wrong that I hope she slams the door in his face too?
“I wanted to make things up to you for last weekend. It all went sideways, and I feel bad. You wouldn’t answer any of my texts and then you blocked me. I just wanted to talk and explain.”
She must realize he’s skeezing on her wet t-shirt because she crosses her arms. “We barely know each other, Jason, but what I do know is that we’re not really compatible.” Her words are direct, but her voice is gentle, even though that dick doesn’t deserve her compassion.
“How can you say that?”
“If we had anything special, you wouldn’t have hooked up with another girl ten minutes after dropping me off.”
What a fucker.
She starts to close the door, and he throws out his arm to hold it open. “Gabby, baby, it wasn’t like that!”
She’s not your fucking baby, asshole. And if he takes one more step toward her, I’m laying him out.
“Jason, I don’t care what it was like. It’s not a big deal that you were with someone else, and that’s telling too. Go hook up. Be my guest. Just please leave me out of the picture.”
“But we never had the talk. You know, where we agree to be official and monogamous or whatever.”
“Honestly? I think when you find someone you really want to be with, you don’t need to have ‘the talk.’ If you find the right woman, it would kill you to hook up with anyone else.” She shrugs. “Maybe I want someone who is certain about me and doesn’t need to wait for that kind of conversation to commit to me. Because in his heart, he knows what he wants and goes for it.”
God, she’s beautiful. I love this woman’s spirit.
Suddenly, he spies me in the background.
“What the fuck? Are you dating Kingston now?” He glances at me. “No offense, man. Great game yesterday, by the way. Killer second half.”
Christ. This guy.
Gabby shakes her head. “Who I’m dating is really none of your business, but he and I are neighbors.”
He must see something in my eyes because his narrow. “How can you be with him and not me? He probably fucked a different girl every night last week.”
Excuse me, dickhead. I fucked my hand every night last week, thank you very much.
“Rider’s sex life is none of my business—or yours.”
Is it wrong that I want it to be her business?
He hisses, “Do you have any idea what goes on at his house? What goes down at those parties? Did you know they call the first-floor bathroom the ‘blow job bathroom’? He’ll never be faithful to you.”
“Really, dude?” He just got his ass banned from football parties.
I bounce Poppy on my lap so I’m not tempted to cross the room. I’m a lot of things, but I’m not a cheater. After my mother did my dad so dirty, I’d never be able to look at myself in the mirror if I ever pulled that kind of shit.
“Rider is free to bed whoever he pleases, as we are not dating. Now please get off my porch.”
Free to bed whoever he pleases.
That does not sit right with me. The idea of sleeping with random girls has zero appeal. It hasn’t for a while, if I’m being honest. Even having my usual fuckbuddy situation doesn’t feel right these days.
I mull over what she said, about not needing a conversation to commit to someone, not if you want them badly enough.
And I’m starting to wonder if Gabby meets that criteria, whether she means to or not.
Except I’m not in a position to pursue her. No matter how badly I want her.
26
RIDER
I rap on the door, and Sully calls out for me to enter.
“You wanted to see me, Coach?” I love Sully like a father, but paternal relationship or not, no one wants to get called into his office.
“Have a seat.”
I drop into one of the plastic chairs in front of his desk. At this point in his career, he could get nicer chairs for his office, but he’s so old school, I’m not sure he’s ever considered it.
His rheumy eyes study me for a second, and I make an effort to not squirm. “How you doing? Saturday was rough, but you pulled out a win. Wanna talk about it?”
He does this sometimes after an emotional game, has these heart-to-hearts, but usually in the locker room. I must be really putting out some fucked-up vibes for him to do this right now. In the last