Page 11 of The Transfer
I falter as I look at the man I've always wanted to emulate. “Oh, I’m not planning to play basketball after this year. I’m hoping to get on here and coach under Jake before pursuing a head coaching position eventually.”
“You’re self-aware, and I can appreciate that. Jake is one of my best friends and one heck of a coach. Learning under him will help you become a great coach too.”
I think the conversation is over at this point, but he stops me in my tracks with one final thing. “I don’t mess around when it comes to my family. I see the way you look at my daughter. Tread carefully, young man.”
Then he gives me a bright smile and walks over to his wife and lays one on her until you hear catcalls from my teammates and a loud groan from Jordan.
I walk far behind everyone else as we head into the stadium, trying to figure out what Everett Mills said to me, and why.
EIGHT
REAGAN
Basketball is a huge part of my family’s life, and it always has been. But my mom and I love football for ourselves. Her grandpa taught her the game, and when I was about ten, she sat me down to watch, and I fell in love with it.
As I sit in the stands with the basketball team and my parents, CTU is tied with South Carolina 21-21, and there are fifteen seconds left in the fourth quarter. The Titan team is incredibly talented, but the SC team they are playing is tough defensively.
I’m between Riggs and my brother, screaming at the line to hold so our quarterback can have time to throw. As I do, he drops back and heaves a bomb for about forty yards right into his receiver’s arms. The guy catches it with ease and runs it the rest of the way for a touchdown as time expires.
Carolina Tech Titans win 27-21!
I scream and jump right into Riggs’s arms without thinking. He instantly has his arms wrapped around me, holding me up. I freeze when I realize where I am. Our faces are close, like one-move-and-our-lips-touch kind of close. My breath hitches, and I see his Adam's applebob with a swallow. He is truly flawless. Even the stubble on his cheeks does it for me.
“Put my sister down!” Jordan ruins the moment, and I basically jump down like I’m on fire. Riggs just stares down at me with wide eyes that I can’t figure out.
Mom is giving me the look, and I know she saw what just happened. I’m sure she will have questions. Too bad I have zero answers.
“Y’all want to hit a party with me tonight?” Jordan asks. My brother is a party guy. He also has a lot of lady friends we don’t talk about. It’s one of the ways my twin is the opposite of me. I’m a homebody, and I haven’t been on a date in a long time.
“I’m busy tonight,” I say quickly. Jordan laughs at me, and I pin him with an angry stare.
“What’s so funny?” I ask.
“Come on, we all know you’re about to go home and read your Kindle until you pass out.” He can’t help but chuckle again. I give him a glare that hopefully shuts him up.Thanks for making me sound like a loser, jerk.
“First off, Jordan, rude. You don’t need to laugh at my choices. Second, who cares? I said I was busy, and my Kindle gives me plenty to do. You already know I hate parties. Too many groupies.” My eyes scan over Riggs to see his reaction to all of this, but his face tells me nothing.
“Riggs, you down to party tonight? You haven’t come out once since school started, and it’s been over a month,” Jordan points out. Something inside me warms knowing Riggs isn’t a partier like the rest of the basketball team.
“Nah, man, I’m good. I’m just gonna chill at home tonight,” Riggs says.
I wonder if he will be home alone or maybe he has a girl coming over. That thought sends down a spiral of jealousy I haven’t felt since high school.Not going to think about Drew right now.
“Boo!” Jordan yells. “Your loss, bro. There are so many girls out after a win. More for me, I guess.” He tosses it out like it’s a big deal. Then he hugs my parents and me before giving Riggs a nod and heading out.
“I think I’m gonna head out too. Mr. and Mrs. Mills, it was nice to meet you both. And thanks for the basketball chat, Mr. Mills,” Riggs says.
His eyes are lonely and a bit sad before they meet mine.
“See you later, Reagan.”
I don’t know if he’s called me Reagan once since he started that little Sunshine nickname that I want to hate but secretly love. Then he turns and walks away.
It's like I’m possessed because the next thing I know, I’m chasing him. “Hey, Point Guard!” I say, and he stops, waiting for me to catch up.
The surprised look on his face matches how I feel inside. Now that I’m standing with him, I don’t know what I want to say. He looked so lost earlier. I know a little about that feeling, and I decide to do something about it.
“Hey, do you want to come to our place? We could watch a movie. Unless you have plans at your apartment that you didn’t want to talk about… if you do, that is totally fine. Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t assume that you would want to hang out with me. Just forget it?—”
