Page 26 of Off Sides

The drive is short or seems short because I’m so fired up. He’s waiting for me in the living room and based on how I walk in, he knows something is wrong.

“You okay?” he asks, and I shake my head.

“No, I’m not okay. I’m going to stay in a hotel for the time being. I just want to be alone.” Without another word I go to the guest room and pack my shit. He follows, watching, “you don’t have to leave.”

“Yes, I do. I let this go too far. It was fun,” I say, and I watch the hurt cross over his face. Fuck all of this.

I take my suitcases and leave, not looking back. I just want to be alone.

33

Chapter 33

Raine

Iwatch him leave, letting him go. I knew this would happen. He only liked what I could give him but never wanted to go public. He didn’t deserve what happened to him, but neither did I.

I understand he’s mad and I’ll stay away from him for now. Maybe he’ll come around. Or he doesn’t. It was fun while it lasted. But what he said did hurt, I’m not going to say it didn’t.

When the doors shut, I take in the quiet. Pouring a drink, I stare out the window, wondering how we got here. We are here because I wanted to show Dasher that I could be who he needed in his life.

And now I’m alone.

Setting the glass on the counter, I head to the pool, laps always clear my head. But today I want to be tired, I want totire myself out so I can sleep. If I don’t sleep, I will replay what happened today and I don’t want to do that. My heart hurts for us both and I just want to sleep.

I don’t bother with trunks; I’m alone in this house now. Lap after lap and after two hours I’m not tired, hopefully once I slip into bed, I will.

34

Chapter 34

Dasher

The Airbnb doesn’t feel like home. It doesn’t feel like the day Poppy and I moved into the house, full of promises and dreams. It doesn’t feel like Raine’s, truths and love. I hate this.

When I brought my bags in, I did laundry since I needed to do it, but I wanted to stay busy. If I’m not busy, I think. And right now, I don’t want to think.

Poppy has called fifty times. I’ve sent her to voicemail. I listened to two messages that started with anger and ended in pleading. Every other one after that, I deleted. I did call her parents and explained everything that has happened since we moved here. They had heard the story about Raine and I on the news, but didn’t believe it. I didn’t tell them anything about ourrelationship, just that he was a friend that was helping me out, but Poppy couldn’t see past that.

They are on their way out to get her out of my house. I don’t care where she goes, I just want her gone.

Raine did text me, just to tell me he would give me my space. I didn’t reply, I don’t know what I would say.

The only person I talked to was Tyler and he’s on his way over here. His kids are with their mom, so he’s free. We have practice in the morning which means he will stay the night.

Still trying to keep busy I clean an already clean Airbnb. I ran, did laundry, and now I’m cleaning.

The doorbell rings and I open it to Tyler, Dade, and Jester with pizza. I swing the door open, and they file in. No one says anything at first. We just find plates, turn on the TV for a movie and eat in silence.

Tyler breaks it first, “how are you holding up?”

I shrug, “I went and screamed at Poppy. Told her to get the fuck out of my house. She admitted to being the one that leaked it to the media, even though she doesn’t really know about what Raine and I are—were.”

Dade raises a brow, “were?”

I sigh, run a hand down my face, “I said some pretty shitty things to him and stormed out.”

Jester sets his plate down, “you know you can go back. Raine’s a pretty understanding guy.”