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“Guys on campus talk about you, Shane. They won’t even try with her anymore because they know you’ll kick ass and ask questions later if they do. You’ve got a reputation, and it’s not a good one."
“So the fuck what?” I grit my teeth, frustration boiling over. "I care about her. Is that a crime?"
Bass sighs, rubbing his temples. "No, obviously, it’s not a crime. But you’ve got to think about what you’re doing. Like it or not, you’re a part of this little triad we’ve got going. Our faces are plastered all over campus. We’ve got an image to maintain.”
“A fuckboy image?”
“If Kennedy’s not ready to go public, fine,” Neo interjects. “But that doesn’t mean you should act like her personal bodyguard and scare away every potential friend or date she might have. I like Prez. I think she’s one of the coolest girls on this campus and I respect the fuck out of her. But you know how she is. She doesn’t have a lot of friends. She only tolerates Pepper and Minka nowadays and is becoming too dependent on you. So if you don’t want to consider yourself in all of this, think about her, Shane.”
All I do is think about her.
That’s my damn problem.
I sit down heavily, the weight of my team captain’s words sinking in. "I just... I don’t want to lose her,” I admit out loud for the first time ever.
Neo’s expression softens a bit. "We get that, bro. We do. But you’ve got to chill. Give her space to come to you. If she wants to be with you, she will. You can’t force it."
I run a hand through my hair, feeling more conflicted than ever. "It’s just hard, you know? We have this connection, and I don’t want anyone else getting in the way."
“Is your mom still dating the daddy?”
“Yeah.”
“Then you know what I’m going to say. It’s going to be hard to convince Prez of anything if that’s still a thing.”
“Which is why I’m waiting.”
“Well, maybe in the meantime, don’t act like a possessive jerk?"
“Yeah, you can’t beat up everyone on campus,” Bass jokes. “Who am I going to fight?”
"You’re right." I let out a short laugh, despite myself. “I’ll try to take a step back."
“That’s the spirit.” Bass grins, clapping me on the back. “So should I send Gia to your room tonight?”
“Fuck, no, Bass.”
The two of them laugh at me.
“Okay, baby steps.”
Neo stands up, stretching. “We can’t force you to play with the bunnies, but just don’t let this complicated relationship with Prez mess with your head. You’re taking some of it out on the ice, and we’ve got a championship to win."
“You’ve been in the penalty box more than me,” I tell him.
“Well, we can’t all be fucking up if we’re going to get to the big dance.”
“True,” I chuckle.
As I finish packing up my gear, I think about what they said. Maybe I have been going overboard with Kennedy, trying to control something that can’t be controlled. Maybe it’s time to take a step back and let things happen naturally, allow her to come to me.
Neo comes back from the shower, towel slung over his shoulder. He studies me carefully. “I see you’re thinking about what we just discussed.”
“Yeah.”
“And you think Kennedy’s worth all this?"
I look up at him, considering my answer. "Yeah, I do. She’s worth it. But I know I need to play this differently.”
