AllFreeNovel
Share Us
A shout breaks me out of my thoughts.
"Hey, Ethan. You got to wake up, man. You're falling behind. You know coach will put you on the bench for this."
I smirked at my teammate, Drake.
"As if. Coach knows I'm his best bet."
Drake snorts and gives me a hard shove, almost knocking me over.
"Yeah, yeah. Flex it off."
We shove each other's shoulders playfully and jog back onto the court.
.
I take a deep breath and gulp water as if my life depends on it, barely remembering to breathe.
"What's up with you lately? Either you space out so much that you can't shoot, or you do too much without pacing yourself, and you end up tiring yourself out too early."
Drake's been my closest confidant in the team for as long as I can remember. At first, we were at each other's necks, but after playing countless games together, we got closer. I don't hesitate to admit that we have the best duo play with him as a point guard and myself as the shooter. Maybe that is why I don't think twice before talking to him about my troubles.
"I went to this charity event a few weeks ago. I met someone."
"Of course, you did." Drake's smirk is unforgiving.
"Shut up." I can't help but smile as I smack a hand on his face, hiding his expression.
"Come on, tell me about her. Is she a celebrity?"
I sigh.
"You should have seen her. At first, I thought she was a celebrity too. She was gorgeous, but she owns an art gallery. When she talked about it, she sounded so passionate. It reminded me of myself with basketball. She had such an air of elegance around her, like a regal queen. Damn, I would give anything to see her again."
Drake is silent for a while, so I turn to him questioningly, only to see him grinning.
"That's the most I’ve heard you talk about a girl. Ever. Usually, you stop at she's hot, and half the time you've already slept with them. Did this one play hard to get?"
I rub my eyes and groan.
"Drake, you don't understand. I can't forget her. Not once during our meeting did, I think of sleeping with her. I could listen to her talk for hours."
Drake let out a low whistle.
"That's some heavy stuff. You usually don't go for feelings. It's always in and out with you. Are you sure this isn't something that can be solved if you just get laid?"
I glare at Drake this time.
"It's not like that, okay? I have thought about it, but even if I think of going out for a one-night stand, it feels wrong. It's like I'm lying to myself. And you know what's funny? She said she recognized me because of my reputation. My reputation as a player."
Drake hums thoughtfully.
"I'm not trying to be disrespectful, dude. But you created that reputation yourself. You said you didn't care because a night was all you wanted. Why do you care now?"
I drag my fingers through my hair and listen to the noise around me. Teammates converse, dribbling balls, and they cut through the air as a ball lands through a hoop.
"I didn't want her to see me that way because I felt like it was something that would drive her away. Not to mention she’s my best friend's sister."
"Boy, I got no sister."
