by E. M. Moore
“You okay?” a voice asks.
I tamp down a shriek. Whipping around, my gaze lands on Alec. “Jesus,” I exhale. “Yes, I’m fine.”
Finally, I get a smirk out of him. He’s been so serious this whole camp, and I know I haven’t been helping with my talk about baseball, but damn. He needs to do something about it soon. The more he waits to say anything, the more pissed off the other Ballers are going to be.
I stop by the cooler someone helpfully brought in for us. I twist the cap on the water and gulp it down hungrily. Another lightning strike accompanied by thunder sounds. This building does a poor job of keeping the noise out. The rain sounds like a waterfall let loose on the metal roof.
“Can I get one of those?” Jacquin asks.
I lean over to grab him one. When I go to hand him a bottle, he grabs not only the bottle, but my hand, too. When I glance up at him, he’s smirking. “I have an idea.”
“Okay.” I weasel my hand out of his grip and face him.
“Something to help you and Lake out.”
I chuckle. “Nothing can help Lake and me.” Mainly because there is no Lake and me.
He smirks again. “I’m thinking it will,” he says cryptically before walking away.
I walk up to Hayes and sit next to him. The coaches are all still talking and since we can plainly see that the lights haven’t come back on and the storm hasn’t let up, who knows how long we will be in here for. “Hey,” I say to him.
“Hey.” His word passes over me, but it’s missing any of that smooth rich texture that I like so much.
I lower my voice. “What’s wrong?” For a second, I’m worried that Sloan did tell the guys what we did last night and that Hayes is mad. It’s hard to know with him. He always seems so passive, except for when he got in the argument with that lacrosse player last night.
“Nothing you need to concern yourself with.”
I frown at him. “Well, that’s a cop out if I’ve ever heard one.”
His lips twitch like he wants to smile, but suddenly, he’s overcome with a calm sort of anger again. He drops his voice even lower. I don’t think anyone else is actually listening to us, but this must be something Hayes isn’t comfortable sharing with others. “There’s just a lot of stuff you don’t know.”
“Well, I’m right here,” I tell him.
Lightning lights up the room, and then a sharp, angry crack of thunder vibrates the room. I look over at my dad who stares up at the windows. Hayes moves closer to me. “I know,” he says, practically whispering directly in my ear now. “Don’t worry about me right now, okay? I promise I’m fine, and if I wasn’t, I’d tell you.”
I raise my eyebrows at him, letting him know I think he’s full of shit. He doesn’t talk.
“I’d send smoke signals,” he says.
“You’re an asshole,” I grumble.
Sloan laughs. “That’s her favorite word for us.”
“It fits. Assholes.”
Even Ryan smirks right before taking a swig of his own water bottle. He used to be asshole number one.
Dad moves forward. “We’re canceling for today. We don’t think the storms will let up any time soon. You can go back to your cabins or stay here. We’re going to run to the cafeteria to see what can be made without electricity.” He checks his watch. “Let’s say an hour and a half, and we’ll have some sort of lunch ready in the mess hall. Hopefully the storm will have stopped by then. If things let up, we’ll round everyone up again and start over.”
The coaches turn to leave. A few of the other guys who aren’t from RHS follow them out. When they open the door, I see the torrential downpour we’re getting. There’s really nothing in my cabin I need right now, especially since it’s the furthest from this building. Plus, I don’t really want to be alone in this storm. It’s freaking creepy.
A few of the other guys get up to leave. Lake isn’t far behind them. He angles a middle finger toward us all left, but Ryan and the guys only laugh. I guess it could be funny if he wasn’t such an asshole. Ryan decides to follow after him, so it’s just Alec, Sloan, Hayes, and me. Sloan doesn’t waste any time pulling me onto his lap. It’s like last year at the baseball games. When I look over at Alec, I half expect him to be in his baseball uniform. And trust me, there’s nothing wrong with that. I love to see him in his baseball uniform. Even when we all weren’t talking, I couldn’t help but stare.
Sloan wraps his arms around me, pulling me in close. “That’s hardly fair,” Hayes says.
“What?”
“I know you left the cabin last night. Are you saying you didn’t go to Tessa’s cabin?”
“I’m saying it’s none of your business,” Sloan says, smiling.
“Well, I’m saying, it’s someone else’s turn.”
Sloan’s arms tighten around me. “Both of you could have done the same thing I did, but you didn’t. You can’t be jealous now. Maybe we should start a schedule.”
I turn in his grip. “Say that again, and I’ll…I’ll kick you in the knee.”
His eyebrows shoot up in surprise. Athletes are serious about their knees. “You’re in high demand, Daddy’s Girl. I’m just trying to make it easier for everyone.”
I pluck Sloan’s fingers away from me and stand. I look at the three of them and then make my own choice. I sit in Hayes’s lap. His arms curl naturally around me. When the next thunder claps, he tightens his grip, and I know I made the right decision. It was probably instinctual, knowing he’d be the one that would make me feel safe.
Though Sloan pouts, I don’t think he’s too perturbed. He makes a show of it, pretending to be affronted, but I hope they all get used to it.
They all want me, and I want all of them. There won’t be any decisions in my near future.
24
The rain has died down a little, so the guys decide we should move to their cabin. Hayes refuses to let me walk through the wet grass, so just before we step out into the undeterred rain, he sweeps me off my feet and carries me with one hand hooked under my knees and the other hooked around my shoulders. I squeal in protest, but then he’s moving swiftly, and somehow, someway, I’m barely even jostled.
Alec runs up ahead and opens the cabin door for us. Their cabin is bigger than mine, mostly because it’s set up for more people. But just looking at it standing right there makes butterflies take flight in my stomach. This is so off-limits, right? I’ll be in a small, confined space with three of the boys I’m crushing on. The only thing that would make this more nerve-wracking is if Ryan decided to join us.
When Hayes moves inside, ducking under the door frame, he sets me on my feet. I look around, my heart in my throat. Right away, I can figure out who is sleeping where. I don’t even need them to move toward their separate beds to give me an inkling. A copy of Sports Illustrated is on Alec’s bed. It just so happens to have a baseball player on the cover. There are a few outfits on his bed, that he quickly picks up and throws into a suitcase stuffed under his bed’s metal frame. Sloan’s area of the room is nice and tidy. The bed is even made, a dark blue comforter adorning it. Hayes’s side is almost the most confusing. He has a book face down on his unmade sheets. There aren’t any clothes strewn about, but there’s a picture of a man and a woman next to his bed. None of the other guys has any personal pictures or anything out. I didn’t even think to bring mine with me. I can video chat my mom, and she’s the only one I’d have a picture to put out of anyway.
Alec props the door open with a lone chair. The wind circulates the room, almost tearing through it in a circular motion before it escapes again. When I turn, he’s leaning against the door jamb, staring out at the storm. The rain is still coming down sideways. The porch of their cabin is soaked straight through, but the rain isn’t coming all the way in, even with the door open like that. Sloan moves up behind me and drops a towel around my shoulders. I pull it around me. Just because I didn’t walk through the rain didn’t mean I missed out on the soaking factor.
I stay on my feet, nervous to be here with all of them when we’re not playing or talking basketball. We’ve never hung out together like this for the purpose of hanging out. Like Sloan said in the gymnasium, it’s a new kind of territory to traverse. It’s something I’m going to have to get used to if my plans for next year go as I want them to.
I walk up behind Alec. “It’s kind of beautiful, isn’t it?” Straight ahead of us, the lake is a gray sea of turbulence. It’s hard to look past the onslaught of rain, and it might be the electricity in the air, but it makes goosebumps sprout over my body. Mother Nature is nothing to mess with. She can be beautiful and damaging at the same time.
He smiles down at me. “I love watching the storms back home. We have a sun porch with huge windows on every side. We all sit out there during days like this.”
“Roberta isn’t scared?”
A smile teases his lips. “She is, but that’s half the fun.”
Hayes comes up behind me. He takes the towel in his hands and starts to dry me off. I close my eyes at the feeling. He works the towel into my hair at the base of my neck and then down both arms. Quickly, he squats to wipe the droplets of rain still dripping toward my shoes. “I have some clothes you can change into,” he says.
“Anything you give her would be falling off her,” Sloan says. He’s eyeing us from the corner of the room. He tilts his head. “Then again…”
Alec pushes off the side of the door and goes to his own bed. He pulls out a couple of the things he’d just stuffed under his bed and hands them to me. I take them from him and go into the small bathroom. It’s about as big as mine even though there are three of them and only one of me. I change quickly, throwing my now drenched tank top and shorts over the shower door to dry.
When I step out in Alec’s too big clothes, I feel like a little kid invited to the cool kid party. Alec catches me first. He holds his hand out to me and then sits on his bed. I follow after him. It’s a minute before anyone says anything. It’s Sloan, of course, who talks first. “Tessa and I really love to play this game, a truth for a truth. We should play.”
I laugh. “You like to play that game. I just humor you.”
He raises his eyebrow in defiance. “Not true, Dale. I think you learned a lot of interesting information last time we played.”
Alec shrugs. “It actually sounds like fun. I’d love to get into your head, Tessa.”
That’s exactly what I don’t want. When I say as much, they all laugh. Even Hayes.
“This won’t be interesting for any of you. I thought you guys told each other everything?”
“Oh, we do,” Sloan says. “This isn’t for anyone but us, but you’re allowed to ask us questions, too.”
“So, you guys are going to be asking me all the questions, and I’ll only be able to ask you guys after. So, I have to answer every question while you guys only get every third. This is unfair.”
Sloan shrugs. “I guess we don’t have to play. But, it’s probably the only way you’re ever going to get information out of us.”
It’s tempting…
“I’ll start,” Sloan announces. He sits up on his bed, his hands clasped in front of him. His rain-soaked brown hair looks even darker as he looks slyly over at me. “Who did you miss the most when we weren’t talking?”
I shake my head. “You’re such a jerk. I’m not answering that.”
“Well, we know it wasn’t Lake,” Alec says.
I glance up at him, my brow furrowing. He laughs and then pulls my feet over his lap, his fingers passing up and down my lower legs.
“Ryan,” Hayes guesses.
I cock my head toward him. His lips are thin, and he’s said it with such finality that I know he thinks he’s right. Hell, he might even be right. The problem is, I haven’t even thought about it. When I tell them as much, Sloan says, “Well, you’ve thought about it now. Who is it?”
I press my lips closed. “Can’t we just watch the storm outside? That sounds like a better idea.”
“Why don’t we just not ask any questions where she has to pick,” Alec says. His fingertips lightly glide over my knee, sending a tingle up my spine.
“That actually sounds like a plan,” I tell them.
Sloan grabs a package of cookies out from underneath his bed. “Fine,” he grumbles. He takes a few for himself, then passes them to Hayes. All Hayes has to do is reach over from his bed. His impressive wingspan comes in handy then. He doesn’t even have to move to take a few out of the package. Sloan then offers them to us. I move to the other side of the room, but before I can pick from the package, Sloan’s hand shoots out and pulls me to him. I fall on the bed in a heap, practically face down in his chest. I push up and glare at him. His lips pull apart. “I know. You’re going to say something about how much of an asshole I am.” He leans up and whispers in my ear. “Just tell these guys you missed me the most, and I’ll give you another surprise tonight.”
My whole body heats, a need spiraling out from my core in delicious waves. I stagger back from him and back onto Alec’s bed without any cookies. Alec has to get up and grab some for us while Sloan just lays there with his hands behind his head like he just won the entire game and we haven’t even started playing for real yet.
After that though, the idea of the game just kind of fades. I breathe in a sigh of relief. I feel like they’re keeping too much from me right now, and as for me? I should be keeping things from them. I don’t want to break up their relationship with Lake, but at the same time, I need to look out for myself. I wonder if Jacquin actually has an idea that will work.
Soon, I can hear Sloan’s soft snores. I’m not surprised. We were up kind of late last night. After that, Alec pulls his legs out from underneath me and lays down next to me. He stays semi-upright with his hand cupping his head. “You can sleep if you want to,” he says.
Staring at Alec takes my breath away. His emerald eyes are just stunning, and there’s this fierce look in them right now that reminds me of the time outside the locker room. Alec was the first to give in to his feelings for me, and he took me right with him. “I’m okay,” I tell him.
We stare out the still open door as the storm rages on. The time for lunch comes and goes, and I don’t see anyone leaving their cabin. Maybe everyone is taking a much needed break. Tomorrow’s Saturday, but eventually, the intense workout sessions will catch up to everyone. It just so happens we had a break a day earlier than expected.
Alec looks toward Hayes’s bed. I follow his gaze. He whispers, “I think he’s out, too.”
“What was wrong with him yesterday?” I ask. I don’t need a game to figure things out. I want them to want to tell me things, not because a game is forcing them to.
“I think he scared himself with how mad he got.” Alec’s eyes cloud over. He also told us that right before the guy accidentally hit him, that he said something to Hayes about you having a nice rack.
“Oh.”
Alec finally looks down at me. “Hayes is one of those guys you really want on your side. And once he’s on your side, he’ll never leave it.”
“What about Lake then?”
Alec shifts uncomfortably. “I think he and Lake have come to a sort of conclusion about you.” He brings his hand up and cups my cheek. “I know you think it’s easy enough to just say that you and Lake can ignore one another, that we can hang out with you and him, and just have everything be the same.”
I wait for him to go on because, yeah, I really do think that.
His thumb traces my bottom lip. “The thing is, Hayes, Sloan, Ryan, and I want you to be an integral part of our lives. Not just one of those girls we passed around.”
He gives me an apologetic smile when my eyes narrow at him.
“Lake thinks you’ll ruin everything.”
“Or maybe I could make everything better.” I turn toward him, placing my hand on his stomach. “I’m on your side, you know. And Sloan’s, too. Whatever goes down with his parents, I’ll be there for him.
Whatever has Hayes upset, I can be there for that, too.”
He places his hand over mine on his stomach. “We’re just so used to having only the five of us to go to.”
“Times change. If you guys think I’ll wait around to see if you choose me, you’re wrong.”
The green in Alec’s eyes spark to life. “Personally, I’m not going to let it get that far again. Lake needs to deal with his shit or he’s going to drag everyone down with him.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I’m his friend, but he has to change if he wants to keep it that way. There’s only so much help you can give someone, Tessa. If they don’t want it, they don’t want it.”
His hand squeezes my own. The intensity in his eyes is overwhelming.
“What’s the rule on kissing you in front of the others?”
“I don’t know,” I say. “Is there one?”
My mouth goes dry as I wait for his answer. “I guess I’m making it now.” He darts forward, the eagerness in his kiss taking my breath away. He urges my mouth open, and when he succeeds, he rewards me by tangling his tongue with mine. I think it’s impossible for Alec to kiss gently. Every time he kisses, it’s like he’s short on time or dangling from the end of a rope. He wants to reap his rewards from the onset in case he can’t get any more. He nips my bottom lip, and I moan.
My eyes blink open. Maybe this was a bad idea. Sloan and Hayes are right there.
Alec senses my hesitation and pulls away. He drops his forehead to mine. “Let’s play the quiet game.” He maneuvers on top of me, kissing a trail down my neck. This is not what I was thinking when I was worried about them waking up to us making out. In any case, how do people keep quiet? I start to squirm as he pulls the collar of the shirt I’m wearing down. It’s so big on me that it exposes the swell of my breast. He kisses me there, and I press my lips together. This is pure torture. I don’t know whether to yell at him for doing this or tell him he better not stop.
Instead, I give it right back to him. I sneak my hands between us and grab him. He breaks away finally, releasing a heavy exhale. He drops his forehead back to mine. “Fuck. That’s mean.”