Page 18 of Home Town Advantage (Fourth Quarter Fever #1)

EIGHT

SULLEY

W e’re almost done with practice, but I’m barely able to participate. Coach Lakshmi tells me to go see our team’s physical therapist to work on the finger I jammed during our game last night. I scrunch my face in disgust. No one on the team likes the PT, Noah. He’s a little handsy with us.

I’m alone in the training room with him as he manipulates my finger.

I wince at some point, and his face falls.

“I’m going to grab you some ice. I think you should buddy tape it for a bit so it doesn’t get worse.

It’s not broken, just a little bruised.” He moves behind me and rubs my shoulders. “You should be fine in a few days.”

“She’s here for her finger, not her shoulders, Noah,” Kennedy declares as she walks into the room.

“I was trying to soothe her, Kennedy,” he responds.

She makes a jerkoff motion with her fist. “Whatever. Make yourself useful. Grab me some ice for my ankle.”

“What’s wrong with your ankle?” he asks. “Do you need me to examine it? ”

She gives him an exaggerated fake smile. “No. It’s nothing for you to worry about. Do your job, med-school wannabe. Fetch. The. Ice.”

He narrows his eyes at her before turning toward the ice-making machine. She gives him the finger behind his back as she sits next to me.

“What’s wrong with your ankle?” I ask.

She shrugs. “Nothing. I didn’t want you to be alone with him. He’s a walking episode of Dateline .”

I study her carefully. “You confuse me. You’re the world’s biggest bitch but you also manage to be an incredibly thoughtful person.”

She mock wipes the dust off her shoulders. “You flatter me.”

I smile. “I’m not sure I meant it as a compliment. At least not the first part.”

“Whatever. Sometimes you just need to be a cunt. You never know who’s having a good day and doesn’t fucking deserve it. Noah definitely doesn’t deserve it.”

I can’t help but laugh. “You’re refreshingly unapologetically you.”

She smirks. “I sure am. For what it’s worth, I’m a bitch to those who deserve it, but I’m thoughtful to those who deserve that courtesy. It’s quite simple. It’s called being genuine. More people in this world should try it.”

I nod, grateful that I seemingly fall into the latter category. “Do you want to ride over to Layla’s tonight with Palmer and me?” I inquire.

She shakes her head. “I can’t. I’m hanging out with my little brother all afternoon.

We’re going shopping.” She picks her cuticles as she looks down nervously.

“I’ve been kind of a shitty sister to him for the past few years.

I left him to deal with my parents’ divorce alone.

I’m trying to make up for it. He’s seventeen.

He needs some girl advice, and I want to help. I guess when you’re the older sibling…”

She catches herself and stops speaking. I shake my head. “You don’t have to feel uncomfortable talking about your brother with me. It’s okay. Don’t censor yourself.”

She nods in understanding as Palmer walks into the training room like she was rushing here. She removes the prescription goggles she wears while she plays. A little out of breath, she pants, “Oh good, Kennedy is with you. I didn’t want you to be alone for long.”

I can’t help but smile at how thoughtful my new friends are. Female friends looking out for me is new. In fact, I haven’t felt like someone truly has my back since Finn died. Not even Shane.

Kennedy glances at Palmer’s goggles. “Why don’t you just wear contacts? It’s easier.”

Palmer scrunches her face. “I don’t like contacts.” She looks down as she admits, “I feel like my goggles are my mask, hiding me from the world.”

Kennedy looks at me and deadpans, “And I feel like everything she says is a subtle cry for help.”

I shrug. “The goggles are a comfort to her. Whatever makes her comfortable. If she needs them, so be it. Who cares?”

Kennedy scoffs. “What she needs is to have a man snap her spine like a glow stick.”

I let out a moan. “Ooh, that sounds good. I need that too.”

“Wasn’t Shane just here?” Kennedy asks.

I twist my lips. “He’s not exactly snapping my spine. Things are always just okay with him. He’s not the one .”

I shock myself with that admission. While I’ve thought it internally, I’ve never outwardly expressed it to anyone. I suppose I’ve never had anyone with whom I felt comfortable expressing my inner thoughts until now.

Palmer sighs. “I feel like I’ll never meet the one .”

Kennedy shakes her head. “Fuck the one . None of us needs the one , especially not while we’re so young.

I’m not sitting on my ass waiting around.

I managed to get myself off this morning and then bought myself a jar of pickles and a quad venti soy extra hot no foam light whip toffee nut latte from Starbucks. I really think I’m the one .”

Palmer and I both laugh at Kennedy as Noah approaches us all with bags of ice. He smiles at Palmer. “I heard what you were saying. I love your goggles, and I’d love to take you out some time. Would you like to have dinner with me?”

Palmer bites her lip nervously. “Umm…no, I don’t think it’s such a good?—”

He places his uninvited hand on her arm. “Oh, come on. It will be fun.”

She flinches at his touch. “Well…I…it’s just?—”

Palmer is clearly uncomfortable. I’m about to say something when Kennedy smacks his hand away from Palmer and interrupts, “No is a full sentence, Noah. She gave you her answer. Slither away, slimeball. We’re talking.”

He narrows his eyes at her but does eventually retreat to his small wooden desk on the other side of the room. Fuck, he’s creepy.

A skinny black man who looks to be in his forties walks into the room holding a big bag in one hand and a bouquet of Chocolate Cosmos in the other. He’s the epitome of casual, high fashion, with black slacks and a cream knit shirt, clad with a complementary scarf and beret. And it’s summer.

He gives us a warm smile before placing the bag on the table and offering me his hand like I should kiss it.

In a slightly feminine voice, he practically sings, “There you are, Sullivan. Bonjour, I’m Carter Daulton’s assistant, LeRond.

” Carter is Reagan Daulton’s husband. “She asked me to deliver these to you. It’s this week’s fan mail and the flowers you asked her to pass along when they arrived. ”

“Oh, thank you.” I take in the size of the bag. “Wow, there’s a lot of mail this week.”

“There sure is,” he offers. “And you haven’t seen all the flowers and other gifts, girlfriend.

The kids at the hospital will have the brightest rooms in existence.

” He looks Palmer up and down and hands her a business card.

“I would love to make you over. I think there’s a Wonder Woman under there, Diana Prince. ”

Before waiting for a response, he swivels around and exits the room. I almost feel the need to clap for him as he goes.

I look into the bag, unable to believe how many fan letters I’m receiving. And I continue to get emotional every week when Vance sends Chocolate Cosmos. I know he’s been gone at their training camp for two weeks, but I’ve still received my weekly deliveries to our stadium.

An hour later, Palmer and I are exiting the elevator toward our apartment when I see an oversized teddy bear sitting in front of our door. I smile, assuming it’s from Shane. We had a little fight on the phone last night. He’s probably apologizing.

As I open it, I realize that it’s from a fan. Shit, this person knows where I live. I contemplate calling Reagan Daulton, but I don’t want security, so I decide against it.

VANCE

I’m at Layla and Presley’s house. They’re having a dinner party.

We just returned from two weeks of training ahead of our pre-season games starting.

I’ve been to most of Sulley’s home games and never miss any games on television.

I enjoy watching her play. Thanks to Presley, all the Beavers’ games were televised on the big screen in the clubhouse at our training facility while we were out of town.

He loves to watch his wife play ball. It makes it easy to sit with him under the guise of supporting Layla when it’s entirely about Sulley for me.

We’ve all been out a small handful of times since that first night.

Sulley mostly ignores me, but at least she hasn’t yelled at me and left in tears again.

I’ve remained quiet as the collective groups interact and build a friendship.

All except Daylen and Kennedy, who continue to bicker.

It’s an interesting dynamic; one I’ve never seen from him before.

Tonight, at the Ladrón house, I’m hoping Sulley will at least make eye contact with me, something she rarely does. I’ll take any progress.

Everyone has now arrived except Kennedy, which I’m certainly not complaining about. She’s bizarrely cold to me, but frankly, I don’t care. I only care about Sulley.

Sulley initially mumbled a quick hello to me but then turned around and quietly thanked me for the steady supply of Chocolate Cosmos I’ve been sending to her weekly.

I know it was her special thing with Finn.

I’m glad she likes them. They’re not easy to find or inexpensive, but it’s worth it just for her to talk to me.

The doorbell rings, and Daylen walks over to open the door. His face falls when he notices it’s Kennedy. He grumbles, “You’re late, sea witch.”

She immediately responds, “Better late than ugly.”

He shakes his head. “Why do you bust my handsome, scrumptious balls so much?”

She shrugs in an unaffected manner. “Believe it or not, I don’t consider your balls very often.

In fact, I’ve never once thought of them.

Why do all men think balls are important to women?

They’re not. They’re pointless and weak.

We’re confused by them. They sit there uselessly bouncing between your thighs.

They expand and contract at random times.

It’s fucking weird. When we buy vibrators, do you know what they don’t have? Balls.”