Chapter 20 #2
“Caroline tracked your location. After I get you home, you’re sharing it with me,” he said with narrowed eyes. “What are you doing here on a Sunday?”
How could I admit to him that I was here to forget about my rapidly devolving family relations? My own father and sister had betrayed me. Just like my mother had.
“Bryce, can you give us a minute?”
I chugged the water as Bryce disappeared, my body sagging in relief as the cool liquid eased the back of my raw throat. Almost immediately, Sebastian tossed aside the cup and replaced it with the bright blue sports drink.
“What’s going on, Grace?”
I didn’t answer because it was easier than lying to him.
“You stopped answering my texts last night and didn’t pick up when I called you five times this morning. I was really worried.”
I dropped my head between my knees and said, “It’s just stress.
I thought a run could help clear my mind, but I pushed myself too far.
It won’t happen again.” After Sam’s reaction, I was terrified to confide in Sebastian.
What if he agreed with her? What if he thought I was a coward just like my sister did?
“Look at me,” he commanded.
I did as I was told, even at the risk of losing myself in his eyes.
“I don’t think you have a concussion, though I’m sure you’ll feel sore tomorrow. You know better than to push yourself like that.”
I nodded my head in agreement and took a long swig of Gatorade.
“Please tell me what’s going on. Let me help you.”
He was the only person left on my side, even if he didn’t know it. “What if you leave? I can’t lose anyone else.”
“I’m not going to leave you, Grace. I would never do that.”
His words should have soothed me, but they had the opposite effect. Something was truly broken inside me. It was the only explanation.
>> > <<
As we moved further into the month of February, the same pattern repeated.
Grace and I spent countless nights wrapped in each other’s arms, fucking on every possible surface of my room.
We couldn’t get enough of each other. But with each passing day, Grace drifted further from me.
There was no mistaking the distance in her eyes.
Every time I asked her what was wrong, she resorted to kissing me or making up an excuse about schoolwork.
She was half present, always using sex as a distraction.
Maybe Grace still had doubts about my intentions, or maybe she was scared to admit that our relationship was no longer casual.
And she sure as hell didn’t want to face her family problems. If we did speak, it was only in those teasing moments right before sex.
I didn’t know how to handle this far-away version of her. She was disappearing before my eyes.
With our game against Penn State a day away, I could think of only one thing that might help Grace understand just how deeply I felt for her.
“Which one of you wants to paint my number on their stomach?” Kent asked.
He was lying on his back and staring up at the ceiling, not even attempting to look productive in his efforts to stretch.
The rest of the group—Bryce, Caroline, Lydia, and I—were suffering through a foam roller session, and just a few yards away, Grace pounded away on the treadmill, ever-present headphones secured over her ears.
“We’re not puck bunnies.” Caroline scoffed at his suggestion. “But I suppose I could wear your number. I mean, if you have an extra jersey.”
It was impossible to miss the way her cheeks flamed as she spoke. Kent’s head snapped in her direction in a display of utter disbelief. For a moment, an awkward silence fell over the group.
“I was only joking—”
“I have an extra jersey,” Kent rushed to say. “I’ll bring it over to your place tonight.”
He was beaming at her with shining blue eyes and a smile so wide that a dimple cut into his cheek.
For the first time this season, the women’s team would be able to watch us play in person at our home arena.
They had a bye week that just so happened to line up with our matches against Penn State.
My mom and Bill were visiting for the weekend, and all I could think about was introducing them to Grace.
If she knew that I wanted her to meet my family, she might realize how serious I was about us.
I didn’t know how else to get through to her.
“I take it that Grace will be wearing your number?” Lydia asked.
“She better,” I said, unable to keep from smiling at the thought of her wearing my jersey, watching me from the crowd. “Hey, I was meaning to ask you something. Has Grace seemed, I don’t know, like she’s distracted lately?”