Page 24 of Unrivaled Love (D.C. Renegades #2)

Jo

Classic Trope

I wake and stretch and feel relaxed and satisfied. As I blink open my eyes I realize the sun is shining and I smile.

Hooking up with Bryson might not have been the smartest move since we're stuck here together until someone finds us or we trek into town but forced proximity is a classic trope we can have a lot of fun with.

Maybe it's because we haven't seen each other in a decade but while Bryson is the same as ever, he's also different. There is a depth to him he didn’t have before.

I roll up in bed and see he left a t-shirt and shorts for me. I smile and slip them on.

I use the bathroom and see my toothbrush is on the counter.

That's really sweet of him.

I wonder where he is.

Out in the kitchen there's a protein bar on a plate with a note next to it.

Josie -

I went for a hike to see if any neighbors are home. Be back soon.

- Bry

I brush my fingers across the note and open the bar. I take it with me out to the deck and eat while I read my book .

Flora is struggling with the loss of her first love, Cathal. Theirs was a whirlwind romance the entire first book centered on. In the second they face the world side by side and then at the beginning of the third he vanishes.

She continues to fight. She continues her crusade to free her village from the tyrannical Serpent Queen but you can tell she's struggling to do it alone.

I reach the end of a particularly tense chapter and I close the book.

Am I Flora?

Is Bryson Cathal?

Are we in the third book of our epic saga?

We started as friends, neighbors. Our competitive spirits resulting in one-up-man-ship over everything.

Who could chew the most gumballs.

Who could run up a hill faster.

Who could get the other off harder.

Although that competition only started last night.

Tingles race down my spine when I remember the words he used. He wants to worship me. And I felt it.

Has he always? Or is this new?

Because there was a time when I thought we would be together.

But then I learned he didn't believe in me and I left.

I do not have space in my life for anyone who doesn't fully support me. It is fucking tough to be a professional athlete. Tougher even to be a woman on the field.

And I've been feeling the pressure as I step into the national team spotlight.

I think that's why I snapped on Pee Pee. It felt like a betrayal. The opposite of supporting me. But, fuck.

I wipe my face as the truth rocks into me.

I wasn't supportive of her either.

** *

I must have fallen asleep on the sofa because the next thing I know, Bryson is crouched in front of me with his hands on my thighs.

"There's my, Killer," he says and he presses up to kiss my forehead.

"Hey, any luck?"

"No, neither of them had anyone home. I left notes on the door so we'll see."

"Dang, okay."

"I figure if we don't hear from them today we can prepare ourselves to walk into town tomorrow.

" He says as he looks up at the sky. "I'm no boy scout but I think it's already past noon.

" I chuckle. “How far are you?" Bryson asks as he nods towards my book and takes a seat in the other corner of the sofa.

I turn to face him and then check the chapter. "Chapter 37. Naimh just turned Flora over to the guards and I needed a break."

"Oh yeah, that part was nuts." Bryson crooks a finger at me and with a smile I crawl over and lean against him. "Hand me your book."

I do and he wraps an arm around me and then opens the pages between us. To my surprise he starts reading out loud.

“‘The dungeon's frigid floor stings my bare feet. Naimh’s treachery chills me further as the memory of her luring me into this trap resurfaces. The cruelest part was her doing so under the guise of offering me a safe haven for the night. The betrayal cuts through the softest parts of me.

Some friend she turned out to be.

I wiggle my toes to keep them from freezing and laugh. Any soft parts I had left will freeze solid tonight.’ ”

I reach up to wipe a tear because I can feel Flora’s hurt. Bryson lowers the book to his lap.

"You okay, Jo?"

"Yeah, fine."

"You sure?"

"I just, it's just, it's sad. Her friend betrayed her. She doesn't have anyone she can trust."

"Yeah, it's bleak." He agrees and I let out a humorless laugh.

"You have no idea."

Bryson curls forward a little to see my face. I’m not sure what he'll find there but if I had to guess?

He'd see pain.

"Why did you run Jo?" He asks me quietly.

I don't know if he's talking about now or seven years ago but the answer is the same.

"I felt betrayed." I can barely get the words out. I’m struggling to admit to feelings that felt enormous years, or even days, ago.

“How so?”

“Which time?”

“You’ve been betrayed multiple times?” He asks incredulously.

“The most recent one was with Peyton Pendleton.” I start to pick at the edge of my nail.

“She’s on both Salt Lake and the US Team, right?”

“Yeah, and we share an agent.”

“What happened?”

“EPIC wanted to split a sponsorship deal between us and I said I wanted all of it or nothing.” I inhale deeply to try and keep my voice even. “And, they gave it all to her.”

“That’s really shitty Jo. I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. ”

He’s quiet for a moment and I let our thoughts settle between us. And then that moment stretches into several and anxiety rises in my chest.

“Bryson?”

“What about the other time you were betrayed?” He asks and he can’t bring himself to look at me.

This is going to kill me. Or him. Or whatever might be budding between us.

But, can I really move forward with him before clearing the air about our first time together?

“Jo, tell me. Did I do something? We shared this incredible experience and then you vanished.” He inhales and pain fractures his expression. “I won’t survive if that happens again.”

I sit up and turn to face him. Bryson’s face is fractured into a million pieces. He looks distraught and I reach out to take his hand in mine.

“I overheard you talking to your roommate that night.”

“What?”

I swallow and square my shoulders. The whole scene plays out in my head like it was yesterday.

The grip of pain in my chest feels as intense now as it did that night.

But unlike seven years ago, today I need to move through the pain and talk to my friend.

“I started to come down the stairs to get water and I heard you talking to one of your roommates. He congratulated you on nailing ‘No-Go-Jo’ and you didn’t defend me.

That hurt. I hated that nickname. But then he kept talking about how it was unbelievable I’d make the US Team one day and…

you agreed. You said ‘yeah, unbelievable’. I was crushed.”

Emotion clouds my vision as I stare at my knees.

The wound of that night is fresh again just from saying it out loud.

My spirit was crushed. It took me weeks to want to get out of bed again.

I watched him lose in the college finals two weeks later which was vindicating but then he got called up to Boston the night after to start his professional career and I felt left behind.

“Jo.”

“You were my best friend.” I say barely above a whisper, unable to look up at him. “I thought you believed in me. But to hear you tell him you thought I had a snowball’s chance in hell I’d get on that team was so hurtful. So I scooped up my clothes and snuck out.”

“I drove around campus for three hours trying to find you. I was terrified.”

A small ironic laugh chuckles out of me, “I know. I actually sat on your back porch and saw you driving around.”

“And then you cut me out of your life?”

“Yeah, it was my first lesson in not making time for people who don’t believe in you.”

“Jo, fuck!” Bryson yells as he stands. “Are you kidding me?” His hands grip his hair and it’s like he’s using his muscles to restrain himself from exploding. He’s angry.

He’s angry?

I was the one hurt. I was the one left feeling like my best friend had never believed in me. I was the one who had just opened herself up to the only boy she’d ever loved only to hear him trash her to his roommate.

Sleeping with him was such a mistake.

“You’re angry? Fuck that.” I stand and head to the patio door. I’ll walk to town myself. “This was a mistake.”

“Tommy was an idiot.” I slow my steps as he speaks.

“I remember that conversation because I was riding such a high from being with you. Josie, that was the best night of my life until it became the worst.” I can’t face him.

I stand with my hand on the door handle.

In the reflection I can see his body relax as he continues.

Years of pain accompany his words and I feel my heart pounding in my ears.

I had no idea he was suffering “I was in the middle of drinking water when he made the nickname comment and I punched him in the stomach.

When he stood up again he changed the subject.

“And when he said unbelievable I agreed because I couldn’t believe it was actually happening for you. I knew the scouting reports. I knew where you were headed in your career. And I knew exactly how hard you had worked to get there.

“Yeah it’s taken time because Molly and Madison stayed on longer than people had expected but you’re getting your chance now and you’re fucking brilliant out there.”

“What?” I ask the plate glass window.

“Jo, I watch every game. I have seen every interview, every social media post. I subscribe to three different PSL podcasts for fuck’s sake.

” I glance up and don’t see him in the glass anymore.

I suck in a surprised breath when I feel him standing behind me.

“I have hundreds of unsent texts in my notes app.”

“What?” I whisper.

“You never responded so after a few years I put them there instead of sending them to you.”

“What?” I wish my brain could process this and give me more than one word to say.

But each word out of Bryson’s mouth challenges the story I’ve had in my head for years.

He’s not touching me but I can feel his presence behind me.

Ready to catch me. Finally, I string more than one syllable together, “I thought you moved on.”

“Moved on? Ha. I didn’t save myself for you if that’s what you mean, but no, I’m your biggest fan whether you’re talking to me or not.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.” He laughs and then he pulls me to his chest. “You think anyone else compares to you? You’re every dream I could ever fathom. Josie, you’re it for me, you’ve always been my girl. ”

He seals his words with a kiss to my neck and my head spins.

This is not how I envisioned this conversation going. Over the years I yelled at my mirror to practice confronting him. It was going to be loud and dirty and a lot of curse words and insults from me. Instead I’ve said “what” three times and he’s staying calm and expressing himself maturely.

The one part of the argument I could never imagine was what Bryson would say. Because he was my best friend. We’d known each other our entire lives. And I could never figure out what he’d say to justify hurting me.

I guess the answer is he didn’t.

I turn in his arms and hug him, nuzzling my head into his neck. “I’m sorry, Bryson.”

“It’s okay Jo, I forgive you.” He presses a kiss to my forehead and then presses his chin there, keeping me close.

“I would never hurt you, Jo. Not on purpose. And I hope I never accidentally do it again either. I’m human so I probably will but please don’t shut me out again Jo.

You’ve always been mine and you’re in my arms again and I can’t let go. ”

I shudder a breath. We stay like that as the sun moves across the sky. We hold each other as the shadows shift and lengthen and eventually he lifts my chin and presses our lips together in a kiss that grounds me to the here and now, with so many promises of what’s to come.