Page 39 of Defend Her Heart

My thumb hovers over the screen. I want to tell her no because I’m absolutely exhausted from the game tonight. I’ve stayed hydrated and snacked on the trail mix Ted brought, but I’m still so damn tired. Although, I’m not dizzy, and food might be a good idea after a long night of work.

I can come for a little bit. Meet you there?

Sadie

Yes! We’re here now. See you soon!

As I approach the building, I can feel the music thumping from outside and the smell of yeast in the air hits my nose. Mybody sags with exhaustion but I push through, wanting to spend time with my friends after a long, fulfilling day of work. I brace myself as I open the doors. The sports bar is buzzing with energy, and I spot my friends standing along the far side of the room. Katie, Sloane, and Sadie are all huddled together, a few of the guys on the team mingling behind them. As soon as I approach them, Sadie breaks away from the group to give me a hug.

It’s not unlike her to fling herself at me for a hug, but when she squeezes me tight, I feel unsteady on my feet. Thankfully, she releases me just as the spots begin to appear in my vision, and I take a sip of my drink to try to get rid of this uneasy feeling.

“I’m so glad you made it! I wasn’t expecting it to be so packed. We grabbed this table but there’s no place to sit yet.”

Damn it. Standing for long periods can be pretty difficult for me. But I was just sitting for hours at the game so I should be okay for a while. I hope.

I survey the teammates standing by us and notice that Connor and Niko are both missing. Sadie must register what I’m doing because she leans in so I can hear her better.

“Niko and Connor had to meet with the coaches for a bit. They’ll be here soon.”

I’ve come to learn that wherever Niko goes, Connor is usually not far behind. It’s nice to see that he’s found new friends and made a life for himself here in Green Bay. But I can’t deny that it still stings a little to know he left me and all our friends behind. I know he said he was going through some stuff, but it still confuses me. Maybe it shouldn’t surprise me since he ended our relationship when he left for college like it wasn’t a big deal. As if we hadn’t promised each other forever.

Say what you want about high school love, but ours was different. Or at least I thought it was.

We’ve been standing around for nearly thirty minutes, everyone chatting and having a good time, when Sadie sprintsaway from us and launches herself into Niko’s arms. A pang of something hits me in the chest, and it’s only amplified when I see Connor standing behind them.

There’s a scowl on his face at the PDA happening in front of him, but it does nothing to tamp down how sexy he looks. His hair is slightly damp still from his post game shower and he’s wearing a classy gray suit, his white shirt unbuttoned at the top. My eyes never leave him as the three of them make their way to where we’re all standing.

When they’re only a few feet away, I notice lines of ink peeking out from the opening in Connor’s shirt. A tattoo? It’s been nearly a decade since I’ve seen his bare chest and the idea of him having tattoos now makes something happen low in my belly.

No. Stop that. You do not care.

When they finally approach our group, my eyes shoot up from his chest to see that he’s watching me like I am him.

“Hi,” he says in a sultry tone that might cause any woman to drop to their knees.

Come to think of it, I am feeling a bit lightheaded. Is it because of his presence or due to my body betraying me? My body starts overheating and I feel my legs beginning to turn weak.

I don’t have time to steady myself, because as I go to look for a stool, the ground falls out from underneath me.

The second I walk into the bar I know she’s here. Like my body is trained to find her whenever she’s near, my eyes home in on Avery immediately.

Sadie catapults herself at Niko, and I roll my eyes at the public display but don’t move my attention from Avery. She’s surrounded by some of my teammates and Bobcats’ staff but I don’t dare look away to greet them. She has yet to make eye contact with me, her eyes trained lower on my chest. Her attention gives me the confidence I need to go straight to her.

Once we’re inches apart, she finally looks up at my face.

“Hi,” I say, the confidence I’m feeling is evident in my voice. I’m about to shoot her a flirtatious smirk when I notice her face begin to pale. I know I’m not her favorite person, but she’s never had this reaction to my presence before.

She turns and stumbles on her feet. My instincts kick in and I rush behind her, catching her just before she hits the ground. I’m kneeling now, with her head resting on my thighs. My heart climbs to my throat as panic sets in. The panic immediately turns to fear as I realize how unwell Avery is.

Her face is ghostly in my lap, her eyes closed, her body completely unresponsive on the floor. The crowd around usgoes silent but my focus stays on Avery. I can feel my heart hammering in my chest now and my fingers tremble as I brush her hair back from her face.

“Wake up for me, Aves. Please.”

Sadie and Katie drop to their knees at Avery’s side. My eyes stay locked on Avery’s face, looking for any signs that she’s close to waking up. Someone hands Sadie a napkin and she places it on Avery’s forehead while Katie grabs her wrist to check her pulse.

“What the fuck happened?” My voice is lethal, both women snapping their attention to me.

“It’s a fainting spell. She has them sometimes.”