Chapter 35
CADEN
August slipped away. Those last two weeks on Oakport felt like a good soccer game; fun, exciting, then suddenly hearing the final whistle telling you it was all over—when you felt it hadn’t even really begun. When you had another good couple of minutes in you.
And I couldn’t make use of them.
Valentina attempted to heave her suitcase out of the house— until I took it from her with a scolding look, that immediately died when she smiled at me. Didn’t I tell you I’d take care of it?
She rolled her eyes, handed it over, then kissed me on the cheek before we moved toward her car—or the thing that would hopefully get us from point A to point B (I wasn’t sure if it still classified as a car). You did, she admitted. But I thought—
You thought you didn’t want to bother me, I guessed. Correctly, by the way she hit my arm playfully.
Valentina opened the trunk for me, and it made a loud, squeaky noise before I maneuvered her suitcase inside. The… car bounced a little on impact. But I thought, I began, pretending to think long and hard—only my smile gave me away. I told you you’d never be able to do that.
Bother you?
Mhm, I hummed, pulled her closer and leaned against the car, carefully, in case it decided to break under my weight. I wouldn’t be surprised. You’re capable of a lot, but annoying me isn’t one of those things, Valentina.
She pressed her lips to mine, short and sweet. Not even if I’d start being mean to you again?
I kind of liked it, I argued, only to hear and see the laugh that tumbled out of her a second later. Her arms wrapped around my neck, and my hands automatically slipped into the back pockets of her jeans.
Oh yeah, she remembered. The degradation kink.
The next words, thank God, were neither mine nor hers: I’m going to be sick!
Iris announced, pretending to gag as she waltzed out of the door into the front yard.
Can we go back to two weeks ago, and I’ll just pretend to be really mad about this?
Her finger flicked back and forth between Valentina and me.
Only so I don’t have to be reminded of how painfully single I am every time I see you two together.
Valentina laughed when she turned in my grip, pressing her back against me.
My arms easily wrapped around her stomach, pulling her closer again.
Maybe because I knew I’d be gone in three days.
Because I was starting a job in a different city and it would be the first time we’d be apart.
Because I already missed her, when she was literally in my arms—ass nestling against my crotch.
She knew exactly what she was doing, but instead of acknowledging it, she shouted back at Iris across the yard. You never say anything when it’s Anni and Mike! she cried, outraged and amused—and still wiggling against my lap. My hands around her tightened, and she swallowed a yelp.
Because I’m used to it from them. Iris leaned against the same car, finally making Valentina stop moving.
Too late, though. I was hard as a rock, and I knew she knew. The triumphant look she sent me over her shoulder said enough.
I’m— Valentina stopped herself, then went on to say: Not sorry.
Iris gasped, my hands fell away from Val’s waist to clap ironically, and she pretended to bow for us. Thank you, thank you, she repeated, over and over again.
The clapping grew louder when the rest of the group appeared in the yard, one by one leaving the house. Alfie was last, locking it behind them. What are we clapping for? Anni asked, despite all three of them having joined in by now.
Valentina is not sorry!
Two more gasps, identical to Iris’. A second later, they all burst out laughing. Three seconds later, they were in each other’s arms. Like they’d planned it, Valentina and Iris broke into a sprint at the exact same time, running the few yards until Alfie and Anni met them in the middle.
Their group hug was a mess. Limbs entangled, screeching and Ouch, my hair! audible every now and then. Cries of I’ll miss you so much!, when they’d see each other in exactly five hours back on campus, because we were taking different cars.
Alfie and Iris.
Valentina and me.
Anni and Mike.
The latter leaned against the car next to me now. If you don’t say goodbye to me like that when you leave for Boston, I’ll be pissed, dude.
I’ll kiss you goodbye, and I’ll make it sweeter than the farewell party the team threw you a few months ago.
Mike was done studying, which meant everyone had known he’d leave the team.
He had his master’s, and he was moving to New York at the end of fall.
Still a few weeks left, but he wouldn’t be on campus all that much—to pick up Anni, if at all.
So the party had happened right after graduation.
We’ll throw you one even sweeter. He laughed, nudging my side.
And I’ll actually be able to drink at this one, I sighed wistfully. No captain making me feel bad for letting down an entire team because I wanted to have one beer.
Mike only shrugged, the same nostalgic expression on his face that must’ve been on mine.
Despite the stress and the headache and the fact that I didn’t like soccer all that much anymore, the past four years on the team had been great.
The past four years with the boys even greater.
Winning and losing alongside them, learning and growing into the men we were today—it had been an honor, and I’d miss them.
Until now, I hadn’t really thought about that at all.
I’d been so focused on how little I liked the sport and how much I wanted to get away from HBU, I’d stopped appreciating it.
Even if something wasn’t for me anymore, that didn’t mean I couldn’t appreciate the time I’d spent with it.
And one thing ending only meant something else was just beginning.
Valentina fell around my neck, buried her head in my chest, and let her hand run through the hair at my nape that had gotten way too long in comparison to its usual neat trim.
She sighed against me, let herself go limp, and wasn’t at all surprised when I picked her up.
Her legs simply wrapped around me, and she clung to my neck a little harder.
All done? I asked lowly, right into her ear. She nodded before emerging from the depths of my neck.
All done. Shall we?
In response, I carried her all the way to the passenger side, opened the door with one hand, and let her gently slip into the seat. Are you sure you don’t want me to drive?
Very.
And are you sure you know how to drive? She’s… special. That being the car.
Less sure, I admitted. But I’ll figure it out.
And I only stalled the car once before we drove home.
Home. Not the place you grew up in or an overpriced apartment you rented, but where your heart felt full and your smiles were wide and you knew, no matter what, the people around you would never leave.
I let my eyes drift off the road just once, very quickly, to look at my Home, in the passenger seat, smiling back at me.