38. Sully
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
sully
“ELEANOR, THEY’RE TRYING TO get that ball shaped like Hey Arnold’s head past that line on the field,” I whispered, and she shot me an exasperated look, the corner of her mouth twitching.
“Are you forgetting how many football games I’ve been to with you over the years?” she asked.
She should know by now that the answer to that question was always going to be no. I didn’t forget. I didn’t forget anything when it came to her.
“Are you forgetting how you’d play games on your phone the entire time?” I lifted a brow, and a breathy laugh left her lips, delighting me. “When’s the last time you watched a game? Or any sporting event, for that matter.”
She shrugged. Glanced away. Her eyes wandered around the North Star, flicking over the seemingly infinite number of mounted TVs and the signature remodeled warehouse vibe of many Minneapolis bars and breweries. This one had exposed brick and exposed beams that made it feel warmer than some, though.
“Last fall sometime.”
“Sometime?”
“When Noah plays at home, I watch.”
“In Boston?”
“No, sorry.” She shook her head. “I meant here. When he plays in our home, I watch.”
Our home.
I got so distracted by those two words that I almost forgot to ask, “Wait, why only those games?”
Beside me, my brother snorted.
I scowled at Theo. “What?”
“Could ask you the same question,” he muttered, giving me a pointed look that I didn’t understand.
“I watch, like, almost all of Noah’s games,” I argued.
“But you only go to the home ones.”
“Yeah…so?”
I was utterly confused, and Eleanor was no help. She was dragging her finger around the rim of her water glass, and unlike my brother, she was decidedly not looking at me.
But before I could dig for more, Theo cut in again.
“Speaking of that, did you see the texts from Nat the other day?”
I didn’t know how to tell my brother that I’d basically forgotten that the outside world existed for the last month, so I just shook my head.
“Must have missed those.”
“She wants to make plans for Noah’s Minneapolis game this year,” Theo explained as I fished my phone out of my pocket to see what Natalie had said when I’d been ignoring everyone but Eleanor.
Sure enough, our sibling group chat had about ten unread messages I hadn’t looked at.
“She wants to visit with Chloe and Cameron,” Theo went on.
“Blake chimed in that they’d plan on coming, too. ”
I nodded, quickly reading through the messages Theo mentioned. But there was one at the end that he’d conveniently not mentioned.
NOAH: Gemma says she wants to come that weekend, too. She’s debating whether to bring Delilah or leave her with her parents. But her sister might tag along. She wants to visit the U.
Natalie and Blake both responded to the message, saying that sounded great, and they were glad Gemma was coming, but Theo over here hadn’t said diddly squat.
“Did you not see what Noah said?” I asked, raising a brow as I glanced at him.
He pretended not to hear me, taking a sip of his beer.
“Theodore.”
His eyes skirted sideways. “Hm?”
“Did you see what our brother said? About his fiance?e and her sister?”
He cleared his throat. “I saw it.”
“And you’ve got…nothing to say?”
A shrug. “I think it’s great that Gemma’s coming. We had fun last year.”
Rolling my eyes, I shot a glance at Ellie. “He’s being purposefully obtuse, Eleanor.”
But she was no help. “I’m not following. Why is it a big deal if Gemma comes?”
“It’s not Gemma,” I sighed, exasperated. “It’s that she’s bringing her sister. To visit the U. Where Theo works. And Theo is—”
“He didn’t say which sister,” Theo cut in with his perfect timing.
“And I notice you didn’t ask.”
Theo was silent.
“Are you going to ask?” I pressed.
My brother released a heavy exhale and scrubbed a hand over his face, mumbling something about how annoying I was.
Pretty typical.
I liked that, though. I liked that I could sit in this bar and bother my brother and watch football and feel like the world was spinning at a normal pace again. And I especially liked that I got to have Ellie with me for it all.
“How’d you manage to get Theo this stressed-out in the time it took for me to go to the bathroom?” Cooper asked as he slid back into his spot in the booth.
“A certain redhead with the last name of Briggs is coming to tour campus, but we don’t even know if it’s the one he’s obsessed with, and he won’t bother asking,” I explained.
Ellie’s eyes bugged out. “Oh?”
“I hate you,” Theo grunted while folding his arms over his chest, assuming the defensive position.
“It’s okay, man,” I said, unfazed as I unlocked my phone again. “I’ll figure it out for you.”
“Touring campus, huh?” Cooper’s grin was lopsided. “Theo works on campus.” He wiggled his brows up and down. “Imagine that.”
“I hate both of you.” He turned to Ellie. “Any chance you want to go have a drink, over there, without them?”
Ellie placed her elbows on the table and then folded her fingers together, perching her chin there. God, I adored her. “I don’t know. I’m pretty invested in which Briggs sister is coming to Minnesota. Which one do we want it to be, Theodore?”
My brother hung his head, giving it a mournful shake. “Never expected to be betrayed by you, Ellie Bellie,” he said, but there was a hint of a smile on his face, one that mirrored the one on Ellie’s, and my heart squeezed.
I needed more of that, of this—her smile, her peace, her here with my family again.
Dragging my gaze away from her, I focused on the text I was crafting in the group chat.
Late to the party here, but can’t wait for everyone to come visit. Noah, I know you’re busy playing a game or whatever, but when you’re done could you please let me know which of your future sisters-in-law is tagging along? I’ll need to know for the welcome basket.
Theo’s phone buzzed on the table as soon as I sent the message, and he seemed to be unable to help himself, grabbing the phone and reading it.
“Welcome basket?” he repeated, snorting. “I can’t with you.”
“You’re welcome, by the way.” And then I ignored the face he made, giving my attention to my favorite person in the whole world and speaking softer, grateful that Theo changed the subject back to football and was discussing some shit about the last play with Cooper. “Will you come?”
A flicker of surprise crossed over her face. “To the game?”
“Yeah.” Unable to help myself, I swept her bangs to the side so I could see her eyes better. “To the game. With everyone.”
“I…” She hesitated, and I knew maybe the idea of it sounded like a lot. It was a lot.
“You don’t have to decide right now.”
“Okay,” she said, but her smile grew. “But I think I’d like that.”
“Yeah?”
She nodded, more resolute. “Yeah.”
I’d take it.
It was really more than I could ever hope for.
Grabbing my phone, I decided to send one more text.
Oh, and I also invited Ellie.
BLAKE: Oh, wow.
NATALIE: So you felt it, too?
What?
NATALIE: Some kind of cosmic shift or something.
NATALIE: I think it was the world, like, righting itself again.
BLAKE: Yup. Everything is as it should be again.
When I looked up from my phone, Theo wore a soft grin as he looked between me and Ellie, and something in my chest felt like it just might burst.
Close.
We were close.
Not everything was right, and not everything was as it should be, but we were close. So close I could almost taste it, and I didn’t want to burst my siblings’ bubbles—not right now. Not when I had Ellie tucked next to my side in this booth, her warmth seeping through my thin T-shirt.
A second later, her hand rested on my thigh beneath the table, and I stilled.
I hadn’t even realized I’d been bouncing my leg, but she always noticed.
The heat of her touch felt like it was melting my jeans off, and I held my breath, not knowing if it was safe to breathe or move or speak, not knowing whether she’d disappear again if I acknowledged her. It seemed safer not to.
Her hand moved down to my knee and then back up, fingers dragging along the inner seam of my jeans, and besides a shudder I couldn’t repress, I remained still, letting her explore.
Just like last night, I was afraid to spook her, afraid to tip this careful balance we existed in.
Seeing her let go a little as she rode my thigh had nearly been my undoing, but I could tell it had been a big step for her, and I didn’t want to push her too fast.
That didn’t mean it wasn’t a challenge, though.
The simplest touch, and my cock was swelling in my jeans.
Having her hands on me again was a feeling like no other.
My pulse seemed to triple in speed, and my vision grew hazy.
The little air that was between us felt thick, like I’d need to slice it to get to her.
Fuck, I wanted Eleanor Summers like I’d never wanted her before. I had no idea it was even possible to want her this much. To want her more. I’d loved her for so long, but lately, every fucking heartbeat in my aching chest called her goddam name, and I could only ignore it for so much longer.
Close, I reminded myself.
We were so close.
And I wouldn’t trade it for anything.