Page 54 of Hot Shot
He tilts his head, studying me. “I never got any letters. I would have written back. I’m sorry I didn’t contact you sooner. Neither of us can change the past but I want us to get to know each other as adults. Please.”
We stare at each other for a beat before I let out a breath and say, “Okay.”
“Okay, good.” Elias smiles and nods. “I’ll let you get a shower in. Congrats again, brother.”
“Thanks.”
Well, that was awkward.
I take a couple of deep breaths before heading back to my stall so I can finally shower.
“What was that about?” Wes leans toward me.
“A really awkward conversation with my half brother. Not sure how much of it was bullshit and how much of it was the truth. But it is what it is.” I pull off the Storm shirt I threw on over my pads so I could do interviews.
“Shit,” Wes mumbles. “Wait. Hold up. He’s your half brother?” he asks, his voice much louder than I’d like.
“Yes. Be quiet,” I hiss, waving my hands at him. “I don’t need the whole team knowing.” Not that it’ll matter. I’m sure they’ll all know by this time tomorrow—gossip travels fast around this group.
“You okay?” Caleb asks from across the room.
I give him a thumbs up and go back to taking off my uniform so I can shower.
Wes lets the conversation go, at least for now, and soon we’re heading out to the bus. The ride to the airport is short and quiet since everyone is exhausted.
I pull out my phone when I’m seated on the plane and see I have over a hundred texts from random people congratulating me on my first goal. My old college coach. A few former teammates. Some classmates from college and high school that I haven’t talked to in years. I ignore them all when I see that Madison texted me.
Finally.
I haven’t talked to her since our kiss. I texted and called a couple of times, and her one response was to tell me the bakery was really busy. It felt like an excuse to me.
I wanted to go over there and confront her. Ask her why she said our kiss was a mistake when she clearly enjoyed it.
Wes talked me out of it. His advice was to give her space. That it sounded like something spooked her after our kiss. Maybe she needed time to come around.
So reluctantly, that’s what I did. It helped that we were so busy with games and practices.
Madison:I know you’re playing and won’t see this until later. Can we talk when you get back?
Madison:I watched the game! Congrats Hunter. You deserve it.
“Naked pictures?” Wes asks, leaning over and trying to see what’s on my phone, a shit-eating grin on his face.
“Madison was texting me that she watched the game. She was congratulating me. Along with every other person I’ve ever met who still has my phone number.”
“I told you she would come around. And she watched the game. Even better.” Wes pushes his hair out of his face. “Prepare to be bombarded with text messages from everyone you ever knew, and even those you didn’t really know, for quite a while.”
I groan, set my phone to Airplane Mode, and shove it back in my bag as the plane starts to taxi down the runway. I lean my head against the window to try and get some sleep, but all I can see is Elias’s face when I told him that it wasn’t my choice to not come back to Colorado. That I wrote him letters.
I don’t know what kind of relationship my half brother and I are going to have, but at least we each said our piece.
Chapter twenty-two
Madison
“Hey.”Rachelpeeksherhead into the kitchen late Monday morning as I’m putting the finishing touches on a cake.
“Hey, Rach.”
