the members of both our families, before moving in, kissing me quickly. “Love you. Thanks for coming.”
“Thank my mom,” I say, just as Connor’s main opponent walks past us.
He leers at my chest. “Damn, ho. You ever want to drop that has-been and get with a winner, I’m right here.”
Five voices all at once:
“Hey, now,” Corey says, the tamest of them all.
I snap, “I’d rather eat shit and die!” at the same time Trevor warns, “Say that shit about my sister again and see what happens,” and Connor who grunts, “Watch your fucking mouth.”
But Mom—she pulls out the big guns: “Eat a bag of dicks, you cocksucking little twerp!”
We all walk out to the parking lot, saying bye to Corey first, and then to Trevor’s truck. I make sure Trevor knows exactly what meds Mom takes in what order and what time, and he assures me he’s got it handled and reminds me that I’m only a phone call away if he needs me, which Mom promises he won’t. And while a part of me is fearful that I won’t be around if anything does happen, a more significant part of me knows that I need to stay. That I need to be here for Connor.
I watch them leave, all the way to the point of their taillights disappearing in the distance. When I feel safe enough to move, I start making my way to the exit of the locker rooms where Philips’ fans are still on a high and the parents and friends of our team stand around, waiting to show their support. Rhys and Mitch are standing by Rhys’s car, and I almost go up to them—just so I can punch them in their lopsided testicles.
I don’t.
But I really fucking want to.
I stay in the shadows, not wanting to be seen until Connor gets out.
“Hey,” a woman says, stopping next to me.
I turn to her, smile awkwardly. “Hi?”
“You’re friends with Connor Ledger, right?” She’s middle-aged, blonde hair, eyes hidden behind a pair of sunglasses that cover half her face—which makes no sense considering the only sun around here went down hours ago.
My head tilts to the side when I answer, “Yeah, I’m his girlfriend. Can I help you?”
She flashes a smile, but it’s weak. “He played really well tonight.”
Nodding, I ask, “Are you a reporter, or… a scout, maybe?” Hope builds a home in my heart. “NBA? That would be insane. It would sure cheer him up.”
“No, I’m sorry,” she says through a croaky giggle. “I’m just a fan.”
“Right.” I look away, focus on the exit, and add, “He has a lot of those.”
“Yeah, I’m sure he does.” Her voice becomes louder, clearer, as if to say hear me, when she adds, “Have you guys been dating long?”
“Kind of. On and off since the start of the school year…” I turn to her again, my brow furrowed. “I’m sorry, what was your name?”
“Oh, it’s not important,” she rushes out, taking a single step back. “But, umm… can you give him this?” She pulls out a small white box from her bag. “It’s just a little present.”
I take her offering, still unsure what her angle is. “From a fan?” I ask, because if this is her used underwear or something… gross. I suppose I should get used to this, though, especially since this is what his future’s going to be like.
The woman nods, says, “Yeah. A fan. It was nice meeting you….?”
“Ava.”
“Ava.” She smiles, genuine. “That’s a pretty name.”
Chapter 23
Connor
Ava and I make a detour to grab food before we go to Rhys’s house, so by the time we do get there, it’s already packed. She grasps on to my arm the second we enter, and she doesn’t let go as we make our way through the crowd to find the rest of the team in Rhys’s pool house. A highlight reel of our season is playing on the huge screen, and I don’t know whose idea this was, but they’re fucking stupid. The last thing I want is to be reminded of what’s no longer in my grasp. “Hey, superstar!” Karen greets, hugging Ava first, and then me. Ava still doesn’t release her hold on my hand.
“I’m not really feeling like a superstar right now,” I murmur.
Karen’s eyes narrow, shifting to Ava before settling on me. “Hey, who am I?” She lowers her voice to mimic mine. “Boohoo, I was double-teamed by the best players in the region and I couldn’t carry the entire team on my back,