Chapter 10
TEN
PEARCE
With no idea what caused Eddie to act so weird and brush me off the other night, it took Coach threatening to bench me to pull my head out of my ass and get it on straight.
With everything between us—me and Eddie, that was. I sure as shit didn’t mean Coach, who seemed close to losing his cool—that first night with him at my house distracted me.
But fuck if I’d be benched. It was a wake-up call I begrudgingly needed.
With the game taking place in a few hours, I couldn’t afford distractions.
Not a chance would I let my team down. We’d worked so hard to get to this point.
Playing in the championships wasn’t just my dream.
Every single player was thirsty for the win.
“Malcolm.”
I barely caught my grimace hearing Coach call my name. We’d been practicing for an hour, keeping it light, but since my name had been a cuss for Coach for the past seventy-two hours or so, I expected I’d screwed up again.
Neutral expression in place, I turned. “Yeah, Coach?”
“Go speak to that local reporter I always see you with. You’ve got ten minutes before I want you cooling down and icing your knees.”
“Sure thing, Coach.” With a rush of relief, I hooked the ball under my arm and headed over to Tony, who I spotted a few feet away from the major reporters and networks who were spending some time at our training session.
“Hey.” I greeted Tony with a smile before swooping him up for a friendly hug. “I didn’t see you arrive.”
He patted my back and pulled away, a grin plastered on his face. “You were busy goofing off with Cassius.”
I snorted. “I don’t know what you mean. I’m too busy busting my balls preparing for tonight’s game.”
Bright eyes were directed my way, and Tony grinned even wider. “I’m seriously happy for you, Pearce. I know how bad you want this.”
“Thanks.” I bobbed my head, trying to fight back the nerves attempting to claw to the surface. “So you’re here in official capacity, right?” I bounced my brows for good measure, earning me an eye roll.
“I could do with a quick sound bite if that’s okay.”
“Sure thing, and we seriously do need to catch up soon.”
“Tonight? After the game.”
I hesitated, my thoughts drifting to Eddie. Whenever Eddie came to a game, Tony and I never got together. He knew the score and understood when my friend was in town, my time was his.
When I didn’t answer immediately, his brows drew together. “I didn’t think Eddie would be coming, since his daughter’s recovering.”
“He’s not.”
His eyes widened, and a half-smile formed. “Huh, but he’s at your place and you need to rush home and do the domestic stuff.”
“Not need; more like want.”
“I get it. You said a couple of weeks, right, him staying?”
“It should be, yeah.” My stomach clenched knowing half of that time I wouldn’t be at home, so I’d be missing out on hanging out with them.
I also knew what Tony was getting at. “Listen.” The back of my neck prickled.
“Maybe we should officially cool it and stick to being friends for a while.” Which in all honesty we’d been veering toward for the past few months.
Mouth twitching, he quirked his brow. “A while, huh? Or do you really mean for good?” He waggled his brows for good measure, and thank fuck he was such a good guy and wasn’t making this awkward.
“Probably for good. Just sticking to friends. Things with Eddie… well, I’d like there to be all the things with Eddie.”
“Friends I can do.” He snorted. “Well, not do do, but we can absolutely be just friends. I hope you figure things out with Eddie. I really do.”
The stumbling of my heart coincided with my head snapping to movement over Tony’s shoulder and my gaze connecting with Eddie’s.
He was here. Now. And close enough to hear exactly what I’d just said. I was sure of it.
Tony’s “Oh” after my movement led to him saying, “Well, uhm… I’ll give you a couple of minutes before that sound bite,” before he scurried away.
As soon as he was gone, Eddie stepped toward me. Red colored his cheeks.
“Hey, you’re here.” Surprise and happiness filtered through my voice. Perhaps a little embarrassment too that he’d overheard me, assuming he had. But after his slight distancing, if that’s what it was, perhaps this was what was needed. Unintentional or not, he’d finally heard what I wanted.
In his silence, worry snapped to attention in my gut. “Lottie.” I glanced to his side. “Where is she? Is she okay?”
“She’s fine,” he answered, a softness forming in his eyes, the norm whenever we talked about Lottie.
“Ollie stole her away.” Angling to his right, I followed the line of direction.
Seeing Lottie in an Eagles courtesy wheelchair, a grin on her face and three of my teammates fawning over her, I relaxed, exhaling heavily.
“Thank Christ.” I rubbed at my heart, the pang of worry slowly dissipating. “Lottie’s out and about.”
“She is. She doesn’t need the wheelchair, obviously, but it was the compromise to come and see you, knowing she wouldn’t be jostled by accident.”
“Good idea.” While it wasn’t busy like it would be in a few hours, there were still plenty of people around. “And you guys came to say hello?”
“Lottie wasn’t sure if you’d be coming home after practice and before tonight’s game. She wanted to wish you luck.”
“Lottie’s pretty great at her pep talks.”
Eddie snorted. “She has her moments.”
“You guys can still come tonight, if you think she’s up for it. I can make sure she’s safe and—”
“Maybe the next home game.” The seven days between now and then would give her more recovery time. “I’ll be so focused on worrying she’s okay, I won’t be following the game properly. I don’t want to miss a thing.”
Disappointment warred with relief. I didn’t want Lottie here for the same reason—the whole being fragile thing, not just because I wanted all her dad’s attention.
“I’ll be home straight after the game.” The words rushed out with no real purpose other than to remind him I wanted to spend time with him too.
“You don’t have to rush back. It’s important you spend time with your team.”
I snorted. “These guys get enough of me when we’re away. Give them the chance, they’d be begging you to take me off their hands.”
His brows shot high, eyes flaring. “That right?”
“Ha. Don’t you know it.” Cassius appeared out of nowhere and draped his arm over me. “We’d pay for it to happen. Give us a break from his dickish ways.”
“You know, there’s plenty of time away from my ‘dickish’ ways without selling me off, right?”
“Meh.” Cassius shrugged, hand squeezing my shoulder. “Selling you off implies we’d get paid. Did you miss how desperate we were to pay someone to take you?”
My elbow in his side made him grunt. “Whatever, asshole. Eddie would pay a tidy sum for my fine ass.” My nod was firm. “Isn’t that right?”
Between the pulled-in lips and the frown, Eddie didn’t seem in agreement.
“Don’t you give this dick any fodder. You’re my friend and would happily pay for my time.”
“Pimping you out. Sweet,” Cassius added. “Though I don’t think Eddie needs to pay for something you’d give so willingly.”
I jerked my head to look at Cassius, mouth gaping, heat spreading up my neck. “Dude…”
Cackling, Cassius wisely backed away.
“The fuck? Not cool, man,” I added, my ego demanding I at least attempt to not appear as needy and desperate as apparently my teammates knew I was.
Blowing me a kiss, Cassius continued backing away. “Just calling it like I see it. And Coach said ‘hurry the hell up.’”
I closed my eyes, wondering how just a few moments ago I liked the idea of Eddie hearing my conversation. Being called out, though, made me wish for the ground to open up and swallow me whole. It was something I was used to feeling recently. You’d think it would get easier. But nope.
Instead, I forced myself to look back at Eddie. His gaze was already locked on me.
“Can I borrow you for a minute? Somewhere private. I know you’re busy, but just… a minute.” The serious expression on his face did nothing to ease my desire to disappear, but still I nodded.
A glance at Lottie reassured me she was okay, but I needed to be certain. “Ollie.”
He peered over.
“You good for two?” I indicated toward Lottie and received a nod and a thumbs-up.
After giving him an up-nod, I turned to Eddie and signaled for him to follow me.
There was a collection of storage rooms just off the locker rooms. While I didn’t know what he wanted to talk about, his “private” plus the intensity in his eyes told me enough that I didn’t want an audience.
Two rooms were locked. A huff of relief escaped at the third door being open. After looking around the room to check it was unoccupied, I headed inside. Eddie followed, hot on my heels, the soft snick of the door the only sound beyond my anxious breaths.
I turned, saying, “Everything o—” The words caught in my throat, cutting them off.
Everything was not okay.
Not when Eddie stood barely an inch away from me.
Not when Eddie’s pupils were blown so damn wide I’d likely get lost in them.
Not when Eddie closed the remaining distance between us, his mouth descending toward mine.
No. Things were far from okay. Things were motherfucking incredible.
Our lips connected, smooth and warm, before he cupped the back of my head, urging me to move, to press against him, to accept his tongue.
I did so willingly, drinking in his kisses, memorizing his groan as I dipped my tongue into his mouth, brushing it against his own. Winding my arms around him, I held on for dear life. This kiss… this moment… was everything. Everything I’d wanted from the moment I’d met him.
Our mouths moved in rhythm, in perfect synchronicity, as though we’d been enjoying this touch for longer than the mere seconds, or minutes, or hell, it could have been hours we were connected like this. I fell into his kiss, never wanting this to end. Never wanting more than this moment right here.