Page 82 of Unrivaled Love
“You clearly aren’t fine.” Harper adds and I don’t love being ganged up on here. Aiden just hides a smile behind his hand. Great, so they’re all laughing at me.
“Whatever.” I huff as I cross my arms and turn towards the window again.
“Are you being moody because your little sex-cation was cut short?” Harper asks.
Yes. But I’m not dignifying her teasing with an answer.
“Or is it that you had to be rescued like a damsel in distress?” Jo asks.
“You had to be rescued too.” I remind her and give her a look over my non-existent glasses.
“You’re right.” Ha! “But it wasn’t by my teammates and I wasn’t in my underwear.”
I narrow my eyes before turning to look out the window again.
“Are you worried about the parade?” Aiden asks after the girls get their giggles out.
“Why would you be worried about the parade?” Harper piles on.
I can feel Jo shift beside me and I think maybe she’s trying to hold my hand. I’m not having it. They’re staying firmly crossed against my chest. The only armor I have to protect my soft spots as this conversation turns to the real issue at hand because Aiden is a perceptive mother fucker.
“Bry?” Jo asks quietly.
With an audible exhale I turn back to her. “Don’t you ever get sick of the crowds and the attention?”
"Only after a loss." Jo says and I let out a sorry excuse for a laugh.
“I’ve always hated that. But, I dunno, after winning The Cup and being MVP, it was like the expectation of being the best hangs heavy on my shoulders. Like we’re all celebrating but I can’t enjoy it because now I’ve got to figure out how to come back and be just as good if not better next year.”
“You know it’s a team sport, right?” Aiden says as he turns in his seat to look at me.
“Yeah, but I was the guy who scored the goals.”
“Except for the last one.” Harper says with a smile. I know they’re teasing me to try and get me to loosen up. I'm just not in the mood to have my own antics turned on me.
“That was one hell of a goal.” Jo says and she reaches forward to pat Aiden on the shoulder.
“Game recognizes game.” He remarks and I do not like the smile on Jo’s face.
Not one bit.
They can’t gang up on me.
I can’t let their blatant efforts to cheer me up work.
The problem is, being grumpy and standoffish is not my natural state.
And that was a pretty good line from Young Gun.
I bite my tongue to keep from smiling but I can feel my resistance fading.
“It is really difficult to be the best there is, I suppose.” Harper ponders.
“Heavy is the head that wears the crown.” Jo says.
“With great power comes great responsibility.” Aiden adds with gravity.
“Shut up.” I grumble. “I know it sounds stupid.”
