“The house was already crammed by the time we showed up,” I admit.
“Well, you did just win the national championship!” The excitement in her voice is palpable.
“We did, didn’t we?” It was still insane to think about it.
“Hell yes!” A soft giggle comes from the other side, but slowly dies down. “We did get to catch it online.”
My eyes squeeze shut. “Thanks, Jade. I appreciate you watching.”
“I wish we’d gotten to come, but…” she sighs. There is that all-too-familiar wistfulness in her tone. “Maybe next year we can come and watch it live.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose as my heart squeezes painfully. “Yeah, maybe,” I whisper back, knowing the reality of that happening is slim but not wanting to voice it out loud, not wanting to break what little hope she has. Life will do that for me soon enough, and I’ll be left to pick up the pieces.
“I wish you could have been here too. I miss you.”
“I miss you too, Nix. You coming home soon?”
Another punch to my gut.
Home.
I wasn’t sure what that was anymore. But there was no way I was disappointing her.
“Sure thing, Smalls. Things should slow down now that the season is over, so I should come more often.”
Although my family lives not even an hour away from Blairwood University, with my crazy schedule, it’s hard to find time to go back for a visit. Between my classes, the gym, and practice, there is barely time for me to shit in peace, much less anything else.
“I can’t wait to see you.”
The happiness in her voice is so pure and genuine, it makes me feel even worse for waiting so long to go for a visit. Although the rational part of my brain knows there is nothing I could have done differently, it doesn’t help me feel any better knowing that she’s dealing with this shit all on her own, while I get a pass.
“Soon, Jade.”
Somebody says something in the background; I can’t decipher the words, just hear Jade sigh.
“Gotta go, Nix. We’ll talk later.”
“Kiss her goodnight for me,” I whisper, reluctant to say goodbye.
“Will do. I love you.”
“Love you too.”
She hangs up on me so I pull the phone back, holding it tightly in my grip. I just need a moment to collect myself, but before I can even take a breath, a floorboard creaks loudly somewhere behind me.
My whole body goes stiff as I realize that I’m not alone.
YASMIN
Holy shit, what’s with all these people?
A group of giggling girls starts to complain when I push one of them away to make some space to pass through. The house is packed, as in filled-to-the-brim, would-not-pass-fireman-assessment kind of packed. It feels like everybody in a twenty-mile radius is here celebrating the championship win.
I tried to get out of it, but of course, Chloe and Callie wouldn’t have it, so instead of fighting them, I decided to give in, show my face for a while just to say I was here, and they could stop nagging me, have a drink, and then ditch before either of them noticed it, texting them only when I’m safely tucked in my bed.
If that makes me a sucky friend, so be it.
After spending what seemed like hours in the stadium and having a couple of drinks with the girls, my bladder has finally given up on me, so I put my plan into motion. Pit stop at the bathroom, and then I’m getting out of here. If only people would get out of my way.
“Hey!” somebody else protests as I shove past them, but I don’t hear the rest because I’m already ducking underneath another person’s arm and am swallowed by the crowd.
It takes me too damn long to get to the bathroom. I don’t want to bother with the downstairs one, since I know the line is probably insanely long. Instead, I go straight for the stairs.
I’ve been at Hayden and Nixon’s house a few times before, and on one of those outings, Callie took me to the upstairs bathroom and told me to use it if necessary.
The second floor is blessedly empty, which is strange for a party of this magnitude, but then again, none of the guys living here seem like the type to let random couples hook up in their beds. If anybody’s going to be hooking up, it’s them.
Thanking God that the bathroom is empty, I slide inside and quickly do my business, sighing in relief. Once I’m done, I get out and wash my hands, ready to be done with all of this.
Turning off the light on my way out, I’m in the hallway once again, only this time it’s not empty.
“Thanks, Jade. I appreciate you watching.” There is silence when this Jade person says something. “Yeah, maybe.” He sighs, like the weight of the world is sitting on his shoulders. “I wish you could have been here too. I miss you.” Another pause. I can see his shoulders grow tense as he listens to whatever the girl is saying.
“Sure thing, Smalls.” There is a softness to his tone that is so unfamiliar and clashes with the player I know him to be. “Things should slow down now that the season is over, so I should come more often.”
A frown appears between my brows. Come? Come where? What is he talking about? And who’s this Jade? A high school sweetheart of his? I want to snort but manage to hold it in. Somebody should tell her what a manwhore her boyfriend is.
“I can’t wait to see you.”
Yeah right. I barely hold in a snort. If she believes that crap, she’s a delusional fool.
“Soon, Jade.” Another pause. “Kiss her goodnight for me.”
Her? I feel the frown on my face deepen. Her who?
“Love you too.”
I’m still mulling over his words, and I almost don’t notice him hanging up. Nixon grips the phone in his hands, head hanging low. He looks almost… defeated.
It can’t be.
Nixon shifts his weight from one leg to the other. I suck in a breath, finally realizing that at any moment, he could turn around and see me lurking in the shadows, listening to his conversation.
Fuck, I have to get out of here.
Turning on the balls of my feet, I start to get away but the floorboard creaks. I cringe, my whole body going still.
Maybe he didn’t hear it. Maybe…
“What the fuck?”
Of course he heard, because why would it be any different? My body startles from the harshness of his words. His tone is the complete opposite of the tone he used when he talked to the girl on the phone. Which if you think about it is pretty fucked up. Why cheat on her if you obviously care about her? I’ll never understand guys.
“Who’s…” Nixon trails off.
There is a shift in the air, and even without looking, I know that he’s turned toward me and is watching my back. I can feel his laser gaze boring into my spine.
Tilting my head back, I curse myself for not leaving as soon as I realized I’m not alone. There wasn’t a reason for me to stay behind and listen in on his conversation. None at all. Yet, for some reason, my body didn’t want to go.
Knowing there is no escaping it, I sigh and turn around to face him.
“Yasmin,” he breathes as he sees me. But not a second passes before his face turns grim, his body stiffening.
“Nixon,” I say in the way of greeting. I’m not going to cower since I did nothing wrong.