Page 14 of Chasing The Goal
“She’s in med school. UVM. Lives in Vermont still.”
“Is she as scary as you?”
“Worse,” I said fondly. “But she pretends to be nice until she destroys your soul with logic.”
Jaymie chuckled, stretching again. “Sounds like someone I know.”
I shot him a look. “You?”
“No,” he said with a smirk. “You.”
I fought the urge to smile as I scribbled a note. “Okay, my turn. Any siblings, Prescott?”
He hesitated for half a second. “Yeah. One brother. Older. Married. Two kids.”
“Do you like him?”
“Most days. He lives in the suburbs, works in finance, and thinks I’m insane for choosing a job that requires losing teeth professionally.”
“Smart man.”
Jaymie flexed again, slower this time, like the motion gave him something to think about. “You always ask people this many questions during rehab?”
I lifted a brow. “You started it.”
He grinned. “Fair. I’m just curious.”
I tilted my head. “About what?”
“You,” he said, shrugging like it was no big deal. “Just wanna get to know you better. We could be friends, ya know?”
The sentence landed heavier than he probably meant it to.
And yet, it didn’t feel wrong.
It felt honest.
I looked away, busied myself with adjusting the band tension. “You don’t need to know me to recover from a pulled hamstring, you know.”
“Maybe not,” he said. “But it doesn’t hurt.”
He held my gaze just a beat too long, and for a second, the room felt warmer. Closer. Like the walls had pressed in to listen.
I broke eye contact first. “Alright, lover boy. Cool down and we’re done.”
“Lover boy?” he asked, voice pitching up. “Is that my new nickname?”
“If the shoe fits.”
“You’re relentless.”
“You’re exhausting.”
“You’re mean.”
“You like it.”
He grinned, and for a second, he looked younger. Softer. Still a little tired, but less heavy somehow.
