“Charlie?”
“Kat is still dating Nathan, so I thought…I don’t know.”
“You’re gonna go for her?” I asked in surprise.
He turned off the faucet, dried his hands, and then turned to me, leaning against the counter. “Sometimes I think she could be into me.”
“Because?”
“We ran into each other a while ago, and…I don’t know. I can feel it.”
I didn’t tease him because this was important to him, but I didn’t believe that. “Are you sure you’re not projecting your feelings onto her?”
“Maybe. But you saw us at dinner. We click.”
“Charlie, you just had a conversation. That’s it.”
“But we have chemistry. Just ask her—”
“I told you I’m staying out of this.” I raised both hands. “Switzerland, alright?”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “I waited six months after our breakup to do anything, and Kat’s seeing someone, so I think I’m going to go for it. I’m tired of waiting. I’m tired of going on dates just to get laid. I actually like Denise, so I should do something about it instead of doing nothing like a pussy.” He got riled up quickly, like this had been bothering him for a bit.
“For the record, I never told you not to do anything. You made that decision entirely on your own.”
“But I know the predicament it will put you in.”
“Well…it’s shitty. But if you feel this strongly, you can’t just turn that off. You can’t not do what you want to keep someone else happy. I mean, that’s no way to live. And you have waited long enough, Charlie. I don’t think it matters how long you do wait. It will hurt Kat either way.”
He closed his eyes and sighed. “Does she still have feelings for me?”
I couldn’t betray her confidence. “Even if she did, I would never tell you. If you’re going to do this, you just need to figure out the best way to go about it.”
“Which is?”
I shrugged. “I haven’t got a damn clue, Charlie. There’s really no answer here.”
“Yeah…” He straightened and ran his fingers through his short hair.
“Denise may not even feel the same way, Charlie. So, I would figure that out before you do anything.”
“Then ask her.”
“How many times have I said I can’t do that? I’m loyal to her, I’m loyal to you, I’m loyal to Kat… You’re gonna have to do this on your own.”
“What if I’m wrong, and she’s not into me?”
“Then we pretend it never happened. And maybe it’ll give you the closure you need to move on.”
He took a deep breath. “I hope I don’t need to move on…”
Selfishly, I wanted Charlie to drop his feelings because it was going to make my world extremely complicated if he didn’t. I was going to lose someone at some point, and I couldn’t cut out my sister or my roommate, so it would probably be Kat. But I didn’t want to lose my best girlfriend. I didn’t want her to be so hurt that she could never be around us again. I didn’t want her to hate my sister or my best friend. I didn’t want her to hate me for not telling her the truth. The odds of this going over well were slim, and I was really dreading that moment.
We walked into the room with the court, all four of us.
Denise looked at the guys on the court, who were already doing their warm-up by taking shots and passing the ball. Most of them were shirtless, including Dax.
Oh geez…I forgot how hot he was.
Denise looked at me and then the court. “You’re going to play against those giants?”
“Hey, I can hold my own pretty well,” I argued.
“It’s true,” Charlie said. “She’s quick on her feet.”
Matt averted his eyes. “It’s so hard not to stare…”
“Then don’t not stare,” Charlie countered.
“But I’ve got a man now,” Matt said. “Seems wrong.”
“Aww, that’s cute,” Denise said.
We moved to the bleachers and took a seat, putting down our water bottles and towels.
Denise sat beside me. “Is Dax here yet?”
“Over there on the court with the eight-pack, massive shoulders, and built chest.” I said.
“And you’re just going to play with him?” she asked incredulously.
“That’s the plan.”
She shook her head. “Good luck, girl.”
Charlie stood up and took off his shirt—even though he’d never done that for a game before. He jogged onto the court.
Denise’s eyes immediately went to his frame, watching him as he ran off.
Maybe Charlie was right.
Matt left his shirt on and moved onto the court.
“Are you going to take off your shirt too?” she teased.
“Nah. I’ve got class.” I took a drink from my water bottle and made my way onto the court.
Dax had just finished greeting Charlie and Matt when he noticed me. Over six feet of sweaty muscles, he was perfect. His biceps and triceps were slick and shiny, and his carved stomach was like a washboard. He was easier to tolerate fully clothed. But this…this was rough.
His eyes lightened noticeably as he looked at me, and a slight smile moved onto his lips. He approached me, hands on his hips. “I’m glad you’re playing with us. My team won the game last week.”
“Because I wasn’t here?” I asked playfully.
He shrugged. “It’s an odd coincidence, huh?”
“Or maybe no coincidence at all.” I nudged him in the side with a smile and got ready to play. “Let’s do this.”
We started the game, and Dax wasn’t on me all the time. Sometimes other guys covered me, and they were definitely more aggressive, treating me like another guy instead of the five-foot-five woman that I was.
Charlie was on my team, so we always worked to get open for each other, to get the ball and send it into the hoop. Matt was on the opposite team, so whenever he was on top of me, he kept a respectful distance.
When I made a three-pointer, Denise stood up and screamed. “That’s my girl!”
Charlie played harder than he ever had, dominating the court like it was life-and-death. He broke out in a heavy sweat, his skin shiny and slippery. His fit physique stole the show, his shorts low on his hips.
He was such a show-off right now.
When I got the ball again, Dax covered me.
I almost dropped the ball because the whiff of his cologne was too much, mixed with the scent of his sex. It gave me a sudden flashback of the last time we were together, and I broke concentration just for a second. It was enough to make me lose control of the ball.
But Dax didn’t react right away, like he didn’t want to steal it from me.
I got the ball again and dribbled away.
“I’m open!” Charlie ran back, ready to make a three-pointer.
I passed it.
He jumped in the air and made it. “Yes!”
Dax turned to me, his hands on his hips. “Your plan is working.”
“Sorry?”
He nodded to Denise. “She’s definitely paying attention to him.”