On The Rebound (Steinbeck U #1) - L.A. Cotton Page 0,107

let you back in and you just left.”

“I just needed some time. That’s all. I called Maverick and we got some breakfast. Then I spent the day trying to figure out how to tell you that I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry?”

He nodded. “I hate that we wasted so much time.” His lips ghosted over the corner of my mouth, his words a gentle caress against my skin. “I hate that I wasn’t there when your mom got sick.” He kissed me and then breaking off he tucked my hair behind my ears, meeting my gaze, his expression soft. “But most of all, I hate how I treated you over the last few weeks. I love you, Calliope James. I don’t think I ever stopped.”

“You love me?” My heart crashed against my ribcage. Zach’s words were like a balm to my broken and bruised heart.

“I love you so fucking much it terrifies me. It’s you, sweet pea. It’s always been you. I was just too fucking stupid to see it.” Zach touched his head against mine. “After the game I want to tell everyone. I don’t want to waste a single second more of our time together.”

“Okay,” I breathed, the weight of his confession a burden I would gladly carry. “And, Zach?”

“Yeah?”

My smile grew. “I love you too.”

Zach

Waiting to tell everyone was like torture. I knew Calli was right—we needed to get the exhibition game out of the way before the shit hit the fan. But it didn’t mean I had to like it.

“You’re tense as fuck,” Brad said as we all sat around on the bleachers waiting for Coach.

“I’m okay,” I clipped out. But his eyes dropped to my leg, the one bouncing up and down. “It’s nothing.” I shirked him off. My heart thundered in my chest, sweat beading down my back. It had been an intense practice, but I’d needed it. We all had.

“Right, ladies,” Coach boomed, his voice echoing off the walls. “The day has finally come.” The guys began to hoot and holler, the noise deafening. “Okay, okay, settle down.” He tore off his ball cap and ran a hand through his graying hair. “It’s our first game of the season. Now it might only be an exhibition game, but I want you to go out there tomorrow and play like your lives depend on it. I always say the first game of any season sets the tone of that season. And this season is ours, you hear me?”

My teammates began cheering again. I found Callum along the bench. His head bowed slightly; eyes shielded from everyone. He didn’t want to be here. A month ago, it was something I would have said we had in common, but something had changed the last few weeks.

I’d changed.

“Zach, son, you ready?”

“I’m ready, Coach.” My voice rang loud and clear over the guys’.

“It’s not the way we wanted to do this. I know that. We’re missing the heart of our team.” His expression hardened. “Declan was a good kid, one of the best. When we go out there tomorrow and play, we play for him. We play to honor his legacy.”

“He isn’t gone.” Callum shot up, silencing the gym.

“I know that, son,” Coach stuttered, the blood draining from his face. “I didn’t mean no disrespect.”

“It’s bullshit, right, you know that? An exhibition game isn’t going to fix Declan. No amount of money we raise for the facility is going to give him back his legs.”

“Son, you need to—”

“Need to what?” Callum roared. “Pretend everything is okay? Everything is not fucking okay. He wasn’t just our shot at the championship. He was our friend. He is my best friend... and he’s—”

One of the senior players, a guy called AJ, jumped up and threw his arm around Callum’s shoulder. “Come on, Cal, let’s go take a walk.”

“Douglas, go with them.” Coach ordered one of the assistant coaches, and he took off after them.

The silence was deafening. My pulse was a steady drum beneath my skin. I’d known Callum a long time and I’d never seen him so... so angry. But it was more than that. He was in pain. It had rippled around him like a storm, turning the air in the gym dark and heavy.

“Okay, why don’t we call it a day.” Coach expelled a long breath. “You looked good out there today. Strong and together. I know it hasn’t been easy. I know there’s a lot of uncertainty right now. But we’re a team. We stick together and we get the