Page 137 of Just One Season
Warmth cascades through my body, encasing the sadness and desperation until those feelings are unrecognizable. I make a soft sound but can’t get my vocal cords to work quite yet.
Kellen squeezes his eyes shut. “I’m not much smarter. I lost you too.”
“It was sort of a scheduled loss. Remember? The KFDPC voted on it.”
His eyes fly open, and one side of his mouth turns up. “You always make me smile, Lucy Knox.”
The conversations in the room grow to a low murmur as people talk to each other, check their phones, and watch us. I look around, briefly meeting Lina’s eyes. She raises her eyebrows, and I can only imagine what she’s thinking.What the hell,probably.
I press my lips together and glance down at Kellen’s hands. He clenches his fists, then releases. It’s like he’s holding himself back from reaching for me.
“And it’s not true, what you said.” My voice cracks.
“What part of it?” Kellen asks.
“Do you know what? I think that’s all for today,” Lina announces to the group, who quiets down. “If you have any follow-up questions—” The journalists all raise their hands. “—about the sponsorship—” All the hands go down. “—then shoot me an email or call me. Have a great week.”
Relief washes over me. There was no way I could continue this conversation with such an audience.
The people of the press slowly gather their things and stand, looking not in a rush at all to leave the room.
“Come on, come on, get out now.” Lina shoos the journalists toward the exit.
Paul walks our way, pausing for a beat to clap Kellen on the shoulder.
“Sucker,” Paul says, but he has a good-natured scowl on his face. I didn’t know the man was capable of anything good-natured. He strides out of the room, not stopping to talk to anyone.
“Lucy? What part of it isn’t true?”
“The part where you said you aren’t much smarter.” I stare at Kellen, this man who I love, as he looks back at me so intensely.
He lets out a murmur and takes a deep breath.
“And the part where you said you lost me.” I said I’d never confess my feelings for him. I’d never tell him I love him. And with good reason. I’m leaving. I need to move forward in my life, accomplish all the things I know I can.
But here I am, about to spew those feelings all over him.
“Really? Lucy?” The hope in Kellen’s eyes envelops me.
Because maybe I am good enough for Kellen Bassey.
All along, I’ve thought I wasn’t. Like I wasn’t good enough to impress my father or keep Ron interested, I knew I wasn’t enough for Kellen, his daughter, his teammates, his life.
But he just showed me he doesn’t want to hide me away any longer. He could’ve waited till after the press briefing, when we could talk privately.
He wants everyone to know how he feels.
I shift on my feet. My bare feet because I had a shoe malfunction right before this briefing. Who has a shoe malfunction while wearing flat shoes? I do. Of course I do.
There’s something like hope on Kellen’s face. His eyes flit to my arms and then down to my feet.
“Where are your shoes?” he leans closer and whispers.
“The side of my shoe got caught on my office chair and completely ripped right before this meeting. I hoped no one would notice me barefoot since my dress is long.” I’m a hot mess. As always. But this man is looking at me like he doesn’t care. Like maybe he likes mebecauseI’m a hot mess.
“Don’t you keep spare flip flops in your office?”
“Oh my gosh.” I gasp. “I totally forgot about the ones I tucked in my drawer. How did you know that?”
