Page 75 of Breakaway Goal

“Maddie …” I shake my head in disbelief, staring up at the ceiling, a feeling of utter satisfaction weighing on me like a heavy blanket, “that was … fuck.”

Maddie sits next to me, a giggle bubbling from her. As good as everything else that just happened felt … man, there’s a different kind of satisfaction in feeling my mattress sink and knowing it’s the weight of the girl I’ve been smitten with for years.

I don’t know how it’s possible for things with Maddie to go back to normal after this.

Keeping my real feelings for her under wraps was hard enough before I knew what she looked like naked. Before I know how her lips felt. Before I tasted the sweetness of being able to touch her the way I’ve always imagined, and knowing that she welcomed the touch.

That’s part of why I’ve been so glad that Maddie doesn’t seem rushed to check off the ultimate item on our list and finally sleep together. As much as having sex with Maddie is the utter pinnacle of my desires, I’d gladly put it off forever if that meant we could stay in the zone we’re in right now.

A dangerous flame of hope flickers in my chest.

What if Maddie doesn’t want that to be the end of what we’re doing?

But the rational part of my brain blows out that flickering flame. With my background? Her parents might like me as Lane’s friend, but they’d never approve of me dating their daughter. And Lane himself? Well, I already overheard his thoughts aboutanyof his teammates being suitable for Maddie at the beginning of the year.

I wrap my arm around Maddie and gather her close to me. This might have an expiration date, but I can enjoy what I’ve always dreamed about while it lasts.

38

RHYS

“Come on, Rhys, wingman for us.”

I groan into the sip I’m pulling from my bottle of beer. “Why me?”

“Because you’re single, duh,” Sebastian explains.

“Yeah,” Carter seconds him, “we can’t ask Hudson or Tuck.”

It’s Tuesday night, but Sebastian and Carter both wanted to go out, and they somehow managed to drag me, Lane, Tuck, and Hudson along with them. We’re at Loser’s Luck Tavern, our favorite bar in Cedar Shade and a popular spot for Brumehill students. Even on a Tuesday night, the crowd is pretty good.

Sebastian and Carter have been going out to pick up girls together pretty often lately. Guess it’s their thing this semester. Right now, they’re eyeing up a group of three girls and need a third man to make it work.

“Why don’t you ask Lane?” I say. “He’s single, too.”

Honestly, though, the idea of me being single just sits so wrong in my head. I sure as hell don’t feel single. And my balls are so dry from what Maddie did to me earlier this afternoon that I can’t summon any energy to pretend to be interested in or attracted to any other woman right now.

“Because we want our wingman to go for the girl with the tattoos,” Sebastian explains, tilting his head toward the group standing at the other end of the bar. “Look at her, she’s got that sort of gothy, alt style to her. She wouldn’t spare a clean-cut pretty boy like Lane a second glance. It’s gotta be you, Rhys.”

“Hard to argue with that,” Lane chimes in.

I scowl at him, but he just flashes me a red-carpet-worthy pearly-white smile and takes a sip of his beer.

“Come on, Rhys. You’ve been in a dry spell all semester, time to snap out of it,” Sebastian urges.

“Come to think of it,” Lane ponders, “Sebastian’s right. I haven’t seen you with a girl since last Spring.”

My chest tightens. The guys are prodding too close to my secret, and I don’t like the feeling.

“Just focusing on the season,” I lie. “Don’t want distractions.”

“You’re playing good, Rhys. And the team’s record is great,” Lane says. “You can cut yourself a little slack.”

Carter’s face lights up. “Listen to your team captain, Rhys.”

“Yeah,” Sebastian adds, “at this point, your balls must be bluer than the weird fruity drink Tuck ordered.”

“There is nothing weird about my Blue Lagoon cocktail,” Tuck retorts. “It’s delicious and refined.”

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