Chapter 29
TWENTY-NINE
LIAM
I’m beat, and we got beat.
Lifting my arm, I press my forehead against it as I try to gather myself. I cannot believe that we lost this game. The first game where Ruby was in the stands, and I fucked it all up. I cannot believe I let those fucks score against me twice. It was my fault we lost.
“Fich,” a voice booms.
I know who it is without even looking. Lifting my head, I look over to see Coach standing a few feet away. His feet are planted wide, his arms crossed over his chest, and his chin is dipped as he looks disapprovingly down his nose in my direction.
Pushing off the wall, I turn and make my way over to him. I can tell he’s holding in his anger, but only barely. I’m surprised he didn’t pull me from the game altogether. As soon as I’m close enough that he doesn’t have to shout, I stop and wait for my verbal beating.
Lifting my hand, I run my fingers through my longish strands, tugging on them slightly before I clear my throat. I start to ask him what he needs, but then he begins to speak.
“You screwed the pooch tonight,” he states.
No fucking shit.
I know I screwed the fuck up. I know I can’t go back and fix it either.
But that doesn’t mean I want to talk about it.
Unfortunately, I have a feeling that’s exactly what is going to happen.
Not just right now either—when we go over the game as a team, there will be even more discussions about how royally I fucked up.
“Yeah,” I murmur when he doesn’t continue.
Clearly, he wants me to say something, but right now that’s all I have in me to blurt out.
Pressing my lips together in a straight line, I wait for my verbal lashing so that I can gather Ruby and go home.
Maybe a good orgasm will make me feel better, though I doubt it.
I’m not sure anything will make me feel better about tonight.
“Whatever it is, move past it, through it, get over it, whatever the fuck you need to do to get your head clear and back in the game for tomorrow. You’re better than what I saw tonight, son.”
Dipping my chin in a single nod, I take one step backward and then another before I lift my gaze to meet his. “I won’t disappoint you again, Coach.”
“Better not,” he grunts.
Turning around, I walk over to my locker, grab my shit, then make my way out to the back of the arena. I know that Ruby is waiting for me there. She texted and said that’s where she would be.
When I step out into the hot air, my gaze scans the lingering fans. I look for her, my cupcake girl, but she’s nowhere to be found. Taking my phone out of my pocket, I look down at my notifications, expecting to see something from her, but there’s nothing.
“Fichtner,” someone cries out.
Lifting my head, my eyes scan again, but it’s not Ruby. Another girl jumps up and down, waving her arms around, but I can’t even be bothered to wave at her. She’s not who I want to see right now.
Ignoring all the women, the screaming, the signs, the offers… I head straight for my pickup truck. I don’t just walk through. I jog, because I have a feeling something happened and my girl ran away.
“Hey, Fich,” a voice shouts, one that I actually recognize, which is the only reason I stop. Turning my head, I look over to see Logan jogging toward me.
“You missing someone?” he asks.
I snort, but I don’t answer him, because he knows who the fuck I’m looking for. “She left. She was too far away for me to ask any questions, but I watched her jog to her car. I don’t know what was wrong, but she left in a hurry.”
Without even thanking him, I climb into my truck, start the engine, and tear out of the parking lot because I’m a man on a mission.
On a mission to find out what the fuck happened to my woman.
It doesn’t take me long to get to her place. Her car is parked in its usual spot, so that’s a good sign. Shifting the truck into Park, I climb out of the front seat and slam the door behind me as I make my way toward her front door.
Lifting my hand, I ball my fingers into a fist. I try as hard as I can to knock on the door without pounding as hard as I want to.
I am amped up but trying to remain calm.
Attempting to remain calm doesn’t take away from the fact that I’m actually pissed off, and I’m curious to know what went through her head to make her run off like that.
She doesn’t open the door. I knock again, this time a little louder. I hear movement in her place. The door doesn’t open, though. I knock again, lifting my arm and placing it against the door, then lean my forehead against my forearm.
“Ruby,” I call out. “Open the door.”
“I think you should go home, Liam,” she calls out.
“I’m not going anywhere until you talk to me.”
I hear her unlock the door, so I take a step backward and wait for her to open it all the way. She does, her red-rimmed eyes meeting mine, and my whole body jerks. Without a word, I move toward her.
Ruby takes a few steps backward and then stops. Slamming the door behind me, I continue moving forward, lifting my hands and cupping her cheeks. “What happened?” I demand. “Why did you leave like that?”
“I’m not them,” she whispers.
“Who?”
My eyes search hers. I don’t know what I’m looking for or if I’ll find it, but I’m trying to figure out what the fuck happened and, more importantly, what she’s even talking about. Who is she not? I am so goddamn confused I don’t even know what to think right now.
“I’m not those girls. The ones waiting outside. I’m so not them, it’s not even funny. And they’re all there, waiting with their signs, and I just can’t be that.”
I stare at her, blinking, unsure as to why she’s even talking about them and also why the fuck she would want to be them. Puck bunnies are for a good time. They know it’s not going anywhere, and they just want a chance to be with a player.
“I don’t want them,” I say. “I don’t want you to be them. I like you, Ruby. I asked Cupcake Girl to be my girlfriend, not them.”
“You’re going to get bored with me. I’m not very exciting.”
My eyes widen, and my lips curve up. I let out a chuckle before I lean forward, touching my mouth to hers. I don’t let her continue talking. There’s nothing else to be said. I should have warned her about the puck bunnies. I should have made sure she knew just how much I like her.
“I’m not going to get bored with you, Ruby. I’m falling in love with you.”
She gasps, her lips parting. I slip my tongue inside her mouth, and I taste her. Nibbling on her bottom lip, I don’t pull away from her. Instead, I shift my head back slightly so that I can look into her eyes.
“I’m falling in love with you,” I repeat.
Ruby lifts her arms, curling her fingers around my wrists and holding on to me there. I watch as her cheeks tint pink. Then she turns her head, touching her lips to the center of my palm before she shifts her attention back to meet mine.
“I think I might have already fallen.”
Her words come out just above a whisper, but they’re all I need to hear. Shifting my head closer, I touch my mouth to hers again. I’m keeping her. She’s everything to me, and I don’t know how it happened, but I fell in love with this cute little cupcake girl.
It was love at first sight—or maybe at first iced coffee spill.
Whatever the case, I’ve never been happier than I am with her. Everything melts away the moment my lips touch hers. All the stress from losing the game, all the pressure to make up for tomorrow’s game.
It’s gone.
Because all that matters is Ruby. Me and Ruby. This moment. Everything else feels like it’s going to be okay, that it’s all going to fall into place because I have Ruby.