Page 60 of Play Book

It feels like I’ve answered this question a hundred times today.

“Yup.” I nod politely and stare out the window as he rambles on about the last game he went to and what a big fan he was.

Hopefully, traffic will cooperate, and I won’t be subjected to this much longer.

EIGHTEEN

Canyon

It feels like it’s been a hundred years since I’ve seen Saylor, so I make short work of showering and getting dressed after the game. Ally had spent the afternoon with Autumn and watched the game with her and some of the other wives and girlfriends, so I’m hoping for a few minutes alone with Saylor before I get to the lounge. This is Ally’s first time coming to a game, so I’m going to have to introduce her to everyone.

She was grumpy about coming, but I pushed the issue because she’s going to have to get used to this. She won’t be at every game, especially not once she starts school, but she has to come to terms with being part of my world.

I send Saylor a quick text asking her to meet me by the elevators that lead to the private boxes, since she watched the game from Harper’s box anyway, and she’s standing there as I get off the elevator.

Damn, she looks amazing.

I suddenly feel a little guilty for not being more communicative since getting back from Illinois, but there honestly hasn’t been time.

“Hi.” I approach her cautiously, and her eyes meet mine.

“Hi.” I can see hesitation there, as if she wants to kiss me but is afraid to. Because I’ve sent her mixed signals the last week.

“I’ve missed you,” I say, even though the words feel a little foreign on my lips.

Except it’s true.

I wrap my arms around her and pull her against my chest, dropping my lips to hers.

Another slight hesitation.

Then she melts into me, her lips parting expectantly.

Fuck.

My tongue is in her mouth before I can stop myself, and even though the VIP boxes are still emptying and people are milling around, I can’t seem to help it. I’ve missed her. More than I want to admit. It’s been easy to ignore how much because of how much has been going on, but now that we’re together again, that invisible pull is back in full force.

There’s something between us, no matter how casual we’ve kept things, and it seems ridiculous to pretend otherwise.

“I’m sorry,” I say as we reluctantly pull apart.

“For?” She looks more curious than upset, and I find myself needing to be honest. To articulate how confused I am about her. About us, really. If there even is an us.

It scares the shit out of me, because I’m in no position to be in a relationship with her, but the thought has crossed my mind.

“I should have called. Texted. Kept you updated. I meant to. I just…” How do I explain how insane the last week has been? “You’ll understand better when you meet Ally. She’s so angry and I guess she has no one else to be mad at, so she takes it out on me.”

“Of course she’s angry. Her whole world is tilted on its axis. And yours has too. But you should have reached out. A text takes two minutes.”

“I know.”

“You don’t owe me anything,” she says after a moment. “Except maybe honesty. You can’t disappear just because you’re busy. I’m busy too. Friends make time for each other, and I was under the assumption that at the very least we were friends. Unless I was mistaken.”

Friends.

Is that what we are?

Do friends have the intense passion we’ve shared?

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