Page 51 of Rookie Moves

I blink at him, unable to find any words to argue my case.

And would you look at that? It seems his confidence is already growing.

With a grin, I shake my head and sit back in my seat. “Damn. Put me in my place, why don’t you.”

He laughs, and the way it lights up his eyes has that weird feeling pulling in my chest again.

We talk about the weekend and the other teams that advanced to the Frozen Four over breakfast. Our coffees are replenished, and by the time the waitress brings over the check, I’m floating on that satisfied cloud, stomach full of good food and dopamine levels exceeded from the great company.

I shift my hips to reach into my pocket to grab my wallet, but Colby snaps up the check before my fingers can touch my wallet.

“Let me pay,” I tell him, holding my hand out.

“No,” he says firmly. “It’s my treat. It’s the least I can do.”

I arch a brow, a smirk pulling on my lips. Leaning forward, I lower my voice for only him to hear.

“Is it my birthday or something? First, you suck my dick like a champ, now you’re buying me breakfast?” I run my tongue along the inside of my cheek, unable to stop the raspy tone in my voice. “Gotta say, Colbs, this is some five-star service. Where do I leave you a review?”

“Fuck off,” he snickers, the top of his ears turning a deep shade of pink. He slides his card into the receipt wallet and places it on the edge of the table. “It’s just breakfast.”

Right. Just breakfast. I seem to keep forgetting about that.

Once we’re all paid up, we head outside and take the scenic route along the waterfront to where I parked my car. The sun is shining bright in the sky, highlighting the golden strands in Colby’s hair. He cards his fingers through it, brushing it away from his face, gifting me the perfect view of the gentle slope to his nose and the sharp line of his jaw. My eyes zero in on those full lips, and I have to fight back a low groan from deep in my chest at the memory of them being wrapped around me.

Fuck. I’m well and truly fucked.

I force myself to look at anything else except him and spot a coffee cart ahead. I grab us both a coffee, and we sit on a bench, watching the boats bob with the light swell of the river. Colby points out various places he remembers from spending summers here as a kid, and I tell him about the time Piper and I went white water rafting and I nearly fell in.

I’m completely unaware of the time that’s passed when Colby pulls his phone from his pocket and checks the screen.

“We better get back,” he says. There’s a hint of sadness to his tone that has me all kinds of confused.

Is he feeling this too? This weird magnetic pull between us? Sure, we’ve grown a lot closer since we started this arrangement, but something has definitely shifted between us. I can’t put my finger on what, or when, and I’m fairly certain it isn’t one-sided.

But even as that thought passes through my mind, another one follows up quickly: this can’t mean anything.

Colby is heading to the pros in a few short months, and I’m heading back to Arizona to make some rich people even richer. We’ll be living two different lives, and no matter how much my gut is twisted up in knots over the fact, it’s important that I remember this is purely educational.

We head back to campus in a strange, contented silence. I tap my fingers along to the beat of the song playing through my car speakers, and every time I glance over at Colby, he’s looking out the window, wearing a small smile.

I pull up outside his building, letting the car idle while he makes no move to get out.

“Thanks for… uhh… you know,” he begins, swallowing roughly. “Last night. And this morning.”

I tighten my grip on the steering wheel, fighting the urge to reach out to him and tug him closer for a kiss. “I really enjoyed it.”

He huffs out a laugh, deep pink blotches appearing on the tops of his cheeks. “I’ll see you later at practice?”

“I’ll be there.”

“Okay, see you later,” Colby says and slips out of the car. I watch as he heads up the few steps to the front door to his building, and I find myself still staring at the closed door long after he’s disappeared behind it.

None of this was supposed to mean anything. We’re two friends, two teammates, just going out for some breakfast, having some harmless, meaningless fun together.

So why does it feel like my heart has taken a walk inside that building, and in its place is a hollow, achy feeling?

CHAPTER THIRTEEN