Page 108 of Three Pucking Ex's Brothers
“Thinking about what?” he asks, that innocence in his voice making my heart lift.
There are a hundred things I could say.
Brett.
That photo.
Freddie showing up to my brother’s in the rain and holding me until I fall asleep.
Rush telling me he loves me.
Tommy and his sweet, sweet soul that warms me all over and makes my heart flutter.
And so I look in his bright jade eyes and say simply, “You.”
His cheeks pinken and his eyes widen in shock.
I laugh, realizing how ditzy I must sound. “I mean, you were great out there.”
It’s true, he played just like his brothers. Like he owned the field. He’s a natural.
“Well, I didn’t know I had an audience,” he says with a smirk. “Maybe I would’ve shown off a few tricks.”
I playfully shove him. “Tommy Sterling! I would not have picked you for a show-off.”
He shrugs, his shy, sweet smile making my heart melt all the more as Zack and Chloe finally come up for air.
“We’re heading out to get something to eat ’cause I’m starving,” Zack says as he pulls Chloe in close. He looks between Tommy and me. “You uh…you two are welcome to join us, if you want.”
I look at Tommy. “I mean, we kind of had our own plans…”
“Or some other time,” Chloe says, nodding to Tommy. “Maybe we couldplansomething.”
Tommy clears his throat. “Um, yeah. Some other time, maybe?”
“Yeah, rain check?” I say with a smile.
Tommy’s lips turn up and his eyes light up when he grins.
“Okay, but I’ll hold you to that,” Zack says.
Tommy nods with a little more confidence this time. “Yeah, sure.” He looks at me. “I can drive us.” He clears his throat. “We can get your car later, assuming you drove…”
Oh, right! I nearly forgot how the hell I got here, but I guess that’s to be expected with everything else going on in my damn brain.
“Sure.”
“Alright, you two lovebirds have fun!” Zack says. Chloe smacks him in the chest. “What?”
“Stop!” she says. “You’re embarrassing him.”
I can’t help but smile because they really are too cute. I know they’re around the same age as Tommy—twenty-three andtwenty-four—but they feel like old souls. Like a proud mother and father. It’s cute. And it warms my heart.
Chloe wrangles her boyfriend and they head for the parking lot, leaving Tommy and me alone. The bleachers have cleared out and the streetlights come on.
“They seem like great friends,” I say.
He shrugs. “They are. Most of the time.” He smirks. He steps beside me, carefully reaching his hand out, and I don’t think twice about taking it.
