feel this way, could it?
And if it was, how the fuck did I confront this? He was my best friend, the most important person in the world to me, and I never wanted to jeopardise that friendship.
When football training was finally over, after the longest two hours ever, I rushed out of the changing rooms with my gym bag slung across my shoulders, rubbing my fingers through my damp hair as if it would make it dry any quicker.
I was stopped in my tracks by Travis placing a hand on my arm. “Ander, wait up.” Stepping closer, he lowered his voice. “Want to come to the pub with me, Liam, and Preston?”
“What, to your top-secret football-planning strategy session?”
He rolled his eyes. “It’s not top secret.”
“No?” I raised my brows, flicking my finger between us. “What’s with the speaking in whispers and being in my personal space?”
“You’re such a dick sometimes. I’m trying to do something nice because we’re worried about you.”
I deflated with a sigh. “Sorry, mate.”
Clapping me on the back, he shot me a grin. “No need to apologise. So, you coming?”
I hesitated, eyeing him with suspicion. “I’ll come…as long as you don’t expect me to talk about my personal shit.”
“Personal shit? Who said anything about that? We just want your input on some of the newer players. Levi, in particular. He’s your housemate, after all.” His words were innocent, but there was a gleam in his eye. I sighed, accepting my fate.
* * *
“I think you should utilise Levi more often.” I sat back in my wooden chair, rocking slightly on the uneven stone floor. “I know he’s only a first year, but he’s good. Maybe the best we’ve had.”
“Don’t be afraid to piss off the third-year students on the team. Smith, especially. He’s just pissed off because Levi plays in the same position, and he’s a way better player. All of them know their time is coming to an end.” Liam smirked at Travis, who huffed.
“That’s not it. I don’t play favourites, and I make all my decisions for the good of the team. That’s why the coach trusts me enough to do all this. Believe me, when I have my weekly meeting with him, he never goes against my decisions.” He paused. “Mostly never.”
Preston returned to the table, somehow managing to balance four pints of IPA in his arms. I relieved him of two of them, and he gave me a quick smile before taking a seat again. Glancing between Travis and me, he seemed to come to some kind of decision because he gave Liam a pointed look and then leaned into Travis and began speaking in a low voice, diverting his attention.
Liam cleared his throat. “So.”
“So,” I echoed, making a swirling pattern in the condensation on my glass.
“Uh. I’m not gonna ask you what’s up again, but…you know you can talk to me, and it stays confidential, yeah?”
Swallowing a mouthful of chilled beer, I stalled for time. Liam and I…we were close friends, but a big part of our friendship had always been based on our mutual love of drinking and girls—right up until Liam had gone and got himself a boyfriend.
Wait. Liam had been straight, as far as I knew, and then he’d fallen for Noah. Maybe hecouldgive me some useful advice. But then he might guess that I had feelings for—I mean, he’d get the wrong idea and think I was into someone specific.
Better not to say anything unless I wanted him to get suspicious.
“I appreciate it, mate. Just working out some shit in my head. How’s Noah?”
“How’s Noah?” His eyes narrowed. “Why the sudden interest? You only saw him the day before yesterday. Is it—” He cut himself off, his eyes going wide. Fuck. “Oh. Shit. That’s why you were at the club?”
