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“True, but weirder things have happened,” I explain.
She shrugs. “True story, keep your fingers crossed. In the meantime, get ready for an away game Friday.”
“I’m always ready,” I tell her with a wink before making my way down the hall with an extra pep in my step.
Wednesday and Thursday pass by in a blur and before I know it Friday is here. I’m both excited and extremely nervous to be traveling with the soccer team for their away game.
On one hand, I’m excited to see Rio and the guys play, but on the other, I’m anxious that they’ll lose and blame it on me. I’m supposed to be their good luck charm, and it will destroy me if I can’t be that for them. The pressure is real.
“Want to be seat buddies?” Rio asks when I arrive at the bus, causing my brows to shoot up in shock.
He hasn’t asked me out yet so I’m trying my hardest to pretend like last weekend didn’t happen, but it’s kind of hard.
“Umm, yeah, that would be cool,” I somewhat stutter over my words.
“Awesome. I’ve been wanting to talk to you, but life has been busy. I’m glad you’re our full-time mascot now,” he tells me, and butterflies erupt in my stomach.
What could he possibly want to talk about? Is he finally going to ask me out? Is he going to thank me for acting like last weekend never happened?
A million possible scenarios run through my head as I follow Rio onto the bus.
“Hey, you’re supposed to sit with me,” BooBoo complains when Rio and I take our seats. “I thought we were bus besties.”
“Just because we always sit together doesn’t mean I’m only allowed to sit with you,” Rio retorts.
BooBoo grumbles and takes the seat in front of us. “I feel like I’m being cheated on.”
Rio chuckles. “You’ll always be my favorite even if I don’t sit with you,” he assures him.
“Does that mean you’re going to tell me how you got your nickname?” BooBoo asks, looking over the back of his chair at us.
Rio shakes his head with a shit-eating grin. “Absolutely not.”
“I think we should choose a new nickname for you since apparently no one even knows how you got it anymore,” BooBoo complains.
“If you can come up with something better, be my guest,” Rio offers.
BooBoo glares at him for a moment before huffing and turning around again.
“No one knows how you got your nickname?” I check, and Rio shakes his head with a smirk.
“Obviously, there are a few who do, but it’s been so long that the majority have forgotten. Honestly, most people don’t even ask about it anymore. They just accept that I go by Rio and leave it at that.”
I nod but my mind starts racing at what the story could possibly be. It must be something crazy embarrassing if he won’t tell anyone how he got the nickname. I wonder what I would have to do to get him to tell me the story. Gossip is an addiction for me, and this feels like something I would absolutely love to hear.
“I’ve been thinking about your text,” Rio says once the bus starts moving and people are caught up in their own conversations.
“Really?” I check.
“Yeah, but I’ll admit I was a little confused.”
“What about? I thought I was pretty straightforward,” I tell him.
“You were, but I’m just confused why you want to date me. You aren’t the dating type. I’ve known you for what, three years? And I’ve never seen you date anyone. Sleep with people? Yes. But never date. Why the change in heart?”
I nibble on my lower lip as I think about my answer.
Rio isn’t wrong. I don’t date. Haven’t since my last relationship that I literally ran away from after I almost died at the hands of the man who was supposed to love me. Dating anyone has been the last thing I’ve wanted to do. Well, until I got to know Rio. I realized that if I was to ever date again, I would want it to be with a man like him. He was always so kind, and he didn’t fall for my overt flirting. I liked that I always had to try harder with him. Rio is different than any guy I’ve ever met, and even though it’s been a long time since I’ve had a boyfriend, I know I could be a good one for him. And there’s no doubt in my mind that he'll treat me better than my ex.
