Page 199 of Out of Bounds

"Could I get a phone call?"

"Yeah. Of course." He took an amused look at the rest of the team, still celebrating in the locker room. "I’m going to take a wild guess and guess you need a private place?"

Slowly, I nodded and followed after him.

79

Kassie

Can I Have You To Myself?

We had actual confetti for the room and I shouted at June over someone playing their music over the phone. “Adam said wehaveto go to this party or he’s blocking numbers!”

“He says that about every party!”

“I think he means it this time!” I laughed and posed when one of the other girlfriends pulled me into a picture. The moment the guys got back on campus, we had celebrations to go to. I couldn’t wait until the team came rolling back in.

“Kassie!” another girlfriend called to me. “Your phone’s ringing!”

I know who that is.

With a grin, I leaned over the couch and scooped up my phone.

There he was on my screen, a snapshot of him in the car, gazing into the phone. His dark curls, the pleased grin of his smirk, and my hand curved on the side of his face, just touching him. I answered the call, my heart squeezing in my chest.

“I am soproud!” I yelled through the phone.

Ryan’s voice was quiet. “Kassie.”

"Those interceptions were fucking insane," I continued, walking around the room, trying to push away from the girlfriends, still excited about the win. "That’s one step closer to playoffs, can you believe that shit? I’m so proud!"

He was silent.

"We’re all going out toGianna’s—us, not the whole team." I laughed. "Adam’s throwing a party tonight, he texted me that…hold on, let me pull it up—if we don’t want him to burn the building down, then he said we have to go—"

"I’m not coming back yet," he said softly.

I paused, frowning. Yeah, he wasn’t coming back yet, he still had all the little things he had to check off before he stepped on the bus. With a glance back at Cleo, trying to round up everybody, I opened the door and walked out to the hallway. “What do you mean?”

“I can’t come back yet.”

That didn’t make any sense. I walked quickly away and found an empty room. "I don’t understand. King just sent us the bus schedule—"

"They’re going back. I can’t go with them." I could hear the disappointment in his voice, laced in every word. "I’ll be coming in…late."

"Oh."

I walked over to the wall and slid down to the floor, trying not to let the disappointment show inmywords. I missed him. A lot. But I didn’t need to add on to it. Ryan breathed deeply over the line and it was quiet.

"I’m sorry," he said softly.

With a sigh, I shrugged. "You don’t decide the schedule."

"I did. In the summer. Before you."

"Oh."

There had to be something else I could say but my hesitation lingered in the conversation. I didn’t know what to say.

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