Chapter 24
“Sawyer has demanded your presence at his soccer game tonight.” Wes was standing at my bedroom door, a hopeful expression on his face. “He told me to tell you, and I quote, ‘he will be very disappointed if you miss another of his matches.’”
“Oh no, really?”
“Yep.” Wes sounded remarkably positive considering my response.
I’d been avoiding Sawyer’s matches for one very good reason.
I didn’t want to watch Noah play. I’d been trying to purge him from my life, and going to his games seemed an unnecessary torture.
I was working on moving on now, so it was probably time I stopped using him as an excuse.
Still, it was cold this evening, and the idea of freezing my butt off as I sat in a soccer stadium wasn’t that appealing.
“Sawyer won’t even know if I’m there or not. Isn’t the presence of the rest of the school enough for him?”
“His need for adoration knows no bounds.”
I laughed. Sawyer did seem to enjoy soaking up the attention he got during his games. He wasn’t even the star player, but he certainly acted like he was.
“Also, he’s decided you’re his good luck charm. He didn’t play very well at his last game, and since you weren’t there, he’s decided you’re to blame.”
“He can’t be serious. Is he really that superstitious?”
Wes shrugged. “I might be his brother, but not even I understand Sawyer most of the time.”
“I’m not going to his game just because he played like crap last week.”
“He also promised to stop calling you sis if you come.”
“Ugh, he told you about that?”
“Oh yeah. He’s already planning our wedding.”
I groaned. “Please tell me you’re joking.”
Wes grinned. “I am, mostly. He’s very team Wesobel.”
“Oh no, not the couple name. Has he been talking to Cress?”
Wes laughed. “Probably. You’ve got to admit though, Wesobel has kind of a ring to it.”
I glared at him, and he held his hands up in surrender.
“Okay, no couple name. But will you come to the game?”
“I don’t know. It seems like a lot of pressure to be Sawyer’s lucky charm…”
“I’m sure Cress would like you to see her dancing too,” Wes added.
I let out a breath, knowing there was no way I could say no now.
If Wes wanted me at the game, he probably should have led with that argument.
Cress had mentioned she’d like me to be there earlier today, and I was already feeling guilty about letting her down.
I couldn’t avoid Noah’s games forever, so I was just going to have to suck it up and face the cold.
My shoulders slouched. “Okay, fine. You’ve twisted my arm. I’ll come.”
Surprise lit Wes’s eyes as though he hadn’t believed it would be that easy to convince me. “You will?”
“Yeah, I’m not sure I can handle disappointing both Sawyer and Cress.”
“And don’t forget me. I would have been disappointed if you weren’t there too.”
“Well, we couldn’t have that.”
I changed quickly and threw on the same outfit I’d worn to the last soccer game, but I added a sweater, jacket, gloves, beanie, and scarf to keep me warm.
I looked like the Michelin Man, but I didn’t care.
I just hoped it was enough to keep me warm.
There was nothing worse than being stuck outside in the cold when you weren’t wearing enough.
We set off for the stadium, and the moment I was outside, I began to question my decision. It wasn’t just cold this evening; it was freezing. Not even the extra layers I’d put on seemed to be helping.
“It’s not even winter yet. How is it so cold?” I grumbled as the freezing wind cut through my sweater and lashed against my exposed cheeks.
Wes chuckled. “I’m surprised you can feel the cold at all given the way you’re bundled up.”
“I’m going to turn into an icicle,”
“You’d make a very adorable icicle.”
I rolled my eyes. “No one cares if they’re adorable or not once they’re frozen, Wesley.”
He kept smiling at me like my response only made me more adorable to him. I nudged him with my shoulder, hoping to distract him enough that he’d stop looking at me that way.
“Come on,” I said. “Let’s walk faster so we can get out of the wind.”
When we reached the stadium, Anna waved us over to some seats she’d saved. “I can’t believe you came,” she said as I sat beside her. “Wes told me he was going to talk to you, but I didn’t think he’d actually be able to convince you. The weather’s foul.”
“I guess Wes can be pretty convincing when he wants to be.”
“It’s a skill,” he agreed with a proud smile. His blond hair was sticking out under the sides of his beanie, and his cheeks were pink from the icy wind. I had no idea how he managed to look so good despite the cold. It didn’t suit me nearly as much.
I kept sniffing because my nose was runny, and the cold had already permeated my jeans and was chilling my legs.
I had expected my gloves to at least keep my hands warm, but my fingers were almost numb.
I cupped my hands to my mouth and blew into them, hoping to thaw my fingers out a little, but it was useless.
“You look like you’re freezing,” Wes said. “Here.” He didn’t wait for me to respond before he wrapped his arm around me.
I turned rigid as he pulled me in close.
I wasn’t sure if cuddling up to Wes at a soccer game was really a good idea, but the moment his warmth hit me, all hesitation disappeared.
He was practically my own space heater, and I cuddled into him trying to get warmer still.
I knew I should have been more cautious, in case this was giving him the wrong idea about us, but I was too cold to care.
The team came out onto the field, and I stiffened again slightly in Wes’s grasp as I waited to spot Noah. When I didn’t see him, I managed to relax. Cress had said he was sick, so maybe he wasn’t well enough to play today. I couldn’t help but feel a little relieved.
Wes laughed, and I followed his gaze to his brother who was blowing kisses into the crowd. Actually, he was sending them right at us. I scowled at him, but that only made Sawyer smile brighter.
“I think he’s happy his lucky charm is here,” Wes said.
“I hope he doesn’t actually believe that. I’m really not sure I can handle the pressure.”
Wes gave me a squeeze, and with his lips close to my ear, he whispered, “Maybe we can tell him you’re too busy being my lucky charm instead.”
I swallowed, my body tingling as I felt his breath against my neck. “Yeah, maybe that will work.” I tried to whisper, but my words seemed to become stuck in my throat.
Anna shot me a curious look, and I smiled back at her as innocently as I could. She shrugged and turned away as the girl next to her said something. I let out a breath. Wes was totally getting under my skin right now in all the good ways, and I hoped it wasn’t too obvious.
The game started, and thankfully Wes’s attention moved from my neck to the field.
The teams seemed better matched tonight than the last game I’d come to, and Weybridge was finding it difficult to score.
I wondered if it was because Noah wasn’t playing.
He was a force to be reckoned with both on and off the field, and our guys seemed to be struggling without him.
Sawyer was playing well, but there was only so much he could do on his own. The rest of the team was lagging, and I had a feeling I wasn’t quite as lucky a charm as Sawyer thought.
When the whistle blew for the halftime break, both teams had yet to score. “I was thinking of grabbing a hot chocolate to warm up,” Wes said. “Do you girls want one?”
“That sounds great,” I said.
“Only if it’s spiked with Baileys,” Anna replied.
Wes lifted his eyebrows in reply. “I don’t think the school canteen spikes hot chocolates with Baileys…”
“I’m joking, obviously.” Anna laughed. “Although that would really help warm us up. But yeah, I’ll take a regular hot chocolate. Thanks, Wes.”
He started off down the bleachers, and I watched him go with a smile on my face. Wes could be really sweet.
“You guys should just date already,” Anna said, drawing my attention back to her.
My cheeks flushed. “It’s not like that between us.”
“It should be, and I bet he thinks it is. He’s completely in love with you.”
“No, he’s still getting over Sarah, and I’m just a distraction.”
“He doesn’t exactly look like he’s crying into his pillow at night over her. They might have been together for ages, but they’ve barely spent any time together lately. Even over the summer, they didn’t see each other. To be honest, I think they’ve kind of been over for a while.”
“We’re just friends.”
“The whole snuggling into each other as you watch a soccer game isn’t exactly giving off the just friends vibe.”
“It’s only because I’m cold.”
“Does he know that?”
I fell silent. Maybe Anna had a point. Things had been changing between Wes and I.
We had kissed several times now, and he’d been flirting with me all week.
We were definitely straying beyond the friendship zone.
It was just a few impulsive kisses though.
Did that really mean we automatically needed to be more than friends?
Thankfully, the dance team started their halftime performance and brought an end to our conversation.
I didn’t have an answer for Anna’s questions.
The truth was, I didn’t really know where I stood with Wes.
He’d told me he was happy being just friends, but what if he wanted more? What if I wanted more?
“Did I miss much?” Wes asked, returning with the hot chocolates.
“Thanks,” I murmured, taking the drink from him before I shook my head. “Cress and the team only just started.”
“Good.” He settled into his seat, wrapping his arm around me again.
He did it without any hesitation, and Anna’s words started rattling around in my head once again.
I really liked Wes, and I’d have to be crazy to deny there wasn’t something between us.
But Noah was still taking up too much space in my heart, loitering there like some kind of unwanted roommate, and it wouldn’t be fair to Wes to pretend otherwise.