Afterglow

Chapter 1

Everly Hilton

It's all over ESPN.

"Duke's basketball captain, Jonathan Walker, leaves just before the year of his last season to join Wisconsin's promising roster for 22/23"

I don't know how to feel about this. In fact, I haven't been able to react at all. For the last fifteen minutes, I've been sitting in bed, just looking at my phone. No words have come out of my mouth. Even worse, no thoughts are running through my mind.

He's coming here. Coming back home. I'd like to say he's coming back home to me. But that's just not true.

I'm happy now, I truly am. I just have a very different approach to happiness now in comparison to when we were together.

I think that's what drove us apart after high school. The fact that I depended on him to be happy. And, even though I've never found such contentment with someone else, I now have it within me. And I didn't back then.

I shouldn't be this affected by his decision of coming to the University of Wisconsin. Jonathan and I haven't really talked in two and a half years, even if I made sure to watch almost all of his games on my computer last season. It definitely doesn't change anything now.

We had our time together. And it was absolutely beautiful. But we're not the same people.

Jonathan's not MY golden boy anymore. He's just THE golden boy now. And, throughout the years, I've found peace with that fact.

However, the news are bringing back a lot of memories, and I just can't seem to shake them off.

*

My boy just won state and I don't remember being this proud of someone since... like... ever.

Jonathan decided to throw his own party for the team, since he's the captain. But as it nears four AM, there's only the two of us left.

He looks magnificent.

He's also very drunk. And so am I. But thankfully I'm spending the night or I'd be listening to my parents' disapproval speech right about now.

So I'm here, sitting on his couch, Jonny's head on my lap while I run my fingers through his silky light brown (almost blonde) hair.

His eyes begin to close with the movement of my hand and he starts chuckling lowly.

"What?" I ask with a soft smile, taking in every inch of his face. The curve of his lips I know all too well, but could never get enough of. The scar on his temple he told he got from falling off his bike nine years ago. The long eyelashes I'm so envious of. Damn him.

"I've never been so fucking happy" He says, the sides of his mouth starting to form a smile.

Trevor's eyes blink open and we're now looking at each other. I bring my finger up to trace his features and let it linger on his lips.

He sits up on the couch and swiftly adjusts my position so I'm sitting sideways on his lap, his arms holding me close by my hips.

My arms circle his neck and I smile when he pinches my sides lightly.

Jonathan winks at me with a smirk and voices "Both state champions"

I nod, moving each of my thighs to either side of his lap, straddling him. The touch of our foreheads is feather-like, our lips mere inches apart, as I say "Both captains"

His smirk stays intact as his eyes travel to my lips and I bite my bottom one, hiding a smile when he mutters "Both sexy as hell"

My hands lower to his shoulders and then to his chest, and I leave them there to feel his warmth. "Oh Jonny, you wish you were even half as hot as me"