Page 156 of The Alternate Captain
“Betts—”
“Cap, are you...?”
“I’m in love with your sister,” I say, hardly able to recognise my voice. It’s a whole fucking mess, to be honest. I’m sweating and we haven’t played a single shift yet.
I brace myself for the impact of Bettsy’s fist, but it doesn’t come. Instead, he looks between me and the notebook, then he bursts out laughing.
“You’re kidding, right?” he says.
“Actually, no,” I say, dropping my gaze to the floor briefly before looking him in the eyes.
“No?”
“No. I’m not kidding. And—”
“How long has it been going on for?” he says.
“Long enough for me to have told you already,” I say. “I mean, I’ve been trying to find the right moment.”
Bettsy studies me for a moment.
“Rather you than me,” he shrugs.
“Rather you than me?” Hutch says, walking through the doorway to the showers, followed by Liam.
“What I mean is, she’s annoying as hell, and I wouldn’t want to share a bed with her.”
“Who?” Hutch asks.
“My sister,” Bettsy says
“She’syoursister,” Hutch adds.
“Which is why she’s annoying, and I don’t want to share a bed with her.”
“Can you give us a minute?” I ask Liam and Hutch, waiting until they’ve left before addressing Bettsy again.
“I’m sorry. I should have had the balls to tell you sooner,” I say. “But—I’m in love with her, bud. And I haven’t even told her yet. I knew I had to make sure you were okay with it, and I’ve been trying to tell you but—”
“How did this even happen?” he says, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I mean—she’s nineteen. She’s smart for one—she wouldn’t.”
“It’s a long story, but if you really want to hear about it, I’ll tell you,” I say. “But we didn’t mean for it to happen. It just sort of... did. And now I’m in love with her, like, really fucking in love with her, man.”
And I’m fucking crying again. Tears fill my eyes.
Bettsy steps forward and pulls me into a hug. “Johnny, stop it. I mean, is she into you, too?”
“I think so,” I say.
“Well, shit.”
He pulls back, standing there, holding his hands on his hips as he stares at me, probably thinking as much as I am right now.
But there’s a scramble outside the door and a flurry of voices.
“Bettsy? Bettsy?”
He shoves my notebook into my chest as he hurries past me, and I follow, entering the dressing room to see Coach standing by the door, beaming, calling for Danny and Bettsy.
