Page 50 of The Transfer
Wait…Williams, you were hanging out with Lindsey?
Williams
Never call her Linds again.
And no comment
Carter
I saw it with my own eyes.
Moore
Carter…you never answered the question.
Carter
Moore, I’m a Christmas Countdown fanatic.
THIRTY-FIVE
REAGAN
The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is insane. We have two, sometimes three games per week. Add in studying for finals, and I barely have a minute to myself. I usually thrive in chaos, but this year has been more challenging.
Riggs has been so busy that we hardly see each other. Just a few texts and stolen moments on the team bus. He’s got all the things I’m dealing with, plus trying to spend as much time with his dad as he can.
Speaking of, I see him walking up to me outside the library. He has a gorgeous smile on his face, and I pretend it’s just for me. His breath shows in the cold December air, and all I want to do is warm him up. I don’t know what will happen, but I pray that I get to keep him.
“Hi, Point Guard, how was your last final?” I wrap my arms around his waist, and he squeezes me tight. He’s starting to feel a lot like home. I don’t know if that should scare me or if I should be thrilled. I’m going with the latter.
“Not too bad. Are you happy to be done, Sunshine?” We both finished our exams today, and I’m looking forward to a few weeks of no school.
“I am! You know how much I love Christmas. So now that school is on break, I can focus on all the holiday festivities. What about you?” I wince a little because this has to be brutal, spending the holidays for the last time with his father.
“It’s bittersweet, for sure. I’m grateful for one more holiday with him, but it also feels tainted. That probably doesn’t make any sense.” He takes his beanie off, brushing his hands through his hair, before looking at me.
I don’t know what he sees, but whatever it is, it emboldens me to share my feelings. I want him to know. I need him to know. We haven’t talked about anything to do with us since Halloween. Things with the team, his dad, and school have been busy, and I didn’t want to take away from that. It just hasn’t felt like the right time to push anything more than friendship on him. Even though I desperately want to.
“Hey, Riggs…” I say, and then stop because the words just leave me as he brings his gorgeous green eyes to mine.
A cocky grin forms on his devastatingly handsome face. “Hey, Reagan…” He mocks me, and that eases a little bit of the tension I’m feeling.
Why am I so nervous?
“I wanted to talk to you about something.”
“Okay, Sunshine, I’m all ears.” He’s encouraging me, and I need to go for it.
“I really?—”
My words are interrupted by Riggs’s phone.
“It’s my mom,” he tells me before answering.
His face pales as soon as I hear his mom respond, and I know that tonight has just taken a turn for the worse.
“Reagan…”I hear Riggs’s raspy, devastated tone as he hangs up the phone.
