Page 93 of Rebel Secrets
She looked afraid to be hopeful.“Don’t you start training next week?”
He shook his head.“It’s informal.Camp doesn’t start until September.”
I didn’t say which camp I was going to, because I needed to talk to a few people first.But after I did, she was next on the list.
And I hoped to hell it made a difference in the next phase of our relationship.Because, damn it, I wanted that next phase.
Her smile made my already fast-beating heart fill with a feeling I thought might be actual joy.
“Thank you, Rebel.I really appreciate you coming with me.”
I wanted to kiss her.My hand itched to wrap around her neck and pull her close.But it wouldn’t be fair to make a declaration like that publicly.At least, not yet.
I had to put things in place first.And I had a few people to talk to.
“Me, too.I’m looking forward to it.”
Saturday morning,Ian ambled into the kitchen and grabbed the coffee pot like it was a lifeline.His hair looked like he’d stuck his finger in a socket, and he had lines on his face from the pillowcase.
I’d been staring out the back window in the woods for probably fifteen minutes, wrestling with myself.But I knew what I was going to do.
“Hey, you got a minute?”I said.
Ian gulped down two swallows of black coffee and nodded.
“What’s up?”
I paused for a second, but I knew this was right.
“I’m not going back.To the Redtails.”
The kid’s expression went from barely awake to wide awake to miserable in the space of a couple seconds.Then he made a conscious effort to suck it up and smile.
“Hey, that’s great for you.I mean, I know you’ve been thinking about it, and I know you missed home and… Yeah.”
He petered out, like he couldn’t think of anything more positive to say.
“I’ve got a question for you.”
He nodded and shrugged at the same time, looking for all the world like I’d kicked his puppy.
“Are you happy in Reading?”
His head, which had been drooping, shook back and forth.Still didn’t look up at me.
“You want to play here?”
Now his head popped up, eyes wide.“Seriously?”
“We’re gonna have a couple of openings.I’m taking one.The other’s yours if you want it.”
He didn’t answer immediately.Then he started to smile.
Closing the distance between us, he wrapped his arms around my shoulders and hugged the shit out of me.I hugged him back until he pulled away but kept a hand on his shoulder.
“I take it the answer is yes.”
He nodded.“Yes.Thank you, Reb.Really.I just… Thank you.When my dad said he didn’t want me to come home, I didn’t know what I was gonna do.I didn’t have anywhere else to go.”
