Page 9 of The Throwback

“No,” I say, shaking my head. “It happened exactlythe way it was supposed to. That’s why it feels so natural being here like this. Let’s just embrace it and see where it goes, okay?”

“Yeah, okay,” she replies with a watery smile, wrapping her arms around my neck in a tight hug.

“Good girl,” I say, inhaling dramatically before lifting her from the counter. “Now let’s get you in the shower. You smell like jizz.”

She pulls her head back, her jaw dropping in indignation. “Yourjizz,” she says. “For someone who missed me so much, you’re awfully quick to wash it off.”

Joke’s on her though. Because if I get my way, I’ll be marking her as mine every night for the rest of my life.

FIVE

BAILEY

“You smell like jizz,”Dia says, leaning into my personal space and lifting the sleeve of my shirt to her nose.

“What?” I reply, pulling away abruptly, my eyes as wide as dinner plates. “No I don’t!”

She laughs, clapping her hands gleefully. “Oh my God, look at your face! Mads, look at herface!” she says, turning to her best friend, who’s sitting on the bed wearing a sheet mask. She’s the team sideline reporter and was up late last night doing interviews, so I offered to help plump up her skin since she didn’t get much sleep.

“Don’t mind her,” Mads says to me. “She insists on inserting herself into everyone’s sex life, whether they like it or not. It’s her version of a handshake. It means she likes you.” She lies her head back onto the pillow as Dia turns toward the table of snacks, and I quickly sniff my shoulder just to make sure before she turns back to me with a chocolate-covered strawberry in her hand.

“Okay, but seriously. I need to know. For science. Did you get to see Jett’stight end?” she asks. “The way you were looking at each other had me all hot and bothered, and I was all the way across the room. I can’t imagine how it was for you with your history.”

“Wait, what history?” Mads asks, not moving her head.

“Jett and I were friends when we were kids.” I begin. “We spent some summers together at our families’ beach houses, but one year, he just…didn’t come back. I was crushed.” Exhaling slowly, I wonder if I should hold back some of the story. But to be honest, I need to talk about it, so I continue. “I was too young to do much more than just sit and wait, but I never saw him again. Turns out his parents tragically died and he had to move away. We both searched for each other on social media here and there over the years, but neither of us had enough information. Then, we ran into one another in the elevator yesterday, and I can’t explain it…he doesn’t feel like a stranger.”

“Isn’t that the cutest fucking thing you’ve ever heard?” Dia gushes, sitting down in front of me so I can do her makeup. I clip her hair back out of her face and brush on some primer, waiting for it to set before reaching for the foundation we matched to her skin earlier.

“I’m so confused,” I say, working while I talk. “I know I shouldn’t be jumping into anything before I get to know him again—I just can’t deny how comfortable he feels. We didn’t have sex last night, but if he kept going, I don’t think I would’ve stopped him.”

“Fuck that,” Mads replies. “I can’t even tell you how much I regret pushing Blaze away for as long as I did. I was so worried about what people would think of us that I wasted months not being with him when he was perfect for me the whole time. Do what feels right to you. Anyone who doesn’t like it can kick rocks. If you want to let that man rail you into next week, go get him. We definitely have your back.”

I look at her with a grateful smile. Maybe she’s right. Maybe I need to stop worrying about the fact that Jett and I don’t know each other very well as adults and focus more on the way I feel when we’re together. If it changes, we’ll talk about it. We have less than a week before he heads back to Boston, so we may as well make the best of it.

“Was the fully padded run-through necessary, though?” Dalton says, walking through the door. “Coach was extra ornery this morning.”

“It’s the Super Bowl,” another guy says. I’m assuming it’s Blaze based on the way he crawls up next to Mads, who’s still relaxing on the bed. “I’d rather him push us right now than not give a shit.”

Dalton walks over to Dia, kissing her forehead as she looks up at him lovingly. They are so adorable. I bet they’re a blast to hang out with.

“Hey, pretty girl,” Jett whispers in my ear, startling me. I pull the brush away from Dia’s face, scowling at him over my shoulder and making him chuckle before he plants a chaste kiss on my lips. I look around the room, expecting reactions from the others, but they’re all just talking like there’s nothing out of the ordinarygoing on. I wonder if Jett told the guys about me. Not that it matters because I just word-vomited everything to the girls. I have zero regrets about it though, since they made me feel so much more at ease with the situation.

“Hi,” I reply. “How was practice?”

“Terrible,” Dalton interrupts. “Thanks for asking.”

I laugh, returning to Dia’s makeup as the guys fall into conversation about the big game. Making sure her foundation is fully blended, I move on to the contour, giving her already sharp features more depth. I was definitely right—it’s so much fun working on her face. Her skin is flawless, and she’s down to try anything. Plus, she’s so nice and I swear, I feel like they’ve already adopted me into their little group.

“What are you doing tonight?” she asks as I apply cream blush to her cheeks. “I know I told you I didn’t need you after this, but if you aren’t busy, we’re having a girls’ night in for our friend Grace’s bachelorette party. We’re heading to Vegas after the game so she can marry her fiancé, Tanner. We’re making it a Super Bowl tradition apparently, since Dalton and I did it last year.”

“I’m the best mistake she’s ever made,” he yells over his shoulder, making her roll her eyes playfully as he returns to the guys.

“Anyway, we’re going to watch movies and play games in our pajamas if you want to come. We’ve got wine and lots of junk food. It’s going to be fun. I promise.” She looks at me hopefully, and my heart squeezes in my chest that she’s even thinking of including me.

Jett looks my way, smiling softly as I contemplate. He’s so fucking hot. I can barely stand it.

“I don’t know,” I say reluctantly. “I live forty minutes from here and if I’m drinking, I wouldn’t want to drive. I’m sure the hotel doesn’t have any available rooms with the number of tourists in town for the game.” I’m grasping at straws, trying to get out of it so I don’t end up feeling like an interloper. I know I could Uber if it came down to it.

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