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“Goal and an assist,” Rylan tells me, smiling. “Not terrible.” She looked up my stats from the game earlier, not just the final score.
It makes me wish I’d managed a second goal so they were more impressive.
“High praise.” I step closer, rewarded when her chest lifts with a rapid breath. Her shirt inches to the left, revealing the curve of her left breast.
We’re just inside the doorway, close to a corner of the room,so it’s easy enough to isolate ourselves, to block her off with my body.
It’s dim, and everyone around us is drunk and distracted.
“What are you doing here, Rye?”
I’m close enough to catch the bob of her throat as she swallows. At least I know she’s affected too.
“I, um, I came with Isla. She thought Clayton might be here.”
“I didn’t ask why your friend came. I asked why you’re here.”
“To have fun.”
God, what I would’ve given for her answer to beYou.
“Oh, yeah? Too bad there’s no pool table for you to hang around.”
Her brown eyes flash with annoyance. “You can be a real dick, you know that?”
Yeah. I know that. What I don’t know is why I’m physically incapable of leaving her alone. I should have saidHiand kept walking.
“I’m here to have a drink and hang out and maybe kiss a guy, if there was a moment,” she continues.
Fuck me.
I don’t know if I should laugh or punch the wall behind her. The one girl I can’t get out of my head, and she showed up at my team’s party tomaybe kiss a guy, if there was a moment.
“Great. Have fun.”
I turn around and walk away, heading toward the front door instead of remaining in the living room like I was planning before I ran into her. I’m in a worse mood than before, and don’t feel like being around anyone.
The guys will all assume I snuck off to have a threesome or something.
I’m halfway across the front yard when I hear her calling my name. I debate whether to keep walking, because there’s a chanceI’ll say something worse thanHave funif we have another conversation. And I don’t want to hurt Rylan. Seeing her upset affects me differently, triggers some protective urge that’s been there ever since she told me her ex had cheated that first night.
“Aidan!” She shouts my name again, loud enough for the whole block to hear, and then I have no choice but to turn around.
I spin to face her. If I was in a better mood, I’d be tempted to smile at Rylan’s light jog to catch up. Puffs of air trail behind her.
It’s colder than usual out, a frigid night that reminds me of Colorado.
“Where are you going?” she asks, crossing her arms and rubbing her biceps.
I hook a thumb over one shoulder. “Home.”
She gnaws on her bottom lip. “Why?”
“I’m tired. Long day.”
“The rest of the team seems to be rallying just fine.”
“Yep. Go celebrate with them.”
