Varsity Tiebreaker - Ginger Scott Page 0,95

seat next to me. I startle, then shift instantly into a breathy squeal. It’s good to see him.

I wrap my arms around his midsection and hug him tight, my head falling against his chest. Nothing about our embrace is weird, and I don’t give it a second thought until minutes later when I realize it happened and we both acted natural.

“Okay, so June will probably wander over first. I don’t know how you want to play this, but if you’d like to surprise them all at once, you can always hide behind the ball rack, I guess?” He points over his shoulder to the curved wall filled with colored spheres.

“Yeah, that works,” I say, getting to my feet and stretching. I feel as though I’ve been on the go since I first left home. Two weeks of flights and filming and freezing temps has left me a little achy. I might be ready for that Champion’s Tour after all.

“She’s coming,” Hayden whispers.

I crouch down and waddle my way behind the rack, sitting on my knees when I’m well out of sight. I hear June’s voice a few seconds later and my legs twitch with the desire to spring up and see my friend. I hold tight instead and listen.

“Lucas is almost here. He said Tory was dragging ass. I think the whole driving back and forth thing is getting to him,” she says.

I lower my head. He’s still keeping up with the splitting time thing between his parents. Hayden hasn’t mentioned it. He decided to stay at his mom’s; I don’t know why I figured Tory did, too.

“I know. I think he’s just trying to make sure my dad isn’t alone. He’s got a few work trips coming up in January, so Tory should be home for a solid block then.”

“You want me to get the names up?” June asks.

“I got it. Let me know when you see the guys,” Hayden says. I lean forward to catch his eyes and he’s doing the same from his seat. When we connect he gives me a thumbs up. I can’t believe I’m really going to pull this off. I can’t believe I’m going to see Tory. I haven’t seen him since he sat with me on that concrete bench and told me he couldn’t hurt his brother.

“I see them,” June says. My pulse explodes into a splatter of beats. My mouth waters as if I’m about to be sick, and I feel faint. I’m not sure I can really see this through. I move from my knees to my ass so I can bend my head down and breathe. I completely fill my lungs once . . . twice . . . and the ringing in my ears stops.

“Hey, man. How was the drive?” I recognize Hayden, so I hold my breath, waiting for the voice I’ve been craving.

“Brutal. I think it’s the soundtrack,” Tory says. I smile automatically. It’s good to hear him and his brother joke. It’s good to hear him.

“You’re just being stubborn,” Hayden says.

There’s a bit of chatter while everyone shuttles around getting balls and swapping out shoes. I can’t quite tell if it’s a good time to just pop out, so I lean forward again, hoping to catch Hayden in his seat. I lurch out from around the corner just as Tory leans down to pick out his ball, and our eyes stall on one another for almost a full second before I scream and fall back.

With my hand over my thundering chest, I blow up at my hair, looking at the only great kiss I’ve ever had. The dent on his forehead tells me he’s not quite sure what to make of this situation, but the longer it’s there, the more I realize he isn’t happy to see me. I don’t think he’s sad.

I don’t think he’s anything.

“Abby?” June leans over the wall, her hair flopping down in braids on either side of her face.

“Surprise!” I whimper, waving my hands in the air.

Tory puts his ball down and steps toward me, reaching out a hand. I stare at his palm for a beat before taking it. The moment we touch will be a sign of where things stand. His hand completely wraps around mine as he yanks me to my feet. He steadies me with his other hand, resting it on my shoulder, but while that hand drifts away once I’m upright, the one pressed against my palm still holds on tight. His eyes haven’t left

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