Page 94 of Sporty Girls Don't Fall For Loners

We don’t say much as we walk side by side. His upper arm is only a few inches away from my shoulder, and if I were to shift to the left, they’d make contact.

I also notice his fingers are mere inches away from mine. We’ve held hands before, but I know it would feel different if we were to hold hands now.

My eyes widen at the thought. Holding hands is something couples do.

“Isn’t the weather nice?” I blurt. “I mean, it’s a little chilly, but still comfortable, you know?” I cringe. When I was younger, Lily insisted on giving me dating advice. I was too young and didn’t care about boys, but she insisted anyway. And one thing she told me was that when I’m with a guy, I should never talk about the weather.

Kade lifts a brow as he turns to me. “Uh, yeah. The weather’s nice.”

“Yep.”

Quiet.

He twists away, then faces me again. “I know I said this already, but good game last night.”

I smile. The Lions completely demolished our opponent. The other team was so ticked off, they tried to do whatever they could to disqualify us. Yeah, nice try. It might be bad for me to say this, but it was so satisfying to see them scurry away like scared mice and cry to their mommies and coach.

“Thanks,” I say to Kade. “It was nice…I mean, I’m glad you came to watch it.”

His eyes meet mine and I swear they’re smiling. “Of course. I love watching you play. There’s just something…” He shakes his head. “I don’t know how to explain it. You’re like a warrior goddess on the field.” His eyes widen and he pushes some hair away from his face. “I mean…”

My cheeks warm up. “Oh, wow. Thanks. I mean, I don’t know if I’d call myself a warrior goddess...”

“You are.” He shrugs. “And sure, the rest of the team helped.”

I laugh. “Helped?”

He laughs, too. “You’re the only one who stands out to me.”

What exactly does he mean by that? Stands out as a good player? As his friend? As…more?

“Thanks. You’re the only one who stood out to me in the crowd.”

His eyebrows furrow. “Not your aunt, uncle, friends, and the rest of the Musketeers?”

“I mean, yeah. But it was nice seeing you there.”

He watches me for a bit, then smiles. “I’ll always be there to support you. Even when…” He swallows. “Even when I move away.”

“Thanks. That was so kind of you to say. I’ll always support you in whatever you do.”

“Thanks.”

We’re quiet as we continue walking.

“Zack told me some options have come up,” he says after a little while. “I’m a little nervous, to be honest.”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask him about his past. Where his parents are and why he’s in the system. But I bite my tongue. He’ll tell me if or when he’s ready.

“It’ll be okay,” I reassure him. “And you can always talk to me.”

He nods slowly. “Let’s not talk about it right now. I’m actually looking forward to watching a movie. Feels like all I’ve been doing lately is homework and watching my crime shows. It’ll be nice to have a change of scenery.”

I hold up my hand. “Let’s get one thing clear: no romance.”

It’d be way, way too awkward to watch a romance with him right next to me. Imagine if the characters kissed…

He chuckles. “Agreed.”

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