Chapter 3 Ex Games Gold Medal #2
A shiver raced down my spine at his nearness. Someone shot and scored behind us. I had no idea who.
“It’s fine,” I said in a way that was meant to shake him off.
He pulled his hands back slowly, letting them slide over my hips. “Your ball.”
It went on like that. We scored. They scored. We fouled. They fouled. The temps were dropping as the sun set, but I still got hot. This was a competitive game and while the boys had the height and body advantage, we girl weren’t going to hand over the victory without a fight.
When my hairline started to feel sweaty, I peeled my crewneck off. I’d forgotten that I was in a tight crop as I had never intended to remove my top layer.
Sam was waiting for me at the top of the key, his gaze dark and stormy. “I didn’t take you for the cheap tricks type?”
“What do you mean?” It was our turn with the ball. We were down by six. I’d loosened up around him a little, but mostly so I could shut him down.
He shook his head as if trying to clear it. “Nothing.”
I checked the ball. “Game’s not over yet, Autry. We still have time to win.”
He passed the ball back. “Bring it, Haden.”
So I did. Teagan cut through the middle, so I passed her the ball, then sprinted up the side. Sam followed me easily, his hands on my bare waist in an effort to slow me down. Or distract me. I feinted to the corner, then spun around, my body moving in front of Sam’s, to post up under the hoop.
Sam’s hands were back to my hips, my waist, the top of my ass.
I pushed back into him, gaining position.
His hands closed around me, on my bare stomach.
He held me against his chest. His nose skimmed the shell of my ear.
My heart stopped. My breathing got trapped in my aching lungs. My vision blurred.
Parker passed me the ball and somehow from the depths of my basketball instinct, I managed to catch it. Sam released his hold, and I shoved my shoulder into his chest, managing to sink another layup.
Parker and Teagan cheered. Kami walked over to sit down next to Tom. She hadn’t really contributed except to distract Riley—which was fine with the rest of us. And the boys groaned at Sam’s lack of defensive effort.
“It’s your fault,” he grumbled as we moved back to the top of the key. “Cooper told me you had a boyfriend.”
I didn’t understand how me not having a boyfriend and him sexually assaulting me while I scored on his ass had anything to do with each other.
“I did have a boyfriend,” I told him flatly. “Until four months ago.”
His eyes widened at my candid confession. “Four months ago?”
My answering smile was sarcastic, and maybe a little sad. “Left with a broken heart. Came back with a broken heart. Think it’s me? Or this town?”
Sam’s eyebrows furrowed over his nose as he looked at me in utter confusion. I took that opportunity to run down a layup.
He was still at the top of the key when I came back with the ball. The rest of the boys shouted insults at him.
I passed him the ball and got into a defensive position. “Two-point difference. Better lock-in, Autry.”
“What do you mean, you left with a broken heart?” He dribbled absently, his tone serious.
“Sam! Stop flirting with Balls for two seconds so we can win this game,” Cooper shouted from the wing.
Sam ignored him. “Holly.”
I stood up at the use of my full name. “Samuel.”
Cooper lunged in from the side and stole the ball from his own teammate. The game continued behind us.
“Why did you leave with a broken heart?” he demanded.
Was he serious? My heart plummeted to my feet.
I thought . . . I thought he knew how I felt.
After . . . He’d been so flirtatious that whole fall semester.
Every time I came home, he made a point to take me out.
And then that kiss . . . under the mistletoe .
. . I thought he knew how I felt about him.
But maybe he didn’t. Maybe it had meant as little as I’d always suspected it did. Maybe it was just what people did under the mistletoe and feelings weren’t a factor at all.
Oh my, gosh.
Of course. I’d felt so obvious and exposed. Especially after he’d kissed my . . . ugh . . . my mom. But he didn’t know he broke my heart. He didn’t have a clue to how badly he’d devastated me.
He probably didn’t even remember.
My cheeks heated with an embarrassed flush, and my hands fluttered up to cover my face. I needed to go. Like right now. Right this second.
Riley took the ball to the edge of the driveway and sank a three-pointer. The boys cheered. The girls groaned. Tom announced the Thanksgiving winners and suggested a Christmas Day rematch.
“Holly, who broke your heart?” Sam demanded.
I laughed, but the sound was mildly hysterical. Spinning around, I found Teagan arguing with Cooper about a mid-game foul that hadn’t been called.
“Can I have the keys to your place?” I begged, breathless.
“What? Now? We have to do the dishes.”
“I have to go,” I told her urgently. “Right now. I need to go.”
Her hands landed on my cold, bare arms. “Are you okay? What happened?”
Hot tears pricked the corners of my eyes. I was an idiot. An absolute idiot. “I’ll tell you later. I just need to go. Now.”
She jogged inside to retrieve her keys. Cooper looked me over, his jaw tight, his brow furrowed.
“What did Sam do?” he asked.
Cooper could be totally oblivious to almost everything, but occasionally he surprised us with a sharp, insightful moment.
This was one of those rare times he seemed to have an idea of what was going on.
I took a slow breath and played nonchalant as best as I could.
“Sam? Nothing.” His eyes narrowed. “It’s just harder to be back than I thought it would be. I need air—”
“You’re outside.”
“Space. I need . . . space.”
Teagan was back with her apartment key held out and my purse in her other hand. “I’ll text you my address.”
“Okay.”
“And I won’t stay late here.”
“It’s fine. Don’t leave on my account.”
She rolled her eyes. “I see these people all the time. I’m not going to miss anything.”
We hugged, and I hoped she didn’t notice the teardrop on her shoulder.
“Okay, see you in a bit,” I told her, putting my normal-nothing-is-wrong-I’m-totally-cool face on. I waved at Tom. “Thanks for dinner, Tom! I’ll be back soon.”
He looked confused but yelled a friendly, “You better be,” at me.
“Tell your mom I’m sorry for bailing,” I told Cooper and Teagan. “Love you guys. See you later.”
“See you at home,” Teagan grinned at me. “I’ll bring pie leftovers.”
I heard Sam ask Cooper where I was going and if I was coming back as I got in Agnes and drove away. He didn’t know I’d had feelings for him. The realization stung. but it was also an opportunity, wasn’t it?
My heartache could stay buried and I could settle back in Mistletoe without any of the baggage or awkwardness I was worried about.
Sure, it made Sam Autry the absolute villain of this story, but that was good too.
It was better to know these things than to fall into old habits just because his hands felt warm and strong and delicious on my waist.
And that damn dimple, hidden beneath all that dark scruff, seemed to hold my attention more than any other thing.
Let’s not forget the way those freakish green eyes followed me all day.
No, this was better, I told my aching heart. This was so much better.