Chapter 24
TWENTY FOUR
Grey
“A bit better than a dive, don’t ya think?” Oli leans back, looking at the setting sun morphing with pinks and oranges, his short-sleeved collared shirt unbuttoned and an easy smile on his face. I haven’t seen him this relaxed in well . . . I think, ever.
While he’s right, I do miss our traditions after away games. Whenever we’d win, we’d find some hidden dive bar in the middle of nowhere. Atlas, Oli, and me.
That was until Andre came into the picture. Then I got injured. “I miss the dive bars.” Atlas stares into his drink, echoing my own thoughts.
“You alright?” I ask him. My best friend has been uncharacteristically quiet.
“Fucking peachy,” he murmurs, playing with the umbrella in the drink. Some sort of pink concoction that probably has more sugar than alcohol.
“I wonder how Felix is doing with Andre.” Oli grins. “He probably has him grinding on the dance floor with a whole pitcher of margaritas drained between them.” The idea of that makes me laugh.
“What do you even know about this guy?” Atlas asks me. “You just let a stranger into your home, and now you’re all housed up with him?”
I’m not getting into Felix’s past without him being here.
“I do trust him.” I lean forward, forcing Atlas’s gaze up to look at me.
What is going on with him? For the last two years I could read him so well.
Now it’s like I can’t recognize my friend looking back at me.
I knew he’d take me retiring hard, but this .
. . I don’t know, this seems different. “I like him, Atlas.”
I may even love him.
Oli shifts in his seat, coughing. “He seems like a nice guy,” he says, trying to cut through whatever’s happening between Atlas and me. The thing is, I don’t give away my trust lightly. I’ve been burned too many times before. But there’s something about Felix that centers my heart.
It’s rare for me to feel like this.
I appreciate Atlas looking out for me. I mean, he’s been there through the nights I felt worthless. The nights I let the things my exes did bleed into me. Atlas was there. Atlas knows my heart like I know his.
With Felix I feel like I can free fall and know that the landing will be soft. He won’t hurt me. “Oli and Andre, now you and Felix,” he murmurs, taking a loud sip of his drink. The hazy look in his normally bright blue eyes has me on edge. What’s happening to him?
Being friends with Atlas is like riding a roller coaster. You go through ups and downs—extreme joy, sadness, and terror, in a constant loop that you get used to the longer you’re on it.
Only now it’s like the ride broke down on the edge of the first big drop and you have no idea when you’re about to plummet. “What’s going on with you?”
“Everyone is moving on. Finding their someone. Oli’s with Andre most of the time now on the road.
You won’t be playing anymore. You’ll go to some home games and maybe have drinks with us, but it’ll happen less and less .
. .” He stares down, drumming his fingers on the table.
“Soon you two will just be people I used to know.”
What is he talking about? “Atlas. We will always be friends. You and Oli are my fucking family.” I bang the table in front of him, forcing his gaze up to me.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but if you’re worried that we won’t have time for you, that’s not gonna happen.
We will always be there for you. You will never be alone.
You hear me?” He swallows, shaking his head.
The subtle eye roll pisses me off. This cocky brat.
“We aren’t going anywhere,” Oli reassures him.
Atlas picks at the table in front of him, eyes down.
“When is someone going to love me?” The words are so softly spoken I almost think I misheard him.
My friend may be a mess, but he’s the sweetest mess around.
It’s going to take someone with a lot of patience and structure, but I have no doubt Atlas will find that person.
“You’re not even twenty-five. You have plenty of time to find your person. Hell, I’m thirty-three and just finding him. Andre and Oli are almost thirty. There’s no time limit. Don’t rush yourself. Enjoy your life.”
Atlas straightens in his seat, downing the rest of his drink. “I think I’m going to head back. Not feeling good.”
“Atlas—”
“I’ll see you guys in the morning.” He squeezes my shoulder as he gets up, leaving us sitting here alone.
“What the hell was that about?” I look at Oli. “What’s going on with him?” He opens his mouth but says nothing. I see it, though. It’s a tiny flicker but I catch it. He knows something I don’t. “What? Tell me.”
“Let’s head back. They’re probably almost done dancing anyway. It’s late.”
“Oli.” Instead, he stands. I follow him to the bar to settle our tab. “Drinks are on me.”
“Good man.” He squeezes my shoulders as we walk.
We head back up the beach to the hotel. “You’re not going to tell me, huh?”
“If it were you, would you tell?”
“No. But you’re not me. You’re Oli. Bad, bad Oli who spills secrets.” He laughs, holding the door open for me as we walk through the lobby. “Fine, don’t tell me.”
“Atlas will be fine. He’s taking you retiring hard.
He’s young. He thinks all this will be forever, but it won’t.
Soon it’ll be his turn to retire. You know how dramatic he can be.
He’ll be okay. You not playing doesn’t mean we won’t be close anymore.
” He throws his arm around me leaning into me.
“At least it better fucking not.” He pats my chest.
With his weight around me, it’s only now I feel my knee.
Or don’t feel it.
There’s no pain. “Holy shit.”
“What?” He pulls back.
“My knee.”
“Fuck, sorry.” He snatches his arm away. “You alright?”
“Yeah.” I laugh; I can’t help it. “I can’t feel anything. It feels okay.” Now that I notice it, I feel a slight twinge, but it’s nothing. Nothing compared to what it has been. What it was only months ago.
“That’s incredible. See what happens when you stop being a stubborn dick?”
“Fuck you.”
“Can’t. I’m taken.” He wiggles his brows. Oli squeezes my shoulder as we stop at my room. “Breakfast tomorrow? We’re meeting up with Colton and Ryker.”
“Sounds good.” I pull out my key card to swipe it.
“Hey, Grey.” I look at him. “I’m really happy for you.”
I grab Oli in a hug. “You too. Can’t believe you’re getting married.”
He kisses the side of my head and walks off. Too many emotions are filling me right now. My mind is still on Atlas’s attitude. In a way I get it; things are changing. Change doesn’t have to be bad, though.
I walk in, seeing Felix lying on his stomach on the bed and writing in his journal. He’s only wearing a pair of boxers, and my eyes slope down the curve of his back to the swell of his ass.
No.
Change can be amazing sometimes.
“Hey,” I say, and he lifts his head up, smiling. “Have fun?”
He closes his book and sits up. “Yeah, I really did. I like Andre and his friends.”
“Friends?”
“Vanessa and Jessica.”
“Jess was there?” He nods. “She’s their agent. She’s terrifying.”
“I think she’s really sweet.”
“Sweet?! I don’t think that word has ever been used to describe her.
” Felix gets up, surprising me with his arms wrapped around my neck.
I expect to taste alcohol on his breath, but instead sweet mint greets me as his tongue dips into my mouth.
It’s dominant and daring. We take our time kissing here at the foot of our bed.
While this is great, I have to ask, “How much have you had to drink?”
He swallows hard, his eyes hooded. Not with alcohol, though. With lust, burning bright in his brown eyes. “I’m sober. Promise. I only had one drink hours ago.” The pads of his fingers caress my jaw. “I love your beard.” He grins.
“Yeah?” My hand travels down the small of his back. “What else do you love?” Me? Please tell me.
Without words, he dips his fingers into my shirt and lifts it slowly. “I love how warm your skin is. I love the way it feels with your arms around me. Your chest pressed into my back when we sleep.” He tosses my shirt like it offends him.
My gaze keeps flicking between his gorgeous eyes—not looking at me as if he’s even a little bit nervous—and his fingers, just to see what he’s going to do next. He flicks the button of my jeans. “What else, Angel?”
“I don’t know why you call me that.” His eyes snap up. “I’m no angel.”
I cup his face, trailing my thumb along his jaw.
“Maybe not, but you’re my angel.” I lean in for a kiss, and his fingers grip the band of my jeans.
“You know what I love?” Felix shakes his head.
“I love how caring you are. How you light up when you try new things. I love the way you laugh, especially when I’m being stubborn as hell. ”
“Well then, I must laugh a lot.” He grins.
“And that. I also love that.”
“What’s that?”
I smooth my thumb along his jaw. “I love how much light is in your eyes. I love how alive you’ve become. It shines through you.” And I love you. I don’t want to scare him, but I can’t deny it’s how I feel.
“Grey?”
“Yeah.” I kiss the corner of his mouth, his fingers still inside the band of my jeans.
“Get on the bed.”
I snap back with surprise. “Why?” I whisper.
Felix’s eyes turn molten behind his glasses and his fingers play in my beard. “Because I want to take care of you.” His lips find mine—kissing, teasing, exploring. “I want to fuck you.”
I haven’t wanted to push or suggest, but the speed with which my clothes come off is damn near comical. Felix’s amused eyes drink me in as I get onto our bed. My knee feels great, but I don’t want to overdo it. I don’t know how he wants to do this, but I know our positions will be limited.
Felix goes to his bag then takes off his clothes with slow, predatory indulgence. He’s put on some weight since staying with me, which makes me very happy to see. He’s fucking beautiful.