Page 76 of Only in Your Dreams

Mel’s eyes light up in recognition. She appraises Noah. “Wow, I remember you now. You’re all grown up. Are you the big-shot quarterback Zac keeps talking about, then?”

Let’s be realistic, here. Am Iactuallythreatened by a twenty-year-old golden boy?

Yes. Yes, I am fucking threatened by a twenty-year-old golden boy.

Iwasthat golden boy. I know the kind of shit you can get up to, if you’re not too busy pining for your childhood friend’s mildly grumpy twin sister.

“That’d be me,” Noah tells her with a grin. “Nice to hear you have me on the brain during pillow talk, Coach.”

“There’s no pillow talk,” Mel says promptly.

Noah’s still got her hand in his and I separate them, swatting their arms impatiently.

“Wow,” Noah says flatly, eyes widening. “This is very believable. I am one hundred and ten percent convinced that you’re just old friends who have never had a single moment of pillow talk. Completely convinced.”

“Alright, that’s enough. Shouldn’t you be out there making yourself useful, Irving?”

Noah flashes Melody a conspiratorial grin, like he’s telling her,can you believe what a dick this guy is?

“Sheesh,” Mel returns Noah’s look, “lucky you with a coach like that. And they call me the grumpy one.”

Noah bites down on his tongue, trying not to laugh at my very evident irritation. “We are pretty lucky, actually. And if there’s a list of people who owe him one—multipleones—then I’m at the very top.”

“What do you mean?” Mel asks curiously.

“Nothing. He means nothing,” I cut in before Noah can get going. We don’t tend to advertise the ways in which I help him out, and all this talk about owing me for it annoys me to no end. “Get back out there, Irving.”

I wave him off and he starts to back away from us. When Melody bends to tug up her sock Noah locks eyes with me, indicates Mel, and throws his head back as he fans himself.

It would be highly inappropriate to flip off one of my players. Highly unprofessional. But I like to think Noah and I have that kind of relationship, so I do it anyway.

“Did you just flip him off?” Mel stares at me wide-eyed. “Zac, he’s astudent. What kind of team are you running here?”

I stuff my hands into my pockets. “That’s just for Noah. He’s… a bit of a kid brother.” She still looks alarmed, so I add: “I help him out sometimes with a place to stay when things get a little rough for him at home.”

She turns her gaze over her shoulder. Noah has made it back across the field, having a laugh with some of the other players. “I assume that’s what he meant about owing you one? Why wouldn’t you want him to talk about it?”

“He can talk about it all he wants; it’s his life. But I don’t deserve a medal just for helping out a good kid who badly needs someone in his corner. He doesn’t owe me a thing.”

That look. Mel’s softening eyes, the way she rubs her lips together like I’ve stunned her out of a vocabulary. That’s the reason I don’t advertise my relationship with Noah. I’m not some kind of saint. The kid deserves to have someone look out for him.

Her eyes follow the trajectory of my hand as I reach up, run my fingers through my hair. It’s the red shoelace around my wrist. She’s looking at me now like she’s trying real hard to figure me out, and I start to sweat like I expect her to formally deliver the results of her assessment, right here, right now. Gavel and all.

Worthy or not worthy.

Over her head, I see an assistant coach looking at us curiously. And that’s when I realize how utterly callous this is.

Ken Matthews knows Parker. He’s lived in Oakwood Bay long enough to know exactly who Mel is. Most of the staff would, seeing as they’re all long-timers.

Mel is dead set on her brother never catching wind of… whatever the hell it is that’s going on with us. Me, though? I want to reach for her hand. Pull her into my chest. I want everyone here to witness it, to recognize us for what we are, even though Mel can’t see it for herself yet.

See this? Me and her, we’re an us.

Parker’s consequences be damned.

Ken is still watching, and I’m a heartbeat away from tucking that loose strand of hair behind her ear just to see how this unfolds.

But Mel peers over her shoulder, finds him there, takes a step away and the moment is gone. She unzips her bag, and I think it’s supposed to look casual, but she fumbles it a couple of times.

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