Page 39 of Scrooge

“Good to know,” I say in barely a whisper. My throat is suddenly dry, and I squeeze my hand in his so I don’t rip it from his grip and pull my ear from my head.

“Did you sleep well in my t-shirt the other night?” His voice is low, his eyes searching. Shit, shit, shit. He knows I saw him.

“Yes…” I clear my throat. “It was very comfortable.”

“Glad to hear it. You know, I didn’t hear you come into my room to get it.” He is enjoying this. I realize he is teasing, clearly comfortable in his nakedness.

“I didn’t want to interrupt,” I reply, deciding to tease right back. Even if it feels like my heart might fly from my chest and land before me.

It’s in that moment my cell vibrates in my bag, grabbing my attention, and I dive into my handbag to grab it as Alex leans back, giving us some space. It is a number I don’t know, and I usually don’t answer, but I think about Deloris and where she might be and if she is in trouble.

“Hello?” I ask, before mouthingsorryto Alex. He just nods and looks back at the game.

“Haylee,” Jaryd barks, and my stomach sinks. Pulling the phone from my ear, I end the call quickly as my pulse whooshes in my ears.

“Everything alright?” Alex asks, looking at me with a pinched brow, and I give him a forced smile.

“Fine. Everything's fine. Just the wrong number,” I tell him as I block that number from my phone immediately, like I have every other time he calls. Jaryd isn’t a nice man, and for some reason, he still likes to make my life hell. I toss my cell back in my bag and look up to watch the game, my blood now gone cold.

* * *

“This is intense,”I say as we’re now into the last half and the score is tied.

“The game or the corn dog?” Alex asks.

“The corn dog was delicious. Thank you,” I say, smiling. He went down in the middle of the first half to buy me one, my mouth watering watching all the kids eat theirs.

“That kid is going to go pro,” Alex says, pointing to a kid from the opposition, and I nod.

“He has already kicked two goals, plus he did that amazing kick from the corner,” I add, the two of us hunched together.

“Come on, Midtown!!” I shout, and Alex’s gaze whips to me.

“What? I get too involved. I need to cheer,” I say without apology. Everyone else is cheering.

“You know a lot about soccer?”

“I played on the girls’ team in high school,” I admit.

“Of course you did,” he says, shaking his head.

“What about you? What did you play?” I ask him, wondering if he was into sports as a kid.

“I was quarterback on the football team.”

“Of course you were,” I say right back, smirking. “I bet the cheerleaders loved you.”

“Hmmm, I prefer the soccer girls…” His eyes sweep over me quickly. I almost swoon for the second time with him today and try to loosen the neck of my top because I am starting to feel warm.

“Hmmm, I am sure you had an endless supply of options.” He would have certainly been the best-looking guy on campus.

“Maybe. I didn’t always indulge, though.”

“No? Couldn’t fit them all in your calendar?” I tease some more, and the corners of his mouth lift like I was hoping they would.

“I was a teenager, too excited about getting to play the sport I loved to even really think about girls.” Shaking his head a little, I think I see a slight pink on his cheeks. Another indicator that he is soft underneath the layer of Scrooge he cloaks himself in.

“What about college? Did you play football then too?” I ask, happy to learn more about him that I can’t read online.

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