Page 5 of Echoes of Us

They finally let me leave an hour later. I pushed my way out of the too-hot house, walked down the steps, and looked around. I spotted Noah sitting with his friends a little further away. I stalled my steps, looking at him. He was laughing loudly. A girl was looking up at him, but he wasn’t paying attention to her. Someone handed him something, his fingers wrapping around it and then bringing it to his lips. He let out a puff of smoke that was probably weed. He let out a hearty laugh, lifting a cup and taking a drink. He was beautiful and one thousand percent out of my reach.

I kept walking, trying not to glance back.

I kept looking for him.

Whenever I went out for a run or was on my way to training or class, I kept an eye out to see if I spotted him. We didn’t run in the same circles, so it was weeks before I saw him again.

I was starting to let go of the idea of seeing him when I walked into the clubhouse and there he was. I stopped cold. He was talking to Colin and the rest of the upper-level students. He wasn’t in gear, so he probably wasn’t here to play. He wore jeans and a short-sleeved shirt, which was pretty basic, but he looked even better than I remembered. The daylight suited him.

Ezra spotted me first and smiled brightly, waving me over. I rolled my eyes and approached them.

“Att, go change. We’re going to try something different today,” Hank, our captain, told me, and I nodded.

I glanced at Noah, and he lifted his hand to greet me.

“Hi,” I said lamely.

I tried to steady myself as I changed into my uniform, and when I walked back towards them, Ezra was talking about me.

“Att’s a prodigy. It would be upsetting if it weren’t crazy to watch,” he told Noah, and embarrassment flooded me again.

“Yeah?” Noah asked.

“It’s pretty intense. Att likes setting, but he’s great in every position. His serve is insane,” Colin said. That was nice to hear.

“You’re setting me up to fail,” I said, and they turned towards me.

“Impossible,” Ezra said.

“What are we doing?” I asked.

“Practice game,” Hank said.

He arranged the teams, and I perked up when I heard Noah was joining the game. He changed into a pair of gym shorts, and I shook my head to avoid getting distracted by the sight. We formed on our side of the net, and I could feel his eyes on me.

“Are you okay?” Ezra asked me.

“It’s fine,” I told him.

I took a deep breath and got my head in the game. This was the easy part for me. Making small talk and drinking was way out of my comfort zone. I knew who I was in this gym. We started to play, and even though I let my eyes wander towards him, it was more a player’s curiosity.

Noah was good at spiking. His reflexes were quick, and his body obeyed them seamlessly. He moved with a naturalgrace, his muscles flexing under his skin with each jump and dive. His breath came in steady, controlled gasps, and I could see the determination etched on his face.

Every time I served, he zeroed in on me, his eyes never leaving the ball. He always smiled while playing, a genuine, carefree smile that made my heart race. His eyes were focused and intense. They followed the ball with laser precision, darting from player to player, never missing a beat. He’d lean on his knees and sway slightly from side to side, his anticipation evident. He wanted to catch it, to prove himself on the court. The sight of him in motion was captivating.

The sound of our sneakers squeaking on the polished gym floor, the rhythmic thud of the ball being spiked and served, and the occasional grunt of effort filled the air. Each time I made a play, I was aware of his eyes on me, assessing, admiring. It was both exhilarating and unnerving. His raw talent was obvious, but there was a hint of untapped potential in his movements. I wondered how much better he could be if he were training regularly. Colin had been right; I also liked him as a player.

When the game was over, we all huddled. Hank urged Noah to join and play again, while he smiled and gave a slight nod, avoiding a direct answer.

His eyes locked on mine. “If we do this again, I want to be on his side,” he said, nodding in my direction.

I smiled to myself. I walked towards my water bottle and heard footsteps beside me. He was standing next to me.

“Hey,” I said, feeling the awkwardness rise again.

“They weren’t kidding about you.”

“You’re really good too,” I told him.

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