Page 191 of Out of Bounds

"And when are we training? They’ll just be—" I stopped myself and glanced back to her. "What?"

"I’m going to miss you. But you’re going to have fun."

She’s going to miss me?

A warm feeling spread over my chest but my teammates were starting to load in their bags. I was losing my time with her. I was unable to shake that restless feeling in my muscles. Four days without Kassie. We just started dating and I had to leave.

"Come with me." I shifted forward. "I’ll buy the plane ticket right now. First class. I’ll set you up in the nicest hotel you’ve ever been in and my schedule is slammed but I’ll see you at night—do you want to bring Zariah? I can buy two rooms, you can make a week out of it—"

"Ryan, you know I can’t."

Kassie was never able to make it to the away-games because of her class schedule. I could breeze through mine no problem but hers was a different thing entirely. And it fucking sucked.

What am I supposed to do without my art girl?

"I know." I sighed. "I know."

"You’re going to have fun," she assured me. "Adam already texted me that he’s dragging you to all the parties."

"Great."

She grinned. "Look alittlemore enthusiastic."

I bared my teeth and muttered under my breath when Kassie laughed. But at least I had one more laugh before I had to step on the bus.

"I don’t want to go," I admitted. "I’m going to miss you too much."

"Five days."

"Five days."

Kassie reached up on her tiptoes and gently pulled me down to kiss me. I wanted more than that but I had to go. I sighed again while my girlfriend practically pushed me to the bus.

"I’ll call you when we get to the hotel," I told her over my shoulder.

"Go have fun first," she urged me and stood by the rest of the crowd. Everything set her apart. The big bomber jacket on hershoulders, the paint streak on her left cheek, I couldn’t take my eyes off her if I tried.

"Call you tonight.," I told her and stepped on to the bus before she could argue against it.

We rented out five charter buses and I walked through with my bag, off to the back where King and Adam sat around a table. Adam tapped a deck a cards with his fingers and held them out to me when I walked by.

"Did you leave her on the floating door?" Adam smirked.

I took the cards from him and took my seat, shuffling them in an instant.

King perked up and glanced at the bag next to me.

"She got me food." I grinned and glanced out the window, at Kassie with her arms folded over her chest while the bus started up.

"Holy shit, she gotusfood?" Adam asked and grabbed the bag. Before he could stick his hand in, I grabbed the burger and set the cards aside for the moment. Double-patty burger, fuck. Heaven on Earth.

I unpeeled the wrapper and took a bite, holding it up to the window. Damn, that was a good burger. Dripping with barbecue sauce too. I grinned out the window but Kassie couldn’t see me from the distance. I slipped my phone out of my back pocket and passed it to King. "Help me take a photo."

"What’s this?" Adam asked, pulling out a piece of paper from the bag.

"What’s what?" I grabbed it from him and turned it over.

Kassie and I.

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