Chapter 35
Alfie cast a look over his shoulder, but the last of the reporters had been escorted out.
He was about to head over to Rhys, but Turner cleared his throat, halting Alfie in his tracks.
The skipper wasn’t looking his way. He seemed to be taking the whole team in.
He’d given them a celebratory speech when they’d come back into the clubhouse.
A reminder about the early game tomorrow, which meant an even earlier start for them.
The suggestion had been strong they head home and save the celebration for a later date.
That was fine with Alfie. He had no desire to go out. He wanted to speak to Rhys, but people kept getting in his way.
“I just want to reiterate,” Turner said, “how proud I am of you all. They brought everything they had against us, and you managed to handle it. When it counted, you came through.”
“Hell yeah we did,” Rhys crowed from over near his locker stall.
Turner shot him a hard look, but Alfie would have sworn the older man’s lips twitched. “Now, go home and get some sleep, so you can do it again tomorrow.”
There were some grumbles, but no one argued. They all knew if they came in hungover, the game would not go well for them. If the skipper let them play.
Alfie made his way over toward Rhys. He wanted to talk to him.
Be open, as Rosalita kept telling him to do.
It was the only way he could see that they could keep their friendship.
Sure, he had feelings for Rhys, but that didn’t have to change anything.
As long as they could protect what they had. Which was all that mattered to Alfie.
Rhys was already slinging his bag over his shoulder and heading for the exit.
It didn’t look like they’d talk in here.
Maybe that was for the best. It was not like Alfie was embarrassed by what he felt for Rhys.
That did not mean the rest of the team needed to be given a front row seat to it.
They could talk in the parking lot. It still was not private, but at least there was enough space they might not be overheard.
Or they could go back to one of their apartments…
Except Alfie was sure then they wouldn’t do any talking. They never did.
No. Parking lot would definitely be better.
As soon as Alfie stepped out into the steamy night air and spotted Rhys, he had his phone pressed to his ear. Well, Alfie could wait until he was off the phone. Rhys leaned up against his car, and Alfie took a few steps closer.
“Yeah,” Rhys said. “It did feel good. You were watching with your siblings? Oh no, a teenager rolling their eyes. That has never happened in the history of ever.”
Rhys laughed, a full, free sound Alfie realized he had not heard from his best friend in… He could not remember. What did that say about him? Or the fact it was someone else who brought it out of him now?
“You dropped them at your parents’? Yeah, no, I get that. I did tell Denny I’d work with them on their catching position. Yeah, that’s what they said, but I don’t want to dash their hopes they could change your parents’ minds.”
Denny. One of the teenagers at the center the day before. The same one they’d run into at the cafe. The barista’s younger sibling. Now Alfie knew who Rhys was talking to.
“You like them.”
Alfie had not meant it as an accusation that first day he’d seen Rhys with Mel. It had simply been an observation. Rhys liked, and flirted with, a lot of people. Alfie tried hard not to let it bother him. He never understood how Rhys could always be like that. With people he didn’t even know.
It made him wonder if there was something missing in him.
Which wasn’t the truth of it, but there were times he still wondered. Especially when all of it came so easily to Rhys.
A pit opened in the bottom of his stomach as he realized how much Rhys did like Mel. He should have known it the day before. Maybe part of him had, and that was why he’d kept his distance. It had obviously been better that way.
Alfie was happy for him. Rhys deserved someone who could make him light up like that. Alfie should be happy for him.
He walked back to his car, leaving Rhys to his phone call.