Page 42 of Just a Footnote

“The team will probably go out for drinks after the interviews. You coming?” Archer asks as he starts to take off more ofhis padding.

Aiden glances over his shoulder towards Liam. “Yeah, I’ll be there.”

It’safter eight by the time the team is done with all their interviews. Skye and Aiden make their way to a bar a few blocks from the arena. The bar is dark, dimly lit, but the sounds of the team reach their ears the minute they walk through. Skye grins, pushing her elbow into Aiden’s ribs, and finds the team like she has a homing beacon for Ollie.

“Hi, baby,” Ollie says, already halfway to sloshed.

Skye smiles fondly. “How much have you had?”

“Just a few.” Ollie wiggles his eyebrows.

Aiden snorts as he slides onto a barstool nestled between Liam and Archer. His heartbeat picks up a little bit wondering if they saved the seat for him. Liam’s arm brushes his as he talks to Matty to the left of him. He ignores Matty’s presence, not having exchanged a word with him since their brief conversation at the party all those months ago.

Aiden shoves away from the table to amble over to the bar. Somehow it’s noisier up there. The bartender, a woman not much older than him with tattoos and platinum blonde hair, smiles as she leans her elbows on the bar.

“What can I get you?”

“Jack and Coke.”

She quickly makes the drink then slides it across the bar. “Are you with the national champions over there?”

“I am. My brother is the goalie.”

She laughs, resting her chin in her hand. “I thought you looked familiar. Twins, that’s fun.”

Nausea swells up inside him. “Thanks for the drink.”

Her smile falters, but she nods and disappears. Aiden twists his glass against the counter before taking a large swallow. The drink burns a little going down, too much whiskey to Coke ratio, but he swallows it all the same.

A gentle hand brushes against the small of his back before disappearing. “Hey.”

Aiden looks to his left with a cocky smile. “Hey.”

“So…” Liam trails off, bites his lip. “You wore my jersey both days.”

“I did.”

Liam tilts his gaze back to Aiden. “When can I fuck you?”

Aiden’s entire body goes hot. “When we’re back in Georgia. There’s not enough time here.”

Liam nods, seemingly accepting Aiden’s words for what they are. What Aiden doesn’t say is he needs the time to mentally prepare for it. He also wants to take his time, he wants to make it good for Liam, because what if it’s the only time he ever does it? He’ll fuck Liam when they’re back at school, then they’ll spend the rest of their final semester fucking each others brains out.

And Aiden will try to not think about the weird emotions swelling inside him when he pictures Liam with someone else.

“You played well today but what was that fight about?” Aiden angles his body towards Liam, enjoying the feel of his warmth radiating off of him.

Liam clenches his jaw tightly. “I just wasn’t in the mood for that type of shit today.”

Aiden snorts. “Because it pertains to you now.”

“What? No! I would’ve started a fight before…before.”

“Okay.”

“It just got to me.”

Aiden levels him with a look. “How’s your nose?”

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