22. Felix
FELIX
“Yo, Walters. Awesome game,” some guy yells and then tosses a beer in my direction as I walk through the front door of my house.
“Thank you.” I catch it, tap the tab a few times before I pop it open, and then drain half the cold can in one long gulp.
Adrenaline from the game still pumps through me. We’re ready to take this season by storm and UTEP was just the first stop. They’re probably the easiest team we’re going to play, so we can’t get too far ahead of ourselves, but for tonight I’m just going to enjoy it.
I make my way through the living room to more pats on the back and congratulations. Teddy and Holly are standing in the kitchen. My sister smiles as I approach.
“Nice game,” she says.
“Thanks.” I take another drink from my beer. “Have you seen Dahlia?”
She hesitates and the smile slips from her face.
“What?” I ask, sliding my hand into my jeans pocket to get my phone.
I didn’t explicitly ask her to come over tonight, but I assumed she knew I’d want her here.
Looking up from the field and seeing her cheering me on in my jersey was almost as good as winning the game.
Shy, beautiful Dahlia wearing my name and number across her back, and everyone knowing she’s mine—hell fucking yeah. I could get used to that.
I’m already tapping out a text to her when Holly says, “Oh, there she is.”
I look up in time to see Dahlia and Jane walking toward us from the front door. Another hit of adrenaline surges through me, but then it comes to a screeching halt when I see she’s changed out of my jersey. Major bummer. I was looking forward to getting an up-close view of her in it.
“Hey,” I say, stepping forward to hug her. “I was just texting you to make sure you were coming.”
“Of course.” Her arms wrap around my neck to hug me back. “Congratulations! You were amazing!”
Emotion is still running high, nerves raw, and I don’t have my usual armor on to distract myself from how good it feels to have her touches and attention, her praise.
Lust shoots straight through me and my chest tightens.
I set my beer down and then lift her off the ground, spin her and listen to the sweet laughter that leaves her perfect mouth.
When I stop moving, I meet her gaze. “Hi.” It comes out gruffer this time.
“Hey,” she says back, a little breathless.
I set her back on the ground but keep hugging her. “How was your tournament?”
“I got third,” she says, a hint of pride in her voice.
“Amazing. Must have been the licorice.”
More of that sweet laughter filters out. “Must have been.”
“We need to celebrate.” I pull back reluctantly, say a quick hello to Jane, and then grab them both a seltzer from the fridge.
“Black Cherry. Nice.” Jane’s lips tip into a pleased and, all too knowing, smile.
I shoot her a wink, then take Dahlia by the hand. The three of us go outside. The loud music and wall of people we find out there fits my mood perfectly tonight.
I stop not far into the chaos and lean closer to ask, “How do you want to celebrate?”
“Whatever you want. It’s your night. I already celebrated. We stopped for dinner on the way home from the tournament.”
“That is not celebrating.”
She rolls her eyes playfully. “It’s all I need. Tonight is about you. All these people are here for you. You’re really incredible out there. I could barely look away.”
Fuck, I can’t describe how good it feels to hear those words from her.
“Well, I wanted to celebrate by gawking at you wearing my jersey all night.”
A hint of something like embarrassment flashes across her face.
“You look gorgeous,” I reassure her. “Just, you know, even more gorgeous when people know you’re mine.”
I have no filter tonight. Something I should probably try to rectify before I get entirely too carried away.
She lifts our raised hands. “I think they still get the idea.”
The three of us stand around talking and drinking, but I get yanked into other conversations far more often than I want. Buddies want to say good game and teammates want to celebrate.
I lose Dahlia and Jane when I get pulled inside to do a shot with my teammates.
Holly catches me afterward. “Where’s your girl? She didn’t leave, did she?”
“No, she’s outside.”
“Is she okay?” The expression on my sister’s face takes me back to earlier when I asked if Dahlia was at the party. Like then, Holly looks nervous or anxious or something.
“Why wouldn’t she be okay?”
“It might be nothing,” she says quickly. Too quickly.
“What the hell happened?”
“At halftime, Dahlia and I went up to get snacks and use the restroom.”
I motion with my hand for her to get to the point.
“I was waiting for Dahlia outside and Bethany came out just before her, looking far too pleased with herself. I asked Dahlia about it, but she shrugged it off. I saw the expression on her face though. She was upset. I have a bad feeling Bethany said or did something to her.”
I grind down on my back molars.
“What are you going to do?” Holly asks.
“I don’t know. Find Dahlia for starters.”
“I’m sorry,” Holly says. “For what it’s worth though, I really like Dahlia. Your taste in women has improved.”
“She’s great,” I say through gritted teeth. “Which is why I need to go find her.”
“Don’t screw this one up,” she calls after me with a laugh that I know is meant to lighten the mood but fails.
Fucking Bethany has crossed a line this time. She can shovel her bullshit at me, but not Dahlia.
I find my girl in the same spot I left her with Jane. The latter is saying something and Dahlia smiles in response. I scan her outfit seeing it differently now. Jean shorts and a plain white tank top. It’s what she wore to the game, minus one important article of clothing.
I reach them, wrap my arm around Dahlia’s forearm, and pull her toward me. “Can I talk to you a second?”
Jane tips her head. “I’m gonna go dance.”
Dahlia nods to her and then looks at me, confusion marring her face. “What’s wrong?”
“Why aren’t you wearing my jersey?”
“I took it off after the game.” Her brows tug together, and she smiles. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it was such a big deal.”
“Did Bethany say something to you?”
Her smile drops instantly and rage wraps around my spine.
“What did she say?”
“It doesn’t matter.” Her words tumble out and her face tilts down, breaking eye contact.
I slide my fingers along her neck and lift her chin with my thumb, so she’ll meet my gaze. “What happened?”
“She was trying to hurt my feelings or make me mad, so it would come between us and ruin our night. I’m not going to let it. You shouldn’t, either.”
“What did she say?” My tone is hard, but I run my thumb along her cheek softly.
“That I would never look as good in your jersey as she did.” She tries to hide it, but I see the spark of hurt those words caused. She covers it by faking a smile and adding, “It’s fine. I’m fine.”
“It’s not fine.” I scan the yard looking for my ex. Surely, she isn’t dumb enough to show her face at my house after saying something like that to Dahlia. Except, of course she is. I find her on the dance floor with a couple of her friends.
“I’ll be right back.”
Dahlia latches onto my arm. “No. That’s what she wants.”
“She doesn’t get to say shit like that to you. Nobody does. Do you understand?”
“People talk shit. I’m hardly the only person that Bethany has been a bitch to, I’m sure.”
“I don’t care what she says to other people. She’s not saying shit like that to you.”
“You know what I want?”
“What?” I ask, voice still tight.
“I want to enjoy tonight. No drama, just the full Felix Walters experience. I want to celebrate like the guy I’m with just won his first football game of the season.”
“We can do that as soon as I tell her to get the hell out of my house and never come back. That’s what I want to do.”
She closes the gap between us. Her tits pressing into my chest momentarily distract me.
“No, I want the real experience. You treat me like you’re afraid I’m going to break.
Would you run over there and chew out your ex for some random girl?
” She shakes her head. “I’m stronger than you think.
I can handle a mean girl and I can handle you kissing me again without thinking it means something more than it does.
So, for tonight, can we just hang out, celebrate, and you treat me like you would any other girl you were dating? ”
“You aren’t any other girl.”
She groans. “That’s exactly what I mean. I really am. Less experienced, yes, but it doesn’t make the things I want any different.”
I hear what she’s saying, but I can’t pretend that I don’t know that I’m the first guy she’s kissed or that she hasn’t had sex. And I definitely can’t pretend like she’s just some random girl I’m hanging out with for a night. Or that my ex didn’t try to hurt her to get back at me.
“You said that we would do all the things I wanted to do but hadn’t yet. That you would help me do them. I want to be a girl hanging out with the guy she likes at a party.”
It’s my turn to groan. I don’t think she knows just how much I’ve held back.
Her navy blue eyes widen and her voice lowers. “Please?”
“All right,” I agree. I’m positive this is a terrible idea, but it would be nice not to triple check every thought or action when I’m around her for one night.
The huge smile she flashes at me and the immediate lust that shoots through me in response make me second-guess my decision.
I’ll aim for somewhere in the middle of what she wants and what I want to do.
Slinging her over my shoulder and taking her to my room for a quick fuck is the latter, so I lace my fingers around her lower back and look down the front of her tank top.
“What are you…” she starts and then laughs. “Are you looking down my shirt?”
I bring my gaze back up to meet hers. “I’ve been trying not to stare at your tits all night, hot stuff.”
She laughs again.
I blow out a breath. “The full experience, huh?”
She nods excitedly.
I am definitely in trouble.