AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I can’t deny that I would.
He doesn’t ask.
And I don’t offer.
When I finally get an invitation to California, it isn’t from Slater.
It’s from Cam. I don’t question why he asks, and he doesn’t question why I say yes. We simply make plans.
Even though Slater and I talk every day, I don’t tell him I’m coming. In all the months since he left, he hasn’t suggested I visit, and I don’t want him to feel obligated to hang out with me. I’m not going to surprise him. In fact, I don’t intend to see him at all. I refuse to be the girl who turns up like a bad penny, wanting what she can’t have and causing a distraction he can’t afford.
I check into a hotel room down the hall from Kelsey and Cam. I pace a hole in the carpet while I wait for my sister to get ready. While I pace, I question whether I should be here. Have I crossed a line that I shouldn’t cross?
“Elle,” Kelsey bellows through the door.
She hasn’t mentioned Slater, not even in passing, in months. The lack of tears and emotional breakdowns seem to have convinced her that the thing I thought was love ended up being something less. Or maybe she knows a lost cause when she sees it.
“I’m here.” I fling the door open and stop in my tracks. She looks like she’s been bejeweled. “Is that a cheerleading outfit?”
“I wish. You know I don’t have any rhythm.”
“I didn’t ask if you were a cheerleader.” Her skirt is short and pleated. Her shirt is sparkly and skintight. Her boots would be perfect in a kickline. They don’t sell clothes like that where I shop. “I feel underdressed.”
She flicks a glance at my Sacramento polo and jeans. “You look great. Let’s go.”
She grabs my hand and yanks me down the hall.
The ride to the stadium is uneventful. Cam spends the entire time on his phone while Kelsey dozes on his shoulder.
When we arrive, we slowly make our way to the club level. Cam stops about fifty times to chat. Unsurprisingly, he knows everyone. We finally make it to our box and I beeline for the front. I’m eager to see the field. And to catch a glimpse of Slater.
There’s a large group of people on one end, so I slide into the empty space at the other end. I immediately zero in on Slater. He doesn’t have his pads on yet, just a tight undershirt. I narrow my eyes as I try to distinguish whether he looks any bigger. He told me he’s put on nearly ten pounds since he signed his contract, but he’s too far away for me to tell.
I can’t stop staring. Even though I watch video of him on television practically every day, seeing him in person, even from a distance, is way better.
Somebody laughs in the group to my left and I glance in that direction.
I spot Celeste. How awkward. Why didn’t I consider the possibility of his family being at the game?
I could slip out and avoid them altogether.
Instead, I square my shoulders and look away. I didn’t fly across the country to miss the game. If I’m lucky, she won’t notice me.
She zips over a second later. Unsurprisingly, luck isn’t on my side.
“I didn’t know you were still seeing my brother?” she says with just the right amount of uncertainty. She’s more curious than friendly, and it makes me nervous.
“We’re still friends.” I try to act casual. My smile stays firmly attached while I gesture toward Kelsey. “I’m just tagging along with my sister. She’s married to Cam,” I add, as if that makes this less awkward.
Kelsey must sense my anxiety because she rushes to my side.
They eye each other speculatively as I perform introductions. I’m not foolish enough to let them gossip about me and Slater, so I stick to my sister like glue as I meet Slater’s parents and his other sisters and their husbands and their children. I’m both relieved and disappointed that none of them know who I am.
They’re polite and friendly, even after Celeste whispers something to her mother.
Thankfully, the action on the field picks up and distracts us.
Once the game starts, I get caught up in the excitement. It’s insanely loud and the noise from the crowd makes it hard to converse. I try not to spend all my time watching Slater. I’d be embarrassed if his family realized I only came so I could ogle him.
