Page 163 of How to Score Off Field

“I’m sorry…”

I’m sorry.

“I’m sorry.”

“Drew, wake up. Babe, wake up.”

My shoulders are being shaken, and I hear Tess’s voice. She sounds tired and confused—but mostly, she sounds awake. Concerned.

“Hmm?”

“You were having a dream.”

I turn to face her, blinking myself awake.

“Did you call me babe?”

Tess pulls away from me so she’s not up in my face, laughing in the dark. “You’re dead ass asleep, and you hear me call you babe?”

“I hear what I hear.”

“It just slipped out,” she murmurs. “Sorry.”

I roll closer, putting my hand on her waist. “Don’t apologize. I liked it.”

Babe.

I’ve always been jealous of my dumb brothers and their stupid endearments, having to listen to them call their girlfriends sweetie and babe and bae—and now I have her calling me by a pet name?

Literally what I’ve always wanted.

“Should I call you babe, too?” I tease in all seriousness, letting my eyes adjust to the dark.

Tess is quiet, and for a moment, I wonder if I’m still dreaming or if she’s actually awake.

“Tess? I was kiddin.”

“Oh. Were you?”

No.

“I mean, I was kiddin only if you don’t want me to call you babe,” I try again, not making much sense. But it’s late, and we’re both half asleep—at least I was. Don’t know about her or if she’s been lying here listening to me breathe the entire time.

I passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow.

“So you’re kiddin’, but you’re not kiddin’.”

Her voice has an edge to it that has me seeking her face out in the dark. It’s late so I don’t want to turn the lights on.

“Is…something wrong?”

I know she’s been acting weird, but so far, she hasn’t admitted it. I don’t want to push and push and push, but she’s leaving soon, and we don’t have a ton of time. I don’t want that time wasted or spent arguing, or filled with tension.

She moves on the bed, rolling to her back. Not away from me but not closer to me, either.

“Remember the other night when we were at dinner?”

Dinner—not “when we were on our date.”

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