Page 57 of Sliding Into Love
“I don’t know what to think, Ivy.”
“Maybe you should take some time to figure out what to think. I don’t— I can’t— I just— ugh. I am not doing this with you right now. If you decide you want to talk about it in person, like adults, fine. We will. Figure out when and where. If you don’t, then this wasn’t going to work if you’d give up so easily anyway.” Exhaustion coated her voice. “I have to go. Let me know if you want to talk. Or don’t. I guess I’ll know your decision either way.”
And she hung up.
Immediately after she ended the call, Ethan knew he’d fucked up.
Despite the tone of the call and their argument, he realized his heart rate had slowed, and he could breathe again.
He had to fix this.
But first, he had to do his job.
Slipping his phone into his pocket, Ethan slumped through the hallway to collapse into the chair outside Dr. Chadna’s office. His leg bounced of its own accord, and he didn’t know what to do with his hands. Still, his skin seemed both too large and too small, and it was infuriating to be so helpless and uncertain.
Marshall had Ethan convinced he was a worthless piece of shit, nothing more. But Ivy had shown him he wasn’t. And now he’d fucked everything up.
How could he make it up to her?
And did he want to talk to his parents?
The only thing he could pin down was his feelings for Ivy. Whatever was happening between them was something he’d never expected, and he had no intention of letting it go.
Unless she wouldn’t forgive him.
But then Dr. Chadna called him into the exam room, and Ethan had to shove everything else aside.
When Dr. Chadna cleared him to play, albeit with stern instructions to immediately see her if he hadanyproblems, Ethan joined the rest of the team in the clubhouse where they’d begun conditioning.
Harkness hadn’t yet arrived on the field, and the other players had formed small, insular groups, talking while they prepped for the warmup and team meeting. Ethan’s routine was solitary, but he decided to join Derek and Jen and regretted the decision immediately when Isaac Reyes’s curly head popped up out of nowhere.
“Ethan! You good?” Derek called, dragging Ethan’s attention to the ball about to break his nose.
Ethan had never been so grateful for Derek’s enthusiasm, both for throwing the ball and for diverting him from his thoughts.
“Yeah, Chadna says I’m good to play.” Ethan scowled, shrugging as he readjusted his hat lower over his eyes after tossing the ball to Jen.
Isaac ambled over and stuck his hand out to Jen.
“Hi! I’m Isaac.”
The blonde woman narrowed her eyes at him before gripping Isaac's hand in what Ethan knew would be a death grip.
“Jen,” she said, still glaring. Jen was not one to be overly friendly to strangers.
Derek, on the other hand…
Ethan watched as Isaac tried to shake the blood back into his fingers after Jen’s handshake when Derek approached him.
“Hi, Isaac, I’m Derek Johnson.” Derek nudged Jen out of the way with his shoulder and held out his hand to Isaac. “And it isverynice to meetyou.”
Ethan was completely shocked when Isaac blinked and swiped his forehead on the shoulder of his neon green hoodie, but he hadn't moved fast enough to hide the hint of red staining his light brown cheeks. Derek’s grin grew wider.
“So, tell us about playing for the Tornadoes. I’ve heard they’re one of thebestto play for. Lawrence Lorne is a legend.” Jen butted in before Derek began flirting.
Very pointedly, Ethan ignored Isaac’s side-eye.
“Oh, yeah, I guess it was fine.”
