Page 31 of The Triple Play

Three—

“‘Bout time you called, sweetheart.”

I blinked, trying to process that. “Wait—how—how did you know it was me?”

Colton’s laugh leaked down the call, a little low and smug like he’d been desperately waiting to drop that stupid line, and the sound of it already had my cheeks warming. “Might’ve stolen your number out of Cole’s phone. I figured you’d cave eventually.”

“Youwhat?” I tried my best to sound offended, but my act was so terrible it just immediately morphed into slightly shaken laughter.

“Oh come on, Annie, did you really think I wouldn’t do that?” He chuckled. “He left it out in the open and I wanted to know it was you when you finally plucked up the courage to call me. What was Isupposedto do?”

I sat down on my bed, my laughter slowly dying out, and I realized I didn’t actually know what I wanted to say. I’d acted before I’d had a plan.

His voice was a little softer when he spoke again. “You all right, sweetheart?”

His words cut straight through whatever facade I was trying to don. My throat closed immediately, and I forced my head back, looking up at the ceiling in an attempt to open it again. “I…” I winced as the single word came out a little choked.

“Annie?” Colton pressed, his voice a little more urgent, a little more alert.

“I don’t know,” I croaked. “Are you busy?”

The sound ofsomethingshifting on his end of the call leaked through, coupled with a grunt. “Nope. Just stretching. Already had practice this morning. You want me to come get you?”

My knee bounced on the mattress, uncertainty clouding my thoughts. Part of me wanted to get out of this tiny apartment, but part of me wanted to fill it with the kind of energy onlyhecould bring. “Can you just come over?”

His hesitation wasloud.

He didn’t respond right away, but his breath huffed once, and the sound of jangling keys came through the phone. “Yeah,” he said finally, the chirpy tone in his voice a little dulled, but not in a defeated way. Just… surprised. “Have you eaten? I can swing by somewhere and get us some food.”

I swallowed. “You don’t have to do that.”

“Let me. You like Chipotle?”

I leaned forward, resting my head in my hand, my throat closing in. “Yeah,” I croaked.

“Text me your address and your order,” he said, the sound of a heavy door slamming carrying through the call. “I’ll be there before you can change your mind. Hope you don’t mind the sight of me in sweatpants.”

I choked on a half-hearted laugh. “I won’t,” I promised. “Just, uh, park anywherebutout front. Just in case.”

“Well, that doesn’t sound ominous at all.”

————

Colton sat across from my spot on the uncomfortable little chair I normally wrote music in, his grey sweatpants and blue Fire hoodie disguisingmostof his built body as he hunched over my coffee table, his fork digging into his burrito bowl, his ass planted firmly on my couch. The scent of tex-mex filled the air, and I peeled back the foil on my burrito, my stomach growling but my body too worked up to really feel it. The weight of Elliot’s onslaught made sure of that.

“You’re quiet,” he said softly, leaning forward a bit to shovel a massive forkful of meat, guacamole, and cheese into his mouth. Little tufts of hair fell into his face, a little too short to be held back by his ponytail, and tucked them behind his ears as he chewed, holding my gaze. “What’s got you so worked up that you cracked and called me? I’m all ears.”

It was weird to see him here, in my space. All six-foot-whatever of him, his sharp jaw, the hint of a dimple as he chewed, his blue eyes studying me so hard that I was worried they’d see anything they wanted to beneath the surface. I’d checked his stats online — he was a year younger than me, but he didn’t seem it. Maybe it was all the rough-housing on the ice, but he looked a little older, even if he acted like a frat boy half the time.

“Annie,” he rasped, almost exasperated, as he set his fork down. “You can’t just keep staring at me and your burrito. You’ve at least gotta eat, sweetheart.”

He reached into the paper bag and pulled out an extra little pot of sour cream, pushing it across the coffee table toward me.

“You waiting for this? Almost forgot.”

I huffed out a breathy little chuckle, the sound feeling hollow, and popped the plastic lid off. “No, that’s… that’s not it,” I sighed. Shifting slightly in my seat, I slipped my phone out of my pocket, noting the five extra notifications since I’d last checked it. I knew I needed to show someone, needed to at least get it out in the open, but there was still a worry nagging at me that I was overreacting even though I knew damn well that I wasn’t. “Look.”

I flipped my phone around in my hand and held it out to him.

---