Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
HARPER
A noise startles me awake. The sound of a car door slamming. The TV is humming in the background. The sound of male voices filters inside, ones that I can hear from my spot on the couch. The clock on the wall ticks close to one in the morning.
Headlights cast long shadows inside the house. Getting up, I peek out the window by the front door. A group of guys are illuminated, Marcus being at the helm.
Smiling to myself, I pull open the front door. “That must have been some team bonding.”
“Is this the wife?” one of the guys whispers. “She’s hot.”
“Fuck off, Bode.”
“Please tell me none of you drove.” I cross my arms over my chest, glaring at each and every one of them.
“Nah. We got a rideshare,” the older man with gray peppering his beard answers. Out of all the men standing on Marcus’s front porch, he seems to be the most coherent.
“Don’t you have a game tomorrow?” I ask.
“We’ll be fine. It’s a late game.” This from a younger guy leaning against another man in a loving embrace. I’m not sure which of the two of them is holding the other up.
“Well, I’m glad you had a good time.”
“We’ll have to remember to call this team bonding for when these two bozos get married.” The man indicates to the two who are wrapped around each other.
“Is that not what it was?” I give them my best stern teacher face. It apparently works on drunk men as well as second graders. All of them straighten up. As much as six drunk men can.
“We had to throw a bachelor party.”
“This was a bachelor party? Who’s getting married?”
“Marcus did.”
“More team bonding.” Marcus’s eyes are glassy. I don’t know if he’s more drunk or tired.
“What’s your name?” I ask the older one in the back.
“Ummm…” he starts.
“You don’t know your name?”
“Don’t lie to her, Jasper.”
“Damn it, Dax. Now she knows my name.”
I smile at all of them. “It’d be easy to find all of you on the team’s website. You know that, right?”
“You’re smart,” Dax says.
“Why thank you.” I shake my head. “Now, all of you need to go home. I have an early day tomorrow.”
“Yes, ma’am.” One of the guys salutes me as they all stumble down the stairs back to the awaiting SUV.
“Do you need help?” The last thing I want is for one of these guys to fall and break their ankle and not be able to play. Not that it’d be my fault, but I don’t want to take the heat.
“We’re good.”
They’re all laughing by the time the doors of the vehicle slam shut .
“Someone drank too much.” I follow Marcus into the living room as he collapses onto his back on the couch.
“You drank too much,” Marcus fires back.
There’s a smile on his face as he throws an arm over his eyes.
“Is that supposed to be one of your bad jokes?”
“What do you know about bad jokes?”
I drop down onto the coffee table across from Marcus. He flips onto his side to stare at me. Brown eyes meet mine. Even though they’re glassy and red-rimmed, it doesn’t make the stare any less potent.
“I was told you tell bad jokes over pancakes.”
He smiles. The smile that captured my heart back in college.
“The worse, the better.”
“I may have even been invited.”
Another lazy smile that sends my insides swimming. “Well, if the girls want you there, that means you have to come.”
“Oh, really?”
I cross one leg over the other and watch as Marcus’s eyes trail the movement.
“Don’t make me disappoint them. Disappointing them is the worst feeling in the world.”
“Would it disappoint you if I don’t come?” I whisper.
“I’d deserve it.”
“Why?”
“Because…” Marcus sighs, shutting his eyes.
“Marcus?”
I’ve lost him. His breathing turns deep. Too many drinks at this late hour and he’s passed out.
Grabbing the blanket from the back of the couch, I throw it over Marcus and drink my fill. It’s been years since I’ve gotten to look at him. Really look at him .
He looks the same. Except knowing what he’s been through now, I can see the age lines on his face. The faint traces of gray along his temples. It makes him even sexier. And damn it, I can’t help what I do next.
I press a kiss to his forehead. “I don’t want to disappoint you, Marcus. Not anymore.”
Marcus lets out a sigh, his eyes opening the smallest millimeter. “I don’t either. It’s my biggest regret. A mistake.”
“What was a mistake?” I ask.
“Walking away from you seven years ago.”
“And now?”
“Now, being with you again? It’s the most right thing in the world.”
Then he’s out.
“Marcus?” I shake his shoulder to no avail. He’s snoring.
Shit.
Did he mean that?
Hearing those words, I pray he meant them.
More than anything, my heart wants it to be true.
Maybe this could be our shot at a second chance…