Page 68 of Tough Score

"How does it feel to be officially joining the Hawkeyes family?" Autumn asks.

Better than I could have ever imagined.

"Really good. Thanks, everyone," I say.

Rowan holds up a hand in question.

"Uh, okay, don't take this the wrong way but if this is a Hawkeyes girl's initiation…why am I here?" Rowan asks.

Penelope gleams over at Rowan. "Don't worry, we have plans for you next."

Chapter Twenty-Two

Keely

It's been almost a week since I got coffee with the girls.

The last few days, especially, have flown by, though I haven't seen Reeve as much as we usually do. I've been spending the days either working at Oakley's with inventory or at my uncle's helping my uncle rehab and paint the apartment above the garage.

He had new windows, updated the countertops and appliances in the tiny kitchen and replaced all the flooring with a laminate wood flooring that looks almost real.

He let me pick the paint colors and even put up a partition wall for where the bed is to make it feel less like a studio.

He didn't need to do any of that, but the project has actually been really fun to work on together, and we've bonded even more over it. By the time I make it back to the apartment at The Commons, it's usually really late and I end up passing out on the bed until the next morning.

Reeve has kept up phone calls and texts to check in, but our conversations are friendly and short. We haven't discussed what happens when I'm no longer his personal PT but instead a full-time franchise employee.

We'll still see each other--probably daily--walking through the halls--when we have our scheduled player check-in--or he needs to get taped up before a game.

But it will all be different and I can already feel it in the texts and the phone calls.

As I settle into bed, the events of the day replay in my mind. The sweet text from Jaxson confirming our date for Sunday and the restaurant that he booked. I told him after last Tuesday's game that I want to take things slow-- that I'm not interested in jumping into a relationship but that I'm open to dating casually and let things progress naturally. He agreed to my terms.

Tomorrow we hear if Reeve is cleared for light practice by the Hawkeyes doctor, and I leave my keys to this apartment and move the small amount of items I have left here back to my uncle's now that the paint fumes have mostly disappeared.

Tomorrow I go into Sam's office to sign my new contract. Sam told me yesterday that the job is mine and that hearing tomorrow about Reeve is just a formality.

Then I hear a sound coming from the floor.

The baby monitor?

I didn't realize that it had fallen down and got covered up with a pillow. Since he stopped having to ice his knee in order to sleep without the pain, I haven't needed it to check up on him.

"Keely? You there?" Reeve's voice comes through low and warm.

I hesitate for a moment, my hand hovering over the monitor. It's late and something about leaving this place tomorrow makes me feel a little emotional. I'm not sure if talking this late at night is the best option, but hearing his low bedtime voice is a guilty pleasure that I can't pass up, not when this is the last time we'll be able to use a baby monitor to chat in bed. I doubt the wave frequency of the monitors would reach my uncle's house all the way across town.

"Yeah, I'm here," I respond softly.

There's a pause, and I can almost picture him sitting on the edge of his bed, running a hand through his hair the way he does when he sits on the couch lazily watching TV with me.

"How's the apartment looking? I was going to see if I could drop by and see it today but Lake wanted to go over some new plays and then the guys all wanted to head to Oakley's for drinks," he says.

"It's looking really nice. I can breathe in the apartment without hacking at the paint fumes now. We've had to be careful about keeping too many windows open due to the moisture from all the rain. And it's been so cold that the paint doesn't want to dry as quickly."

"You move out tomorrow, right? Do you need help moving your stuff back over to Oakley's apartment?"

"That's really sweet of you to offer, but I only have a backpack left here. I've been moving everything over slowly this week."

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