Page 63 of A Sky Full Of Stars

Thomas falls silent again, so I shift my attention back to the road, hating this new, uncomfortable tension between us. And it’s not until we pull into the airport that he speaks again.

“Can I get your number?” he asks casually, and I stupidly blurt out, “Why?”

Exchanging numbers with Thomas is like a dream come true for a sixteen-year-old me, but now I don’t know how I feel, except that it will be nice to check in on him every now and then.

Thomas chuckles but it lacks energy. “I don’t know. I just feel like I should have it. If you’re worried, I can call you something different on my phone. In case Luke’s ever looking.”

“Like what?”

“The forbidden one.”

I can’t stop the snort laugh that bursts out of me. “Not subtle at all.”

“What would you have picked?”

“I would have picked Luke’s little sister and then you could have said you got the number when I dropped you at the airport, just in case.” After all, it is what he and Luke call me.

“Yeah, well, mine’s more fun,” Thomas says with a shake of his head. “So…can I have it?”

The change in his mood is throwing me, making me more willing to say yes. “I guess… just in case.”

Thomas smiles as I come to a stop in front of his terminal, handing me his phone. I take a quiet breath and type in my number before passing it back. “Done.”

Giving someone my number shouldn’t be a big deal, and yet as I watch his fingers curl around the black case, an overwhelming feeling of uncertainty takes over.

Thomas stares at me for a moment, like he’s waiting for something more, but then shakes his head and says goodbye. “Thank you again, Lainey. For everything.”

There’s so much left unsaid between us, but since I can’t figure out exactly what that is, I smile instead. “You’re welcome,” I say as he steps out. “I hope you’re okay.”

My words don’t seem enough for what he’s been through, but there are no right words. All I know is that I care. More than I should. And while I wish it still felt like there was hope for us, that this was the start of something…that we’d have tomorrow…

The reality is, I don’t think we will, and I don’t think it’s ever going to be that way.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Thomas

The second we get into the locker room at halftime, I mentally fall into a heap. The guys all pat me on the back as they walk past, and I smile at every one of them, while inside, I’m numb.

We’re losing. For the first time in seven weeks, we won’t have the points advantage going into the second half. Yet, I can’t find it in me to care. This may not be our first loss for the season, but we’ve been on a streak, and as it is myfirsttimeas the starting quarterback, it’s not going to look good if we lose.

So why do I feel so empty?

I can’t even figure out what the hell we’re doing wrong, and that could be part of the problem. Because from where I’m standing, everyone is playing their hearts out; we’re just not doingenough. Maybe I’m not ready to step up. If I can’t push my personal issues aside for the sake of something I’ve been working toward my entire life, what right do I have to be here?

I go through the motions as Coach gives us his usual pep talk in the form of angry—but well-intentioned—threats, and as we run back onto the field, there’s an air of hope surrounding the team. The rest of the team anyway. I feel nothing. And I can’t see past the fog to even begin to know how to change that.

“How do you think Colton feels after watching you sink his team into the ground?” a reporter asks during my post-game interview.

My fists clench, but when I lock eyes with my agent, I calm down. This is the kind of shit Colton has to deal with all the time. I can’t let it get to me. But God, the timing of it couldn’t be worse. I have enough to deal with outside of football.

Since spinning life’s shit into printable quotes seems to be a thing of mine, I once again pull a statement from my ass and hope that it satisfies the vultures.

“Colton will be proud of the team. He’ll have seen that we tried our best, but unfortunately, LA wasbetter. Their last few games have been phenomenal, and they have a real chance at making the playoffs this year. We’re not the first to lose to them, and we certainly won’t be the last. As a team, we’re going to concentrate on the small wins today. Anderson’s touchdown was one for the record books, and Miles played one of his best games all season. We had a loss today, but it’s only going to make us come back stronger. Watch out for what’s to come.”

“But what about—”

“Thank you all,” our media liaison steps forward, announcing to the room, “we’ve run out of time.”

---