Play Maker (Bitsberg Knights Duet)

At the last second, I shook my head. “I’m good, man. Thanks.”

He didn’t move as I left the room and hit the showers.

The coaching staff kept practice long, even though it was the day after Christmas and most of the guys would have probably rather been home with their families. But we had a playoff game coming up and I needed to squeeze out every spare minute of practice time in preparation. Which was fine with me. All I had to look forward to was a night of mindless TV and a pre-cooked dinner.

I’d avoided my phone all day, but when practice was finally over, I pulled it from my locker and noticed that among the list of missed calls and text messages, there was a missed call from Shelby. My heart twisted in my chest as I stared at her name. I swallowed it down and shoved the phone back into my pocket. “God, you’re such a jackass, Leverette,” I said to myself, slamming my locker closed.

Halfway through my microwaved dinner and a shitty made-for-TV movie—the only thing I could find that wasn’t Christmas related—the hole in my chest had gotten wide enough that I couldn’t ignore it anymore. I pushed up from my reclining chair and went to the small table by the front door where I usually left pocket change, car keys, and my phone. I grabbed the phone and scrolled through to find Shelby’s missed call. Without giving myself another moment to think, I dialed her number and started pacing my living room as I waited for her to pick up.

Just when I thought it was going to click over to voicemail, her soft voice answered, “Hello?”

I raked a hand through my hair, still damp from my post-practice shower. “Shelby? Hey, it’s Ross.”

“Hi, Ross. How are you?”

Damn it, this was awkward. I knew I had some explaining to do. I just wasn’t sure how to start. Or where.

“I’m all right. Unfortunately, I was at practice most of the day and missed your call.”

“Practice the day after Christmas? Wow, slave drivers.” There was a hint of amusement to her voice that melted me a little.

“Yeah. What about you? Hanging with your fam?”

“Mostly. We kind of have a tradition that the day after Christmas we go to the shelter and serve up food for the folks gathered there. Many people volunteer on Christmas, so we fill the gap and sign up for the day after.”

“Oh, wow. That’s really cool.” Shelby blew my mind a little more every time I talked to her. As she revealed more pieces of her life, I became more convinced that she was an angel. Granted, with a body made for sin.

“It’s always a good time. The people are so kind.” She paused, and I heard a noise in the background. Was she out somewhere? “I was on my way to see my friend Rayna for a little while. Uhm, would it be all right if I called you back a little later?”

My heart sank again. I dropped into my chair and nodded to myself. “Yeah, of course. I’ll be up late. So, uh, don’t worry about that.”

“Right. Okay. Well, I’ll talk to you later then.”

“Great.”

“Bye.”

We hung up, and I let out a deep sigh. I knew the instant I’d made a quick exit from her parents’ house that things were off. I’d managed to pop that bubble we’d stepped inside after our first date. The worst part was that I couldn’t tell her why. I couldn’t find the words to explain the suffocating feeling that had grabbed hold of me after having dinner with her family. I couldn’t tell her that I hadn’t seen my own family for Christmas in six years. And I definitely couldn’t tell her the reasons as to why.

Because that would mean admitting I was broken. Fucked up. Damaged.

And I didn’t want her to know any of that.

To my surprise, Shelby called back a few hours later. I answered quickly, simultaneously muting the TV. “Hey, how’s your friend? Rayna?”

“She’s all right. It’s kind of complicated. Listen, I’m not really the kind of girl to tiptoe around shit. I’m not very good at it. So, can I just ask if you’re still interested in seeing me or whatever it was, is, that we’re doing?”

A startled laugh broke free at her bold question. “What? Are you serious? Of course, I’m interested.”

She hesitated for a moment before saying, “I just yesterday felt off toward the end. I thought maybe I’d done something wrong or maybe my family. I mean, I wouldn’t blame you if Aunt Maggie scared you away.”

I chuckled. “No, that’s not it at all.” I was overwhelmed with the urge to hold her, to pull her into my arms and never let go. I needed to fix how I’d made her feel. “Where are you? Can I come get you?”