Page 139 of Out of Bounds

Looking back up at him meant I couldn’t look away. Ryan gazed down at me with all the intensity in the world, like I was the only person in the restaurant and nothing else mattered. He reached for my hand. His easily engulfed mine. My heart beat in my throat as he ran his thumb over my knuckles.

"I want to do the selfish thing and take even more of your time," he murmured.

54

Ryan

Non-Refundable Membership Card

Back in high school, our coach had a list of the sayings he’d bellow at us. One of his favorites kept circling my head.

These girls are going to find a way to fuck with your head.

Back then, I’d written it off and didn’t pay much attention to it. Football was my life. Football was my morning, afternoon, night, everything I thought about, everything I worked towards. The idea that I’d let something else take that top place was impossible. But sitting across from Kassie in that booth, with her hand in mine, I understood.

I’m ruined.

I was nothing more than one of her drawings that she’d created. Erased, redrawn, erased me again, until I wasn’t the same piece of paper anymore. Crumpled. Stuffed in her back pocket. Undoubtedly hers.

Slowly, she touched me too, trailing her thumb along my skin and bringing goosebumps on the back of my neck.

But I had to remember something. My girlfriend had no problem going toe-to-toe with my teammates or snapping at someone who made a comment about the Romans at the grocery store, but she was still…fragile.

All I wanted to do was tell her how much I loved and thought about her all the time and how fucked she had me but we needed to take steps. And that was a hard thing to swallow. I’ve never been a patient person. I worked hard and put in the sweat to get what I wanted.

That wouldn’t work with her. I needed to bide my time.

I kept quiet while she took my hand in hers, outlining my hand. Even if she ran my finger across my wrist, I kept quiet. It reminded me of watching her draw. Like she was trying to memorize me.

My eyes flickered down to her other hand.

The bruise.

I stiffened in the booth, still silent. The fact that he was still in this fucking city was inexcusable. He put hishandson her.

"I had fun last night," Kassie told me, her voice soft.

"We can do it again," I promised immediately, still staring at the bruise. It’d take a few days to fade but it wouldn’t fade from my brain.

One of the few times I had to leave her behind and this shit happened. I’d been so careful too. Putting the off-limits tag on her, warning my teammates that they needed to keep an eye on her while she wandered the training center, I even made sure her schedule was set while I was out of the state.

And thisstillhappened.

A knock on the window next to us made Kassie jerk over. I put my arm on the back of the booth and scanned the windows. Adam,

"Morning!" he greeted, once he crossed the front door.

Kassie’s hand slipped from mine instantly, embarrassed, and that should’ve caught my attention instantly but I frowned at him as he slid into the seat next to me. Thinking it over.

If I wanted to, I could’ve told him to fuck off. But the more I mulled it over, the more I knew I needed him after I dropped Kassie off.

"I can’t believe you’re up," Kassie hurried to say, her words stumbling over each other. "I thought you were going to sleep in."

"I’m the distraction for King and June," Adam explained, making a show to look out of the booth. He wasn’t even focused on us. I doubted he even noticed the blush on Kassie’s face. "They’re having breakfast together and June’s got to meet up with her boyfriend. I’m the ‘out’ for the crowd."

AcrossGianna’s, I could see King and June sitting with finished plates. They were eating and I didn’t even notice.

I didn’t notice?

---