Page 29 of Spark
One side of his mouth quirks and his concern fades under the strength of the twinkling interest in his expression. "I was texting with Finlay the other day. You guys hung out on Sunday?"
"Yeah.” The thought of our date makes me smile and some of my exhaustion fades. He fussed over the bruises on my arm and torso and pressed kisses along the purple splotches with exceeding care. “We spent nearly the entire day together, starting with brunch, then visiting the art museum, and then walking along the trail by Boathouse Row, followed by dinner at a diner in Fairmount that served giant portions of food.”
“That’s basically what he told me too. You look happy, Teo. It’s good to see.”
Aspen, the captain of the under-thirty team, approaches us with a new guy who looks vaguely familiar, but I can’t place him.
“What the…” Hercules’s mouth goes slack. His binder falls to the grass, and a flush creeps across his face and neck as he leans over and grabs it.
The new guy who looks like he might be taller than anyone else on either team smiles at us. “Cam told me I could check out a practice. I’m interested in joining the team.”
Usually, new players message the team before coming to a practice, but that obviously didn’t happen. Even so, I’ve never seen Herc so flustered. I shake the new guy’s hand. “Welcome to the team. I’ll get out of the way so Hercules can get you settled.”
Leaving the trio, I find an open patch of the field and begin warming up. Stretching my arms overhead, I lean backward, face to the sky, breathing in the scent of fresh cut grass and listening to my teammates’ banter. For the first time all day, peacefulness fills me.
I have to wonder if Herc regrets his decision to hang up his cleats. I didn’t blame him when he made that decision after his injury. What happened to him was scary and he’s still in the process of a lengthy recovery. But I don’t think I could do it. As exhausted as I am, I need it too much: the physical challenge, the camaraderie of playing a team sport, how playing and being around the guys lets me temporarily forget any worries, and the friendships I’ve made. It’s one of the only things that has stayed a constant for me in the past few years. Maybe Herc needs us too, and that’s why he’s staying on in a managerial role.
"Teo!" Cam’s bellow catches me mid-stretch.
Grinning, I turn toward him and wave. "Hey."
His bag slung over his shoulder, he jogs away from Herc and the new guy to my side, then drops down next to me as I settle on the grass for a hamstring stretch. "How’s it going?"
"Good. You?" I push my sunglasses off my face so I can inspect his cheek for remnants of the bruise he earned on Saturday. It’s faded to a yellowish purple.
"Good." He nudges my arm, looking entirely too pleased with himself. "Did you and Finlay have a nice dinner last night? I recommended the taco place."
"Yes. And thanks for the recommendation. The food was great." Finlay had called me at work yesterday around lunchtime with the suggestion that we have dinner together at my place. He brought the food and we ate dinner on the couch, followed by a lot of kissing and exploring each other while we mostly ignored the ballgame on TV. He stayed later than he had before, and while I love that we had a long and sexy horizontal session, I had a brutal time getting up this morning and dragging myself to work.
Cam lays back on the grass and stretches his arms over his head. "I’m glad you’re coming to the show on Friday. Gran is excited to meet you."
"I’m kind of nervous about meeting her. I know how important she is to all of you."
He sits up and, grinning, shoves me in the shoulder. "Relax. She’ll love you."
"You can’t know that for sure." Hoping he’s right, I reach for my bag and exchange my sneakers for cleats.
"I was surprised to learn you’d taken the night off." Cam’s attempt at casual isn’t fooling me. "You haven’t done that since you started the second job."
"To be honest, I kind of surprised myself." Heat flushing through my face, I concentrate on tying my laces. "I don’t know what to tell you, Cam. I like your brother. When he asked me, I just… I didn’t want to say no."
"I’m glad. You need a night off. You look tired."
Frustration fires through my muscles. "If one more person says that to me…"
"You’ll, what?" His teasing smile sets me off further. "Actually get some sleep?"
"It’s not like I’m staying up all night playing video games," I grumble and push myself to standing. "Aren’t you supposed to be starting practice?"
Cam jumps up and clamps his hand onto my shoulder, effectively holding me in place. "Teo, I’m sorry. I know things haven’t been easy for you. I’m just concerned."
I shrug. "It’s all right."
His brows pull together and a deep line of concern forms between them. "You want to sit out today so you can get some rest? Maybe help Herc instead? You look like you’re practically weaving in your spot."
Even my doctor commented on how tired I looked at my last physical, and lectured me on how too much stress and inadequate amounts of sleep can lead to health problems. I know he’s right, but I don’t see how I can do anything about it. I can’t quit my second job and I won’t give up playing rugby. I push my answer through a tight jaw. "I’m fine."
I just need the spots of light to stop dancing in front of my eyes. And for my heart to stop feeling like it’s vibrating. I down some of my water, aware of Cam’s gaze.
