Page 3 of Echoes of Us

“Nice to meet you.” His voice was smooth and rich, carrying an easy warmth that made my heart race. His lips curled into that perfect smile again, showing just the right amount of teeth. “That’s quite a name,” he said, his eyes locking on to mine. “Atticus,” he repeated, letting the name roll off his tongue in a way that made it sound special.

“My mom liked the book,” I said and blinked. That made no sense. There was absolutely no context to that explanation.And why did I have to mention my mother as the first fucking thing to come out of my mouth?

He assented in understanding. “Atticus Finch,” he said, snapping his fingers and pointing at me.

A surge of pleasant surprise ran through me. I nodded and his smile stretched. I should probably be smiling back, right? I was sure that was not what my face was doing now. How was I supposed to smile again?

“What position did you play?” Ezra asked.

I glanced at him, catching the subtle head shake and the look that told me I was probably messing this up.

“Middle blocker,” Noah replied.

“And you went here? Why didn’t you join?” Ezra continued.

Noah lifted his shoulder, his hands slipping into his pockets. “Not interested anymore.”

How could someone lose interest in their team sport like that?

Ezra looked back at me, disapproving. “That’s too bad. I’m going to get another round. Do you want one?” Ezra asked, reaching for the bottom of my cup and pushing it towards me, making me drink again.

“I’ll help,” Colin said.

Oh, fuck no. I drank, and Ezra gave me a look.

He then turned to Noah. “You know, that’s just his face. He’s not unfriendly. We’ll be right back.”

I widened my eyes at him in embarrassment, and he winked before walking away.

“I heard you had a good game today,” Noah said. He had a scent that was subtle but intoxicating—a mix of fresh soap and a hint of something woodsy, like cedar or sandalwood. It was clean and masculine, making me want to lean in closer just to breathe it in.

“We won,” I said, stupidly, as if that weren’t obvious from what he had just stated. I rolled my eyes at myself. Internally.

“Yeah, I heard,” he said with a chuckle. “So you’re a freshman and already a regular on the team? That’s impressive.”

“I’ve been playing my whole life,” I said, trying to dismiss the flattery. I wasn’t sure I managed it. I cleared my throat. “The regular setter graduated last year, and the guy replacing him wasn’t as good, so I took the spot.”

“Yeah, David’s better at blocking,” Noah said.

“That’s right. He’s pretty tall,” I said and paused. How did he know that? “You’ve been keeping up with the team?”

“I still like it. I just don’t want to be on it. Plus, David’s a friend of mine,” he explained. “You’re pretty tall too. You’ve got to be what? Six-three?” he asked, sizing me up.

“Six-two,” I corrected.

“And you’re nineteen?”

“Eighteen,” I said.

He stood there, just looking at me. I hoped I wasn’t pulling the face Ezra always accused me of making.

“You don’t seem so scary,” Noah said.

I stared at him, baffled. “What?”

He smiled.

Colin and Ezra pushed towards us, taking my cup and replacing it with a new one. For fuck’s sake.

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