The Rulebreaker

“I know.”

“I’m so fucking proud of you.” He pulls away, still carrying me, and looks into my eyes. “I really am, Rocky. This is your time to shine. You earned this. Congratulations.”

“Thank you.” I’m still smiling, but I feel my eyes welling up. “I wanted you to be the first person I told but I didn’t want to do it over the phone or text.”

“You haven’t told your parents?”

I shake my head. “Only you. Well, Leyla knows since they also extended an invitation to her.”

“I’m the first one you told?”

“Yes, dummy. Best friends for life and all that.” I smile.

“Yeah, best friends for life,” he says, his voice lower, his gaze a little more distant as he sets me back on my feet. He smiles again. “I’m so happy for you.”

“Thanks.” I smile.

“Let’s go take a shot to that!” he says excitedly again, and holds my hand as we walk back to our friends.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The invitation means more practice and more training. I’ve spent the entire week working on every single move and improving my techniques, to the point that I didn’t even show up for my classes so far this week, something my parents do not approve of. Still, the time away from Maverick and everyone else has given me some clarity on our situation and that is—if it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, I’m okay with it. I’m not sure how that’ll be once it’s actually tested and put into action, but so far, in my mind, I’m good with just staying friends with him and nothing else. Leyla doesn’t believe me. Neither does my own mother.

It doesn’t matter though because after all the flirting and declarations he made at the party Saturday night, he practically ghosted me. He never came home that night, or Sunday, and by Monday I decided it was best because if I saw him, I would probably end our friendship and then it would’ve really been for nothing since we’re no longer hooking up. For real this time.

I’m preparing a smoothie when I hear Maverick and Colson walk in talking about their game Friday night, and when I see him, I know my body didn’t get the memo about the moving on and no longer hooking up thing, because he’s not wearing a shirt and I can’t handle it. I tear my eyes away from his naked chest quickly and finish blending my smoothie.

“You’ve been lost,” Maverick says, his gaze swinging from me to the fridge as he opens it. I hate that we ever hooked up at all because of exactly this.

“Yeah, so have you. What’s up with Friday?” I ask.

“Game is canceled. Some idiot on the other team got sick and got everyone else sick, so now they can’t travel.”

“Damn, that sucks.” I look at the back of Maverick’s head, or rather, his muscular back. “At least your parents won’t have to be so tired for Charlotte the next morning.”

“Right. Well, they want to go Friday afternoon now because of this. Can you still go or are you busy?”

“Is this your way of hoping I cancel?”

“Why would I want you to cancel, Rocky?” He shuts the door of the fridge and looks at me again. There’s no light in his eyes, no excitement, if anything he looks bothered that I’m still standing here. I put away the blender, wash the blade, and pick up the cup I’m drinking from.

“I’ll call your mother and let her know I can’t come,” I say on my way out of the kitchen. I head to my room, shut the door, and lock it for good measure.

Fuck him.

After drinking my smoothie, I shower, put my pajamas on, and go straight to sleep. I hear music playing in the house but I’m too tired to care where it’s coming from or what the reason is. If Mav is hooking up with some girl, that’s fine by me. It hurts, but it’s fine. I can’t sit around waiting for a zebra to change its stripes. In the morning, I text Milly to let her know I can no longer make it on the trip.

Milly: You okay? We don’t mind waiting and going Saturday as planned

Me: I’m good. I don’t know if Mavy told you, but I’m trying out for the NWSL and I’ve been training all week

My phone starts buzzing in my hand and I smile when I see Milly’s face on the screen. It’s an old picture of the three of us—Milly, Mav, and me when we were getting ready to go to my prom. I’ve always loved those pictures, but now they kind of break my heart. I take a breath before answering.

“Hey.”

“Congratulations, Miss Thing. I am so proud of you, baby!”

“Thank you.” I smile wide.

“Your mother told me she had exciting news, but I thought she was talking about herself."