looked like they were busy chatting and having a good time. David gave me a wave.
He’d been cool about me using his car since he still couldn’t drive.
Thankfully, the gym was still open. The lights were still on, but the coaches were bound to leave soon, so I had to hurry.
I found my phone just where I’d left it. On one of the benches.
Scarlett had already sent me a text.
Scarlett: Found it?
I shot her quick message as I left the locker room.
Rachel: On my way back!
“Hey,” I heard. I almost jumped, not expecting anyone else to be around.
It was Aaron. He had his gym bag too, but unlike me, he was no longer in his basketball uniform. Instead, he wore fitted jeans and a solid black long-sleeve shirt. He looked super handsome. I walked toward him, taking in the smell of his cologne.
“I thought you’d left,” I told him.
He shook his head. “Not yet. The guys are waiting for me.”
I held up my phone. “I forgot this so I had to come back.”
We walked to the double doors. One of the girls’ basketball coaches exited the boys locker room. He gave us a small wave and we waved back. Then he entered his office and shut the door.
“We should get going,” I said. I went to push through the double doors so we could leave, but Aaron put his hand on my arm.
When I turned to him, he was looking down at me. For a minute, I thought he might bend down and kiss me.
I would’ve let him.
Instead, he took my hands in his. He had this expression on his face, like he wanted to say something but couldn’t.
Or didn’t know how.
All kinds of nervous that we were this close, I blurted out, “You played a really good game tonight.”
He gave me a small grin. “Every time I see you on the sidelines, cheering us one… it’s my favorite thing. I just wish…”
For a second, it was just us. Silence.
“What?” I asked, not able to take it anymore.
He squeezed my hands with his. His face turned serious. “I just wish that everyone knew how I really felt about you. And that they would be okay with it.”
He used the word everyone, but I had the feeling he meant a specific someone.
The thought of what David would say right now had me taking a step back, but something told me not to.
I didn’t want to. “Aaron,” I managed.
David’s face came to the front of my mind, and immediately, guilt flooded my stomach. I did take a step back, even if I let Aaron hold my hands still. “You know we can’t,” I told him, glancing down.
“Why not?” he asked, his eyes intense. “I don’t care anymore, Rachel. I don’t care what you brother has to say. I’m not trying to play games with you. I want this, and I know you do too.”
I could hardly believe what he was saying. Was this really Aaron talking? Had he really just said that? He sounded so sure, but I wasn’t. “You know it’s not that easy.”
Slowly, he closed the gap between us. “Why not?”
“He’s your best friend,” I replied, full of doubt. I knew it was one thing to feel one way about one another. But it was another thing entirely to try to actually do this. It just wasn’t that easy. “There’s a good reason you sent me that message the day after the winter dance, remember?”
I saw the doubt flash in his eyes. “You know this would cause trouble. Lots of it.” I let go of his hands. “It’s not worth it, Aaron.”
That’s when I saw the resolve come back into his eyes. “Yeah, but you’re worth it, Rachel. Worth the trouble and more. I was wrong then, scared, but not anymore.”
My heart felt like it had stopped.
He took my face in his hands and leaned down towards me. Slowly, like he wanted to make sure I wanted this as much as him.
I did.
My hands went to his forearms, and held on, not sure if I was about to push him away or pull him towards me…
Then—
My phone went off loudly. I jumped, remembering that Scarlett was still waiting for me outside.
David was outside too. What if he came looking for me?
It had been really dumb of me to do this. I took a step back and grabbed my phone. It was Scarlett. “I have to go,” I told him.
Aaron opened his mouth to say something, but then his phone went