Page 6 of Scoring Zone
“That didn’t happen.” I point to the bed to excuse my behavior. Maybe I can leave and collect myself before he knows what I did to him. That’s cowardly, but the darkness is cackling with glee, and the rest of my brain is screaming to run.
“Okay.” He holds his hands up to calm me down. Grayson is consoling me when I should be falling at his feet and begging him not to hate me.
Instead, I say, “There’s nothing to talk about.” More evidence that I’m broken. Since I don’t see my clothes, I hurry to the bathroom and cover my miscreant dick with a towel.
Dread as thick and black as tar infiltrates every pore. I take deep, calming breaths, but it doesn’t work.
Grayson gets out of bed, and I summon the courage to face him and make amends. But my brain short-circuits when I see him in my boxers.
I left them on the bed last night in case I, or a sloppy, drunken teammate, needed clothes.
Carnal hunger washes over me, ridding me of my dread. Grayson should be under me with my cock buried in his ass. This is Vegas; they must deliver supplies to the room.
Shaking my head, I force those thoughts away.
“You’re wearing my… Those are mine,” I say stupidly, unable to unscramble my brain from wanting him.
“I thought this conversation would require clothes.” He bends down and checks under the bed but straightens without more clothes.
“I don’t understand. I’m sorry,” I say, finally finding words to express my remorse.
“Ace.” He uses my team nickname, and it’s like a slap.
Last night, he called me Tinny. My favorite nickname from a time when there was no pressure to be anyone other than ourselves. He rarely calls me Ace unless we’re with the team.
It’s his unconscious way of distancing himself from me. It’s the least I deserve.
My phone alarm goes off, reminding me of my duty to the team. I’m supposed to set a good example. I’ve let everyone down.
“Gray,” I beg, but shake my head. He should look in the mirror and see what I’ve done before I ask for forgiveness. “Fuck.” I’ve ruined us. He’s my best friend and the only person I count on. I have to focus on one thing at a time. “I need my phone.”
He jumps into action, tearing apart the bed. I try to help him, but I can’t be so close to him without wrapping him in my arms. Gray loves hugs and touches, but I can’t comfort him when I’m the one who hurt him.
After moving the mattress, he steps away to call my phone, and I find it lying flush against the frame, unseen until it lights up with the incoming call. I clutch it to my chest so I don’t reach out and touch him. In the mess of the bedding on the floor, I find my clothes and dress quickly.
We stare at each other. There are too many things to say. I should give him space to process all his wounds before we talk. He seemed to enjoy last night, but he hasn’t seen the damage I’ve done. Surely, he’ll look back on last night differently once he knows.
So I do the one thing I thought I’d never do…
Walk out the door and leave him behind.
Chapter 4
Grayson
As I lie in my bold, gold hotel room bed, my phone blows up with the team’s friend chat. They’ve noticed my absence and relentlessly text until Austin replies to leave me alone, and they do. I should be grateful there’s no need to offer any explanation. It means I can wallow in my hotel bed for the foreseeable future.
Austin was so disgusted by what we did, he fled his own room.
The chat is silent, which means they switched to talking to each other in the player’s chat. The one I’m not a part of.
I reek of sex but don’t want to wash it off because our night together might not feel real.
Everything went from extraordinary to a shitshow within hours, and I can’t figure out what happened. One minute I was looking out for Austin, to ensure he didn’t have next-morning regret and only hours later,Iwas his next-morning regret.
I knew without a doubt, crossing the line and having sex with Austin would put our friendship at risk yet somehow last night, I convinced myself we were kismet.
My stupid dick gets hard as my fingers graze his bite mark on my shoulder. I’ve had enthusiastic bed partners, but Austin took it to the next level, and I fucking loved it.
