Chapter Twenty #2
After another win, we were quickly shuttled off to the airport to go back home.
In our typical hurry up and wait fashion, we were ready to go, but our plane wasn’t.
I bounced my leg, checking the time. We flew in and out of games on commercial flights—we weren’t well funded enough yet to have access to fly private like some other bigger schools, so delays weren’t uncommon.
We were usually fortunate enough to avoid them, but Mother Nature had other plans today.
“I’m grabbing a snack,” I said, kind of to my teammates and kind of to no one, since everyone was busy doing homework or on their phones, and pushed myself up from my chair.
I wandered the terminal, keeping an eye on the time. As I headed up the walkway, past the various stores and restaurants and bars, I realized that there was really only one way that I wanted to kill my time.
I ducked next to a convenience store to get out of the way of people walking by and pulled up my last text conversation with Leah. My finger hovered over the keyboard, thinking up something to say to her to continue past the good luck message she’d sent me before the game.
But instead of typing on the keyboard, my thumb went up to the call button.
It rang once and then twice, long enough to really make me second guess. Maybe this was too far. Calling someone out of the blue didn’t feel casual.
But then, she answered.
“Hey.” Her voice was so bright and warm, it made me want to run back home to her instead of waiting for the plane.
“Hey.”
“Oh, wait, sorry—it’s loud in here. Let me go to my room.”
On the other end of the phone, I could hear some shuffling around, some voices.
“Who are you sneaking off to go talk to?” someone teased, their voice just barely carrying over through the phone.
“You already know who,” Leah said, making the rest of the girls she was hanging out with squeal and cackle with laughter.
Her confidence that I’d always been drawn to literally radiated through the phone.
I stood by it—there was nothing sexier than a woman who knew what she wanted and exactly who she was.
Leah only continued to confirm it day over day.
I heard Leah walk, the sounds of other people’s voices getting further and further away. She then closed the door, and I could hear her perfectly now, no interruptions.
“Okay, try again,” Leah said.
“Hey.”
“Hey,” Leah repeated, laughing softly to herself. “It’s nice to hear your voice.”
“Yeah, yours too. I was thinking about you.”
“Oh, yeah?” she teased. “What about?”
“That I…wished you were here,” I said honestly.
I’d flirt with Leah any day of the week—I practically flirted with her even in my sleep with the dreams I had about the two of us—but what I really loved about her was that I could call about nothing at all.
She was someone I wanted to call, just to say hi and talk about my game. “I played really well.”
“You really did—the girls and I were watching it at Soph’s apartment.” Her voice softened. “I’m really happy for you. And proud of you.”
My heart fluttered at the praise. “Thanks,” I replied softly.
It was possibly the only time in recorded history that I just took a compliment as it was, instead of making a stupid joke.
That was who Leah was to me—the person I could be soft with, the person I could be a fuck-up with.
Being with her was fun, and the sex was unlike anything I’d ever had before, but she was also just my favorite person to be around.
My safe space. I hoped she felt the same way about me.
“You’re happy we’re doing this, right? You’re sure?”
Leah chuckled. “What do you mean?”
“Like, all of the stuff with your sister. And then I don’t know how your parents will feel about it, but I’m preparing for the worst if Mags is their favorite child,” I said. “I’d understand if it was too much for you and you wanted to focus on them instead of me.”
Leah didn’t even hesitate. “Absolutely not. I’ve spent my entire life focusing on them.
It’s been hard for me to stand my ground, but I also haven’t really had anything I felt was worth standing my ground on before.
I don’t have any regrets at all; I’m more than happy.
” She was quiet for a beat. “Are you okay with it? You still have to play with Mags for a few more months.”
“Mags and I have been ragging on each other since the day we met for no reason. I can definitely keep it up for the sake of fighting for you,” I said, and Leah laughed.
“GJ!”
I looked up and saw Nia waving me back to the gate for boarding. I lifted my chin at her in acknowledgement. I did the best I could at hiding my disappointment that I had to hang up, but I was sure it was all over my face.
“I have to go but I’ll text you when I land,” I said. The truth was that I’d text her pretty much immediately after hanging up and then keep texting her until the plane took off.
I could practically hear Leah’s pout over the phone. “Okay. Have a safe flight.”
It took all of my brain power to stop myself from saying love you as I hung up.