Page 29 of Meet Me in the Penalty Box

“It’s complicated,”I signed back to her as a sigh escaped me. “It’s honestly nothing. We’re both just having fun.”

“At what expense?”She gave me with a look of disapproval. “You’ve worked too hard to get this far to just simply throw it away in such a careless manner.”

I narrowed my eyes at my sister. “My career is safe. Sure, it wouldn’t look good, but it would be fine.”

Giana rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Of course. The star athlete always comes out of a scandal unscathed.”

“Whoa,”I signed back at her as her words felt like a knife twisting in my gut. “You’re supposed to be on my side, remember?”

“I am on your side, but I don’t want you to get into any trouble and I don’t want you to ruin some girl’s life because you can’t seem to keep your dick in your pants.”

“That’s the thing,”I told her as my eyes bounced back and forth between hers. “I don’t want to ruin her life, but I can’t leave her alone, G. She’s different.”

Giana pursed her lips. “Is there any way that you can continue to see her and not ruin her life?”

I shrugged. “I’m trying to figure that out.”I paused for a moment and frowned. “I didn’t call you to be lectured. I called you because I was missing Mom and you’re the closest thing I have to her. All she ever wanted was the two of us to be happy in life.”

My sister’s face fell and sadness washed through her expression. “I want you to be happy too, Nic. I just want you to be rational and careful.”

“I always am.”

Giana didn’t look convinced but she didn’t push any further. “This girl—she must be special if she has your attention. I can’t remember the last time you talked to me about being interested in someone.”

“That’s what freaks me out the most,”I explained to her as my heart picked up the pace in my chest. “I should be able to just let it go, but I can’t. I don’t want to stop seeing her. I want to be around her any chance I get.”

G’s chest rose and fell as she let out a sigh. “If you like her that much, try not to fuck it up. Mom wouldn’t want you fucking up someone else's life because of your stupidity.”

My sister had a point, yet I couldn’t seem to see past Harper and wanting her. It was as if I had blinders on. I knew that there were risks to seeing her, yet I didn’t care. Harper had her reservations and I was respectful of that. She was beginning to seem like she wasn’t too concerned with the consequences either.

Giana snapped her fingers at me, as she could tell I wasn’t paying attention. I gave her a sympathetic smile and focused back on her hands as she signed to me once again.

“I know this is a big ask, but can you just have a conversation with her? Make sure the two of you are on the same page before proceeding.”

I nodded. “I will. I promise.”

Wes’s name flashed across my screen and I let out a breath of relief that my sister missed.

“I hate to run, but Wes is calling and we have practice in two hours so I should see what he wants.”

Giana laughed and rolled her eyes. “Heaven forbid that Weston Cole should ever have to wait to talk to you.”

I laughed along with her and shrugged. “He’s one of those people who refuses to be ignored.”

My sister smiled at me. “Sounds awfully familiar.”

“Bye, G. I love you and thank you,”I signed to her with a smile. I didn’t really have any expectations for having a conversation with her, but I just wanted to talk to her. Kind of like the same way I would have talked to my mother if she were still alive.

A part of me regretted telling my sister because I knew she wasn’t going to let this go now. She would probably text me later in the week to bother me about whether or not I talked to Harper and what she said in response. G would never accept breadcrumbs. She needed the whole damn loaf of bread.

“Love you, Nic. Don’t be a fucking idiot.”

She ended the call and I tapped on Wes’s name to call him back since he got sent to voicemail. He picked up on the third ring, almost as if he were making me wait before he picked it up.

“What are you doing?” he asked me, getting straight to the point. “Are you busy?”

“Nah,” I told him as I got up from my bed. “Come on over.”

“Sweet. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

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