Page 84 of Falling Offsides

I pause halfway out of the door when my phone trills with a text. All the alarm bells silencing for a second as hope floods my chest.

Maybe it’s Mom.

Well, hope is a backstabbing bitch.

Auguste’s name shines up at me, and the panic returns. Twice as hard. I almost drop my phone when another message comes through from him. Reluctantly I open them.

Auguste

Coach called an urgent team meeting. X

My heart thuds at the X. A kiss. His kiss. My lips instantly tingle at the memory of how expertly his lips rolled with mine. Full, the skin a little rough from the icy temperature of the rink.

So good.

I’ve never been kissed like that before. With gravel and growl and like at any moment he might have devoured me.

It’s Auguste’s fault that I… I… I took advantage of him.

Oh my God, I totally took advantage of his kindness and sweetness…

“Don’t look at me like that,” I groan at Samson as he paws at my leg for attention. “Between the two of you… I’m losing my mind.”

His tongue lolls out of his mouth. Far too long for his cute face.

“What am I going to do now? How am I meant to face your daddy?”

Sammy whines back as I lock my door and go back to Auguste’s texts.

Auguste

Car is waiting outside. X

His timing is impeccable. I can’t figure out how he does it. Auguste’s not even here and he’s picking me up, driving me to work.

I type a few different responses, but my sarcasm and wit are already frazzled. So, I settle for basic.

Courtney

Thank you.

I tack on a kiss and delete it last minute because aside from the fact that I screwed up the friends only boundary I set, nothing’s changed. I’m not here for a fling and I’m certainly not here for a relationship. I have one month left and the only relationship I’m leaving for New Orleans with, is one with my dad.

Aside from the work experience, he’s the reason I’m in LA. I could’ve been in Santorini, sunning myself with Delilah.

Fuck, Delilah.

Let’s add another layer of guilt to the equation… I missed her calls last night. And I haven’t returned them this morning because I’m too scared of telling her what happened between Auguste and I. What I did.

She would be so proud of me. But I can’t listen to her usual diatribe of what’s the worst that could happen? Live a little… clear the cobwebs…

Last time I listened to her advice, her cousin spent our vacation trying to convince me to stay with him in Sicily. We had one night of drunken sex.One.And he was ready to take me to church.

What is going on?

My phone rings as I exit the elevator. I know it’s not Mom, she’s had time and plenty of opportunity to reach out—she hasn’t. My chest hurts so bad at the thought that I answer the call to distract the pain with more fluster.

“Hey…”