Page 4 of Tag

“How’s your shoulder? You weren’t favoring it as much tonight, so I guess it’s feeling better?”

“It’s fine. I think I’ve finally worked out that kink.”

“Good. You know we need you at full strength.”

I grabbed my hygiene necessities and gently nudged her. “Take a breath, Rox. I’m sure she’ll be all good by next practice.”

“Are yousure, sure? Or somewhat sure?”

“Roxxi,” I warned with a light laugh.

“Right. Fine.” She swung her gaze back to Brooke. “Sorry, girl.”

She waved her off with a smile.

Whereas some of us were well acquainted with how driven Roxxi could be, not everyone had known her as long, and sometimes it came across as wrong or pushy. I adored her and didn’t take offense, but she had tasked me with reigning her in before she got going. When it came to the team, at least. Outside of this locker room, she was a force I did not meddle with.

“Take it from me, Brooke, this is Roxxi being kind,” Layla joked, stepping up beside me to open her locker.

I looked around Layla so that I could speak to Brittany, swapping my current footwear for shower shoes. “Remember when she used to drag us out of bed at four in the morning so we could go and run laps?”

She shuddered dramatically. “Yes. I’ll never forget. It was like being woken by a drill instructor. I’m still recovering from the trauma.”

Roxxi laughed, not denying it for a second. “Hey, you wanted to make the team, didn’t you?”

That we had.

Cloe attempted to join us but quickly tapped out by the third day, having no reason to put herself through such grueling exercise, or what she called psychological warfare. Arianna didn’t even bother trying, though she was always supportive. It had been hell then, but now I was even more grateful for my best friend and her tyrannical ways. I grinned at the memory, making my way to the showers. The sound of rushing water and someone’s strawberry shampoo filled the air.

I stepped inside an empty marble cubicle and adjusted the spray to near scalding. The heat was exactly what I needed to relax my muscles. I closed my eyes, letting the steam engulf me. My thoughts wandered, inevitably drifting back to the football field. They should’ve been finishing their drills by now, and since it was only Monday, there was no post-practice get-together. Ashton and I would be tracking down whatever we ate that night on our own. He was like a bottomless pit after being on the field. The amount of food he consumed put me to shame, and I was far from a conscious eater.

I washed up and stepped out of the shower, the cool air brushing against my damp skin as I wrapped my towel tightly around me. Roxxi, Layla, and two of the other girls, Sydney and Zara, were laughing and talking from the other cubicles, their voices echoing softly in the tiled space. Across the room, Brooke was pulling on a hoodie I instantly recognized by the dark fabric and Crowsfell emblem on the chest, Ryder’s last name stitched boldly across the back.

Seeing it shouldn’t have felt like a punch to the stomach. It wasjusta hoodie, a single piece of clothing that I owned too. Only mine was older. Soft from years of wear, threaded with a familiar warmth. It was something that had always been mine, just like he had. I swallowed, forcing my expression to stay neutral, my hands tightening around the towel wrapped around me.

It's just a hoodie, I repeated to myself. There was no reason to feel the way I did. Brooke glanced up and smiled without a hint of malice, tossing her long, honey-blonde hair effortlessly over her shoulder as she stashed a hairbrush away.

I wasn’t exaggerating when I thought her blue eyes practically sparkled beneath the fluorescent lights. She was the kind of beautiful that felt untouchable. Sun-kissed skin, full lips,and a body that women paid top dollar for. I didn’t hate her for it. How could I?

“Got any plans tonight?” I already knew her answer, yet I asked anyway. I was a glutton for punishment, apparently.

She bit her lower lip, trying and failing to suppress a sheepish grin. “Ryder’s.”

I smiled. “You two are so cute.” The words didn’t feel untrue, exactly, but they scraped against something raw inside me.

Brooke’s face lit up like sunlight reflecting off glass. “Thanks, Sanj.” Then, hesitantly, “Has he said much about us?”

Her question stopped me mid-motion, my hand freezing on my locker door. I turned to her, caught off guard. This was the first time she’d ever asked me about him—them. “He doesn’t really talk to me about his…uh, your relationship,” I answered carefully.

Her expression faltered. “He doesn’t?”

There was a hint of hurt in her tone. Shit, I should’ve lied. No, that would’ve been worse. There were parts of Ryder’s life I purposely avoided unless he brought them to me directly, despite wanting to knoweverydetail. But it wasn’t like I sat around filling him in on me and Ashton’s relationship either. That area of conversation had become a minefield lately, not just with Ryder but with the others too. Sometimes it felt like they were still wrapping their heads around the idea of me having a boyfriend at all, let alone being in an actual relationship.

This thing with Brooke and Ryder made me understand exactly how they felt. They’d been together almost as long as Ashton and I had, a few months now. It was clearly more than a passing fling. I was used to Ryder getting attention, used to girls orbiting him. He rarely entertained it, and when he did, it was never serious. There’d only been one other official girlfriend that I could remember, and a few bed buddies here and there.Nothing that lasted or stuck. He wasn’t a playboy, not by a long shot, but he also didn’t do exclusivity or labels either.

Until her.

Did that mean she was different?

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