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She sighed and turned to face me as the doors finally opened. "I don't know what else to say, Tripp. You're making me feel a million different things, and I'm not sure which of those feelings is winning."
"Same for me," I shrugged, then pulled her out of the elevator. If I stood there and let her look at me, she would see right through me.
My apartment was the only one on the twentieth floor, so the only door made it obvious where we were going. There wasn't much to my apartment since I lived there alone and hadn't been there long. I had never felt settled in Miami, so I never invested in much. One leather couch, an armchair by the balcony door, a TV I rarely watched, and a few small tables were all I had in the living room.
"That window is the only reason I chose this place. Nothing beats waking up and seeing how the waves are acting while I have my morning coffee."
"May I?" She asked, with her hand on the door handle.
"Of course."
She made her way onto the balcony while I fixed us a drink. Thankfully, I kept a stocked kitchen and plenty of wine on hand. Despite being out almost every night, I liked to eat at home. It was just a habit I had from growing up with a single mom. She worked three jobs, and I made sure the food she bought was cooked.
"This is beautiful," she sighed as I walked up next to her along the balcony's edge. Handing her the wine, she smiled and finally seemed to be relaxing again, and I couldn't decide if that was what I wanted her to do. Not when I was still buzzing with uncertainty.
"Enjoy the view," I motioned toward the water and the moon, "I'm going to make some dinner."
"Can I help?"
"No." That one word came out way angrier than I intended. But it was better than saying,"I need to get away from you for a minute."
Tatum sat down and nodded while I made my way back inside. Pausing for a minute, I flashed back to waking up on the floor next to Hunter. He had that gorgeous girl at home, willing to keep him warm, and he chose a night on my tile, barely remembering anything. There was already a lack of respect for Hunter, but knowing what I knew now, that respect was down in the basement.
The dinner I had planned was quick and corny. All I was making was my mom's coconut rice recipe. When I decided to cook for Coconut, the first thing that popped into my brain was coconut rice. Mom made hers with instant rice, meaning it took less than fifteen minutes to prepare.
She seemed content on the balcony, so I carried our two plates out and sat them on the patio table. Then I disappeared again and came back with two glasses of water. Tatum was watching me with a smile, not even touching her fork yet.
"You confuse me, Tripp."
"Likewise, Tatum."
"How so?"
"You first."
Once I was settled, she grabbed her fork and took a bite, moaning like always. My cock instantly started to pay attention, the same way it had the first moment I saw her.
"You lost a big game tonight, yet you seem okay. I don't get it," she started with her inquiry.
"It sucks, but Cruz wouldn't just leave without a good reason. Rhys has had an unusual season as well. From my perspective, even though I didn't want to believe it, we felt doomed from the start."
"What about the rest of the team? You?"
"I'm not good enough to carry the team alone."
"That isn't true!"
"How do you know?"
"Because you wouldn't be a professional athlete if you weren't good enough."
"Don't misunderstand. I'm good, and I deserve to be a pro, but I'm not Rhys Peyton good. I'm a disposable asset for the Inferno."
Her lip curled out like she wanted to argue with me but stopped herself.
"Say it." I urged her.
"I overheard some people saying you were on thin ice. What did that mean?"
