Page 26 of Playmaker

Cameron

What a fucking nightmare.

Since Maddie and I began whatever the hell this is between us, my biggest fear aside from hurting her again has been this exact situation. Ethan is standing outside of this door, knowing I have a girl over, but little does he know the girl I’m hiding in my shower is Maddie .

If he had shown up less than a minute before he did, he would have heard his sister’s voice for sure with the way she was screaming my name, and if I wasn’t on fucking edge about this whole thing I’d probably smile at the memory.

With a deep breath, I slip out the bathroom door with just a towel wrapped around my waist, ensuring to close it behind me. Ethan is sitting in the office chair beside my desk with an amused grin.

With both hands behind his head, he leans back in the chair and asks, “Well, who is it?”

I keep my eyes trained on his, refusing to let him see an ounce of the fear coursing through me. “I told you I’m keeping it a secret for now. It’s better this way.” Better for my face , if I’m being honest. I’d prefer not to get a broken nose before going back to school. Coach wouldn’t be impressed if I had to sit out during practice.

“Hmm.” His hands are folded across his stomach now, as he contemplates my answer. “To be honest, it’s a relief you have someone over. When you weren’t answering my calls, I assumed you were still hung up on your dad leaving, so I’m glad it was other endeavors keeping your attention instead.”

“You used the spare key I gave you?” I guess.

He nods and holds up the key in question. “Although now I’ll probably think twice before barging in again. You’ve never . . . well, I’m not used to you having a girl over here. You never bring them home with you.”

He’s right. I don’t. Bringing a girl back here feels uncomfortable when it’s the very place that haunts my dreams at night. My mother passed away two rooms over. Under this roof is where she took her last breath, and in a way, I don’t know if she ever left. Bringing a girl home with me has never been ideal, especially when I couldn’t see a future with any of them.

But with Maddie, it’s different. I admitted it was more than something physical between us, and while we haven’t talked thoroughly about what we’re labeling this, we’re not messing around with anyone else. We’re exclusive, and I feel good about that— really good, seeing how my morning started with fucking her in the shower.

I want her all to myself.

Mine .

“I changed my mind,” I reply. “But, yeah. It’s probably best if you call before coming over from now on in case she’s here.”

“Is it someone I know?” he asks.

My jaw is set in a firm line when I give him a subtle shake of my head. “Don’t do this, Ethan. I’m not going to tell you. It’s new, and it’s going well. That’s all you need to know for now.”

He nods. “I can tell, you know, that she’s good for you.”

I arch a brow, waiting for him to continue.

“The past few days you’ve been—” He sighs and runs a hand over his hair. “I guess you’re reminding me of the guy I used to know—the one who laughs and enjoys life. Our day at the lake was the first normal day we’ve had between us in a long time. Took me back to the days when we were kids and rode bikes and our only fears were scraping our knees rather than all these fucking life problems.”

“I didn’t realize we hadn’t been normal.” I narrow my gaze on him, and he shifts uncomfortably before rising from the office chair. Bags line his eyes, and he’s fidgeting way too much. Again, I feel the regret seeping in that it’s taken me this long to notice that something is definitely off with him. “Are you okay? And I don’t mean surface level, Ethan. Are you really okay?”

For a moment I think he might break down and confide in me. Tears are in the backs of his eyes, but he glances at the bathroom door behind me before he gives a quick jerk of his head. “I’m good,” he lies, clearing his throat. “I’m happy for you is all. If she’s bringing out the old you then I’m thrilled. Just don’t fuck it up.”

Would he still be happy if he knew it was his sister who’s responsible for him seeing glimpses of the kid I used to be? The kid who had never experienced death? The kid who loved the sun on his face, loved to laugh, and thought a hard day was when he couldn’t have ice cream after dinner? Or would he turn on me knowing it’s his sister’s heart I’m gambling with?

Even if I wanted to ask, now wouldn’t be the time to do it, when Maddie is still hiding in my shower.

“We’ll catch up this weekend when we go to the Grand Canyon,” I assure him. “Then you can tell me what’s going on.”

Ethan groans and leans against my doorway. “Don’t remind me. Did Maddie tell you my parents said Maya could come too? I’ll have to be around her in another bikini again, and I don’t think there’s any way in hell I’ll be able to stay away from her. It was hard enough when we all went to the lake.”

“What was?” I tease. “Your dick or the temptation?”

“I fucking hate you,” he grumbles, but a grin tugs at his lips. “Both, to answer your question. How are things, by the way? With you and Maddie?”

“What about me and Maddie?” The sentence comes out rushed, and I mentally curse myself for being so nervous.

It’s a question , not an accusation.

Calm the fuck down .

“You said you were trying to be friends again, right? Is it working? Things seemed to be slightly better at the lake.”

Oh .

The lake .

Right .

“Yeah, they’re fine. We’re figuring things out.”

“Good. I didn’t want to go away this weekend with you guys at each other’s throats. I can’t handle another car ride with you both yelling about the radio station choice.”

“She wanted to listen to pop ,” I reiterate, knowing Maddie is hearing all of this. “Country is way better, and you know it.” We bickered like hell on our last spring break trip to Disneyland. I smacked her hand away from the radio, then she smacked mine, and we did this on and off for a straight thirty minutes trying to switch the stations.

“Whatever. I’m just glad you sorted things out. Maybe this time we can all enjoy each other’s company.”

Maybe .

If he doesn’t find out and break my nose first.

“All right, I’ll let you continue your afternoon,” he adds with a wicked grin. Then he shouts at the closed bathroom door, “Hoping to meet you soon, mystery girl!”

Christ .

My face is bright red when he shuts the door to my bedroom behind him, and I wait until the front door closes, too, before I finally open the bathroom door. “He’s gone,” I say. “You can come out now.”

The shower curtain is thrown open, and then she steps out with only a towel wrapped around her. Eyeliner from last night is still smudged beneath her eyes, and her curly hair has already started drying. It’s frizzy and all over the place, but it’s how I like her best.

Mine .

“How dare you mock pop music!” Standing in front of me, she jabs a finger into my chest while trying to be intimidating, but it just makes me smile instead, which only seems to irritate her more. “I told you last year, and I’ll tell you again: country music makes my ears bleed.”

“Funny.” I take the finger on my chest and wrap her hand in mine. “You pitched a fit for almost an hour, but as soon as I started singing you dropped the argument.”

“That’s different,” she whispers.

“How so?”

“Because your voice is . . .” She trails off, finding her words. “You were relaxed and content singing those songs, and I hadn’t seen you like that in forever, so I allowed it.”

Her palm is flat on my chest, mine covering hers, so I know she can feel the rapid beating of my heart. “And what if I told you my mood that day had nothing to do with the music choice, Maddie? What would you do then?”

“I’d—” She gulps, her eyes dipping to my lips for a split second before she says, “I’d say my brother was right, then. I’m good for you.”

The steam evaporated from the shower a while ago, and yet my body still feels surrounded by nothing but heat. “And I’d say you’re correct.” With one hand I tug at the towel around her body and watch it fall to the floor between us. “I’d tell you that I picked a fight with you because I missed you, and fighting with you was better than no contact at all.” My chest rises and falls rapidly from speaking about my feelings, and now that I’ve started, I’m sure as hell not stopping.

“Being with you is like that first gasp of air after being beneath the water for too long, Maddie. You’re a reprieve from the negativity that surrounds me. You always have been.”

She lets out a shaky breath, but neither of us moves an inch from where we’re standing.

Finally, she lifts her eyes to mine and says, “And if I said you were the same reprieve for me, what would you do then?”

I flick my gaze to her mouth before my lips tilt into the flirtatious grin she always claimed to be annoyed by, but I know the truth. She loves this grin, whether she’ll admit it or not. “I’d take you back to bed so we can show each other just how much of a reprieve we can bring.”

The giggle that fills the room makes my cock stir beneath the towel, and it’s standing at full attention when she walks into my room and falls back on my comforter, a flirtatious grin of her own teasing her lips. “I only have an hour before I have to leave, so we should probably get started, right?”

With just those words alone, I no longer worry about Ethan figuring things out between us. I don’t care about my dad and his opinion about her being a distraction. He’s wrong, and I didn’t go into depth about our conversation with Maddie because it’s not going to change anything between us. My dad isn’t going to win on this, and if anything, it makes me want to rebel even more, thus why the McDonald’s purchase this morning was made on the same card that I purchased the pizza with, and which got me into trouble.

The bottom line is that for the first time in my life I’m choosing my happiness. Not my friends’, my dad’s, my mom’s, but mine .

And I choose Maddie.

The towel falls to the floor beside hers, and it takes me hardly any time at all before I crawl to her on the bed, more than willing to get that hit of reprieve if only for an hour.