Chapter 3
THREE
ELI
“God, it’s dead in here today.” I stared at the phone on the desk and sighed.
“Guess Fridays aren’t big crisis days.” I had another hour on my early afternoon shift at the helpline after my classes.
I’d been unsuccessful in finding any information about where the Spirit Squad practices were being held this week.
“No, but it picks up around four. Too bad you’ve got an away game tomorrow.
” Kate blew a lock of short hair off her freckled nose and stepped toward my desk.
“What’s eating you, anyway? You don’t seem your usual happy self.
” She hitched her hip onto the corner of my desk and peered at me with her stunning green eyes.
“Ah, an old boyfriend of mine showed up on the Spirit Squad, and I’d like to talk to him before we leave for the game this afternoon.
My coach thought I was nuts when I asked if he knew where they practiced this week.
It sounds like they use different facilities on different days, you know, depending on game times and all that shit.
” I planted my elbows on the desk and scrubbed my face.
Football practice sucked this week too. I hadn’t been myself since seeing Wren.
“Why the hell didn’t you say so?” Her face lit. “It just so happens I’m dating a cheerleader.” She fished her phone from the pocket of her cargo pants. “Those girls make me wet.” With a laugh, she tapped her phone.
“Why am I not surprised?” I dropped my arms to my sides. Finally, I’d have my answer. But would it be too late?
Her phone chimed. Looking into the screen, she said, “They’re holding a last-minute practice at the Verde Dickey dome.” Her gaze met mine. “Don’t you practice there?” She hooked a brow.
“Yeah, but I’ve never seen the cheerleaders in the place.” Fuck, how much longer would Wren be there? I glanced at the clock hanging on the wall.
“Go. This is important to you. We’re dead here, and I can handle it.” She pushed on my shoulder.
“Do you mean that?” I stood and grabbed my backpack from the floor under the desk.
“Of course.” She scoffed. “Just don’t return on Monday in a sour mood.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Grabbing her cheeks, I kissed her forehead and hightailed it out of the room.
God, I hoped I'd made it in time. After parking my truck in the lot, I strode toward the dome with my heart beating into my throat. I’d left in such a hurry, I still didn’t know what I’d say to Wren.
Was this really a good idea? I halted at the entrance.
I didn’t want to cause a scene. But we’d board a flight this afternoon, and the situation would be… awkward at best.
Popping the door open, I slipped inside, the rush of cool air washing over me.
Cheering filled the air, along with counting as the squad worked a routine on the opposite end of the field, their backs to me.
Great, I could wait until they finished and then pull Wren aside. I found a folding chair, opened it behind a bin of footballs, and sat down, my full attention on Wren as he backflipped through the air and landed the splits, throwing his arms up, a wide smile lighting his face. He looked so happy.
Warmth threaded through my heart. His face was more angular than in high school, and he’d put on some muscle. He was still so gorgeous. I gnawed my lower lip. How could I have hurt him the way I had? And when his buddy Ethan had emerged from the stall? I’d thought I’d had a heart attack.
I planted my elbows on my thighs and threaded my fingers. If Ethan hadn’t been there, would I have had the courage to admit to Wren what had happened? Probably not. I turned my attention to the field.
Wren wiped his face with a towel and squeezed the shoulder of a blonde cheerleader.
They seemed close. Who was she? He was gay and not bisexual.
Or was he? Were they dating? I peered closer at them.
Sometimes sexuality was fluid and could change.
I’d heard just about every scenario working at the helpline.
He might have identified as gay in high school, and maybe now he considered himself bisexual? Fuck.
Wren smacked the woman on the ass and both laughed, the woman throwing her head back, her long ponytail swinging across her back.
She was pretty and fit. Was he into that now? He’d liked muscled men like me in high school. I ground my molars, watching them flirt. This was stupid. I shouldn’t be here. I looked like a damn stalker.
As I made to stand, he glanced my way. “Fuck.” I ducked down. Now was not the time. Not when his girlfriend was around. Had they met in class or when he joined the cheer team?
Cheering and counting filled the dome again.
I peeked over the bin, watching his strict but graceful movements as he followed along with the rest of the squad.
My heart raced, and my stomach fluttered.
He still did it for me. After all this time, no man had ever given me these emotions.
He might have broken me forever when he left me.
But he deserved a better man or woman than me.
As I watched, mesmerized by his movements, my phone vibrated in my shorts. “Shit!” With a jump, I slipped it from my pocket and peered at the screen.
Casey
Where the hell are you? Are you traveling to the stadium with us, or heading there alone?
Shit, it was getting late, and they expected me home for the pre-game festivities. I typed.
Eli
I’ll be home shortly. The helpline was busy this afternoon.
Damn it. I shouldn’t lie to him. But, fuck, I couldn’t tell him my actual location. Only Malik knew my secret, and it would stay that way. I pursed my lips. Did it still make me a coward? Yeah, for now.
With one last glance at the Spirit Squad, I rushed from the facility and carefully shut the door behind me. Hopefully, Wren hadn’t seen my back as I left. But then, maybe he’d completely forgotten about me, now that he had a beautiful new girlfriend to dote on.
After piling into vehicles and arriving at the stadium parking lot, we dropped off our luggage with the porters and waited for instructions on which bus to load onto for our trip to the airport. I stood with Casey, Malik and Tex, my gaze scanning the crowd for the Spirit Squad and Wren.
Malik backhanded my shoulder. “Come on, we’re on number two.”
I followed him to the bus with Casey and Tex behind us and climbed the stairs. What were the odds we’d travel on the same bus as the cheerleaders? As I walked through the rows, my gaze snagged on Wren through a bus window, and I mumbled, “Fuck.” Here we go.
Malik slipped into a row and dropped into a window seat.
Casey and Tex walked further down, Casey sitting next to Marks, our new wide receiver.
I chewed my lower lip, watching the others mount the stairs and amble through the bus. As my pulse sped up, I bounced my leg. Would Wren say anything to me? Or would he be too preoccupied with his new girlfriend to notice me?
“Jesus, dude, settle down.” Malik squeezed my shaking thigh. “You’ve got a lot of nervous energy going on.”
“Yeah, well, my ex is about to get on our bus.” With a scoff, I flipped my gaze to the window, focusing on the back rafters of the stadium. It would be a long-ass season if I had to watch Wren with a new love. It would have been bad enough just knowing he was here, but now? Fuck.
Malik leaned in. “Don’t let him distract you during the game.” He lowered his brows. “You need closure in that situation.”
“I know.” I shook the leg opposite Malik and wrung my hands in my lap. This sucked. “I tried. I learned where they practiced this morning, which was the fucking dome, and went there.” Then I’d lost my nerve.
“And? Why didn’t you talk to him? Was he busy?” He knitted his brows.
“Yeah, with another cheerleader. They looked like they were together.” My gut twisted. “I think he switched sides.”
Huffing a laugh, he said, “Are you serious? No fucking way. I thought he was gay?”
I snapped my gaze to him. “You can identify as gay when you're younger and something else later. It happens.” He hadn’t had the education in sexuality I had working at the center.
Shaking his head, he said, “I guess. I just like them all. I don’t care what gender someone is. It’s all fair game.” He gave me a mega-watt smile. “Casey and I are the same way.”
“Used to be the same way.” I glanced behind me, where Casey sat, chatting away with everyone around him. “Now that he’s found Ryker, I don’t think he’ll ever be with another woman.”
“Dude, that doesn’t make him any less bisexual. You know that.” He play-punched my shoulder.
With a sigh, I said, “Yeah—”
Wren’s glare bored into me as he strolled by, and then with a huff, he snapped his profile to me and lifted his chin.
His blonde girlfriend followed, giving me a thin-lipped smile.
“Shit.” Leaning forward, I hung my head. Did she know about me? Did the entire cheering squad know what I did at this point?
“Uh…” Malik’s gaze chased Wren as he twisted in his seat. “Dude gave you the meanest death glare I’ve ever seen.”
With a slow nod, I stared at the floorboard. “I know. He still hates me.” But he hadn’t forgotten about me.
Jabbing his thumb at the isle, Malik said, “Was the chick behind him the girlfriend?”
“Yeah.” Pain twisted in my chest. “She knows. There was no mistaking the look she gave me.” If my secret got out, could it ruin my reputation at the school and especially with the helpline?
What if they requested that I not volunteer there anymore?
I swiped my face with my hands. “This is bad. I have to talk to him. I don’t know how many people he’s confided in, and you know how shit like that circulates. ”
“I sure do, and I agree. You need to address this promptly.” He squeezed my shoulder and rocked me sideways. “But do it before the game, so you don’t suck as badly as last week.”
“Fuck off.” With a choked chuckle, my gaze rose to his, and I sank into my seat. “I’ll figure something out.”
“Good.” He dropped his arm to his side, the bus door closed, and the vehicle started moving.