Chapter 20
BURTON
The week has been full of trainings, appointments, and restaurant shifts, but it feels like it’s been dragging. I shouldn’t be this attached to Laney this quickly, but I can’t help it.
We’ve texted here and there, and getting her photo with the green skittle made me grin for hours, but it’s been hard to connect when one of us isn’t working.
Maybe I should call her tonight and see if we can chat? She’s two hours ahead though, so that makes things harder.
Coach Martin added another five days of two-a-days onto the already long, six-day stint we usually do. Jackson looked half dead that first week after the intense training and cardio sessions.
It hasn’t been as bad for me since I started training with Laney. Sure, we only got a few sessions together, but those helped spur me on to daily workouts that differed from my typical weight training and boring, long jogs.
“How goes it?” Clark asks as we stop for a water break.
The spring didn’t last long, and it’s going to be a blazing summer if it keeps up like this.
“It’s going,” I say, breathing out and in a few times as I try to recover from the sprints.
“Are you ready for this? We have the Rattlers in ten days.”
I nod. “Nine, actually. I’m ready for whatever hits us. How are you?”
Clark grins. “I’m good. Things are coming along for the event.”
I blink a few times and then remember what he’s talking about. Working at the restaurant has taken up any extra time I’ve had in the evenings, and I haven’t seen any of my roommates outside of practices since we started. “What route did you take?”
“The marketing team liked the idea of a photo scavenger hunt. They sent it out yesterday, and we’ve already gotten a bunch of submissions from all over the state.”
I raise an eyebrow. “A bunch, as in what? Ten?”
Clark laughs, slapping me on the back. “Probably, but they sounded excited about it.”
I don’t tell him they just started working for SMG, and we’ve never done anything like this, so there isn’t much data to go on.
“What do you need the team to do?” I ask, leaning over to pick up my stick.
“We’ll decide that before the big day, but probably walk the kids through a few drills.”
Nodding, I say, “That I can do. We probably better get out there before Coach gets whistle-happy.”
“Are you doing okay, Burton?” Clark asks.
“I’m great,” I say, giving him an overly cheesy smile.
Clark shakes his head. “You don’t look great. You need some rest, brother.”
I shake my head and say, “No, I’ll be fine. I’m living the life I’ve always wanted.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Working yourself to the bone is your dream life?”
“It’s not that bad, and it’s not forever. I’d do this for a hundred years before I’d trap myself behind a desk.”
He reaches over and puts his hand on my shoulder. “I don’t think you can sustain it for that long, Burton.”
“I’ve got a bunch in savings, and I’m ready for the summer.”
He studies my face for a few moments, looking like he wants to call my bluff. Instead, he says, “What about Laney?”
“What about her?” I ask, running a hand through my hair so it’s out of the way when I put my helmet on. I don’t want to volunteer up any extra information than necessary.
“Have you talked to her since she’s been gone?” Clark asks, snapping in the straps of his helmet.
“A bit, here and there. It sounds like they’re having fun.” From the little I’ve been able to gather, at least.
I turn and frown, not sure I want to think about Laney right now. I’m supposed to lock in and focus on lacrosse. This is the reason I play, what I suffered through box lacrosse to get to. And yet, everything I’ve talked to Laney about is all front of mind.
“You miss her, don’t you?” Clark says.
I turn to look at him and say, “Yeah. Yeah, I miss her.”
“Did you tell her that?”
“We’ve been missing each other through texts. Either she has a late game or I’m working late, and then with practices and all the meetings she has to attend throughout the day, it’s hard.”
Clark gives me a small smile. “My fiancée is there too.”
“True. But you’ve done this before, the long-distance thing. I’ve hugged and almost kissed Laney, but that’s it.”
“Maybe you should tell her—”
“What? That I’ve started having feelings for her? That I’m not sure what they are exactly, but I enjoy being with her.”
Clark shrugs. “Why not?”
“Because my life is chaos right now. I don’t think it’s a great idea to bring someone into that.”
Clark shrugs. “If you want to, you will. If you want to make it work, you will. It’s all about mindset. If she’s okay with coming into it and sticking with you, what’s wrong with that?”
That’s something to chew on.
We’re back out doing drills, and I’m pushing harder than I usually do, probably because it’s something I can focus on, rather than the unknown. I honestly don’t know how to do that.
I was so focused on lacrosse growing up that I never really worried about having a girlfriend.
College was the same, although I hung out with one of the volleyball players.
I say ‘hung out with’ because we were opposite seasons, which made it hard for any genuine connection.
Maybe that’s why it’s easy to text Laney without worrying about things getting too serious.
But for the first time, I want things to get more serious.
Is that fair to Laney, though?
The worst I can do is ask, I guess. Maybe it’s good we have all this time away from each other. We can talk and figure it out.
Only six more days until she comes back.