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“Remind me to kill Cruz,” Erin laughed, catching up and jogging next to me.
“I’m glad you two have become good friends.”
“He’s a lot of fun. Way more bearable now that he’s accepted that I won’t sleep with him.”
I laughed and took my spot on the field with a lightness I hadn’t felt in a while. There were still so many questions with Melanie that needed to be answered, but for just one night, we were a normal soccer couple. He was a normal guy at his girlfriend’s game, and it was surreal that I was that girl. It was also the first time in my entire college career that I had someone in the stands rooting for me.
The first two games he’d come to didn’t count. Those were spent denying ourselves, and disguising it with him wanting to be sure I could focus. This time he was yelling my name and shaking the pom poms every time I kicked the ball. It wasn’t a distraction either, it kept me focused because for every good play, I got to hear him call my name excitedly.
When I jogged in for halftime, he blew me a kiss, and I blushed before turning my head and making eye contact with Hunter. He had still been broody, but more bearable since that night at the club. Taking a chance, I smiled at him and he turned away, ignoring my attempt at being pleasant.
“He’s going to take some time off after the tournament,” Coach grumbled next to me after seeing Hunter turn away. “He has some things to work through. We’ve talked. They aren’t team related, so let's cut him some slack.”
“Of course,” I nodded. If anyone knew about personal shit to work through, it was me. Hunter had shown me that he wasn’t all bad, and had reasons for the things he did. We just didn’t understand what those reasons were yet. But I couldn’t help but smile at the rise he got out of Rhys; and how Rhys used that to stay closer to me.
After our win, Rhys was waiting outside of the locker room for me with his arms wide open. Rachel’s jaw dropped as I ran toward him and jumped into his arms. His mouth was next to my ear and he started walking off as he whispered how proud he was.
Behind him, I saw Cruz grab Erin and they started laughing, walking side by side. Rachel was still standing there, completely dumbfounded at what she had just seen.
“Where are we going?” I pulled back, but Rhys didn’t let me down. “Also you do realize I can walk, right? Carrying me everywhere isn’t always necessary.”
“The airport. And I don’t care.”
“I have to play again tomorrow!” I squealed. “We can’t go to the airport.”
“I’ll have you back tomorrow afternoon.”
“So we are flying all the way back to Miami just to sleep? Stay here in Atlanta with me. We can get a room away from my team, and spend time alone.”
He set me down next to a black SUV that looked like a hired car service. Opening the door, he guided me to the third row and curled me into his arms as we waited on Erin and Cruz to take the middle seat.
“Tomorrow,” Rhys whispered into my ear. “I have to meet face to face with Melanie about the paternity test and I need you there.”
Looking up into his eyes, I could tell how serious he was. We didn’t think Melanie was going to do the paternity test until the baby was born. “Did she do the test?”
“I hope so,” he sighed. “I got the call before the game that she agreed to talk about it. but only face to face with me.”
“Does she know I’ll be there?”
“I honestly think she assumes you will be distracted in Atlanta, and it's the perfect time to talk to me alone. She has no idea you’re coming.”
I was glad he stole me away and was taking me home with him. If he had to face Melanie, I wanted to be there too. And not because I was his girlfriend and felt I had a right to be there. But because whatever the results were, he was going to need someone on his side to catch him if he fell.
“You played like a badass,” Rhys smiled, changing the subject.
“I used that left footed fake you taught me.”
“I saw that. Did you hear me saying, ‘That’s my girl?’”
“No,” I giggled. “Dammit I missed that.”
“I didn’t,” Cruz added, hearing what we were talking about. “I have tinsel from his pom-pom in my nose to prove it.”
“Erin, you going home too?”
“Yeah, so she can fly back with you tomorrow.”
“I just found this out,” Erin added. “But flying in a private jet isn’t a hardship, babe.”
