Page 114 of Forever Offsides

“Yeah, we need to have a conversation about this.”

“You know who it is. I told you about him back in the spring when we were only texting.”

“Yes, but then you told us you weren’t going there.”

I shrug. “Oops. You can’t be shocked.”

“I’m not shocked. I’m happy.” Her head leans against my shoulder. “It’s just that the last time we talked about it, you told us that you were keeping your distance because nothing could happen. Has that changed?”

“Yes, in that we’re no longer keeping our distance. I have no clue what can happen given all that we’re up against. That stuff is still unchanged, and Crew and Mason know nothing about it. No one does.”

“But it’s more than sex,” she says with assurance. “Are you in love?”

“Skylar, questions like that won’t earn you extra chocolate cake when all of this is over.”

“Fine. But only because it’s really good cake.”

“Dark chocolate sucks.”

“Says everyone with no taste.”

“Ah, but you met him, so you know that’s not the case.”

She giggles, but we’re interrupted by Braelyn, who understood the assignment and shows up with a fresh glass of champagne for me and some pink, fizzy drink for Skylar.

“Dude, the women at this event are no joke. I’m sweating like a whore at the Vatican. Can you see my pit stains?” She lifts her arms, revealing the underside of her green dress.

“No,” I tell her. “You’re good.”

“How come the men and kids get to go to an end-of-season baseball game, and we have to go through the story of our lives fifty times before we even reach the buffet line? It’s like the Hunger Games with these women, and they’re all out for blood.”

“Women are vampires,” Skylar states as she sips her pink drink. Everything here is pink, and while you’d think that was gross or tacky, it’s so Skylar no one argued it. “They like to suck your blood to steal your soul to make their lifeless selves feel better.”

“Wow. Bitter much, gumdrop?”

She shrugs at Braelyn. “So it would seem.”

“You’re not wrong, but what’s up?” Brae questions. “The party is a lot or is it more than that?”

“Who knows. My back hurts, and my ankles are officially cankles and having sex is like nearly impossible with how big I am. Plus, the snarky comments are grating on me today. But on a brighter note, Quinn is screwing the coach.”

Braelyn’s eyes pop out of her head. “You are? You didn’t tell me that. I mean, you had that smile going again, but I didn’t want to assume because it makes an ass out of u and me.”

I drink down half of my champagne before I grab another from a passing tray and double-fist it.

Brae fans her face, looking far too pleased. “Oh, there’s tea. Spill it.”

“They’re keeping it a secret,” Skylar supplies for me.

Brae scrunches her nose. “Because of Russel? Who cares about that dick?”

My eyebrows lift. “Um, how about his father?”

She shrugs and sips her champagne. “I guess I get that. But Russel would do the same thing without batting an eyelash or having second thoughts.”

“It’s true,” Sky agrees, shifting her weight and putting her free hand on her lower back for support.

“It’s more than that,” I state, finishing off my glass and setting the empty down on a table. “I don’t want to be a team distraction. I don’t want to cause drama. It’s a big year for my brothers and father. It’s not only Russel who’s a factor here. Plus, I’m a resident and working for the team.”