Crossroads (Book Three)

Chapter 8

Shawn

I walk back into the bar after watching Lyla head home in a cab. I'm tempted to head home myself at this point. I knew I wouldn't be going with her back to her place, she needed to be with Megan on their own and I wasn't going to interfere with that, but I am still disappointed that I won't get to spend the night with Lyla.

I check the time on my phone and it's only eleven as I make my way back to my table. The only bright side to Lyla taking off early is I don't have to sit and watch Will hang all over her. The guy is pushing me to the brink of what I can handle.

Speak of the devil, Will is still sitting at the table where I left him, only now there are three other guys from my team crowded at the table with him as they all throw back a shot. That's just what this kid needs, another shot. He can barely stand up from the table at this point. I can already foresee me carrying him into the house tonight. As much as I'm not his biggest fan I'm still not an asshole and will probably end of taking the kid home instead of leaving him to fend for himself.

"She get off okay?" Will asks me as soon as I take my seat again at the table.

"Yeah," I answer him, feeling annoyed that he's asking me about Lyla.

He nods his head in response to me before I turn my attention to my teammates and move the topic to our game. To his credit, Will nods along and tries to make a comment or two about the game as we all go over our plays from the night. I catch Will taking his phone out of his pocket and typing away on it at one point, his eyebrows knitted together in concentration as he stares at the screen. Whoever he is texting has his full attention.

I glance around the bar and find myself instantly annoyed when I catch sight of Amelia and notice she is already beelining for me through the crowd. I sit back in my chair and sigh loudly, not that anyone can hear me over the music and chatter. I brace myself for the knowingly irritating interaction I'm about to be subjected to.

"Hey Shawn," I hear her voice from beside me, but don't turn to look at her.

"Amelia," I reply dryly. "This is Will and you probably know Chad and Smith." I introduce the three other guys at the table as I nod my head at each of them.

"Nice to meet you," Amelia says, but doesn't move from her spot beside me. "Where's the girlfriend?"

"At home," I reply plainly.

"She didn't want to celebrate with you?" She asks and I feel her angle herself more towards me as her side leans against the outside of my thigh that's elevated on the stool I'm on.

"She did," I quip back, trying to keep my answers short.

I tip back my drink, finishing what's left in the glass before I reach across the table for the pitcher to refill it. My hands are occupied as I feel Amelia's hands press against my side just above my hip as she leans in towards me.

"We can celebrate without her," she whispers suggestively as she leans closer to my ear.

I put my glass and the pitcher down on the table and quickly take both her hands and gently remove them from me as I slide my chair away from her.

"No thanks."

"Your loss," she says with an eye roll before she turns on her heel and finally leaves our table. Message received.

"That happen a lot?" Will asks and I turn towards him. He looks quite shocked at what just unfolded in front of him. His brow is raised as he waits for me to answer him.

"She's persistent," I answer him.

"And Lyla's okay with that stuff?" He asks me and I can't help but feel like he's accusing me of cheating or something.

"Well I haven't nor will I ever do anything so Lyla doesn't have anything to worry about," I tell him.

"Good," he says as he nods his head at me. "You're lucky to have her," he adds before he takes a swig of his beer.

I know that you dumbass. I can't help put pick up on the hint of longing in his eyes as he stares down at the table, his fingers nervously picking at the coaster his glass sits on, peeling the flimsy cardboard into small pieces.

"I know," I finally say.

The table falls silent and I realize I don't need to subject myself to this awkwardness a second longer as I stand up and head into the crowd. I find our goalie sitting at a table by himself and decide to strike up conversation with him. He's a pretty quiet guy and keeps to himself mostly, so I'm surprised to actually see him out with us. He's a sophomore this year so hopefully he'll warm up more to the guys on the team now that he's got one year under his belt playing with us.

The drinks continue to flow and I continue to throw them back as the night winds on. I check my phone frequently waiting to hear back from Lyla and finally get a response close to midnight that she's home and hanging with Megan for the night. I resist the urge to call her and beg her to let me come over to spend the night.

I don't have an issue sounding as desperate as I am to her, she knows I'm whipped. Mainly I don't want to interfere with her girl time so I tuck my phone away in my pocket and continue hanging out with the team.

It's just after one when I come across Will again, at the same table, laughing hysterically with Chad about something that is apparently very funny. His body is sagged forward leaning on the table and I can tell he's going to have trouble walking on his feet to get out of this bar. I sigh in annoyance, contemplating whether I should just leave him here to fend on his own, but I now that Lyla would want me to look out for him and ultimately that girl wins every time with me.

"Let's get you home," I call out to Will as I approach the table.

His bloodshot eyes raise from the table to meet mine or at least do their best to look at me, but I swear one of his eyes is looking at my shoulder and the other is looking behind me somehow.

"Already?" Will whines out, but doesn't contest as he tries to stand to his feet.

He stumbles slightly, but catches himself on the table. Chad laughs at him and I shake my head. Will gives me a nod as if to signal he is good to go before I start to lead the way out of the bar. I glance back several times to make sure he is still behind me before we step outside.

The line of cabs is a bit shorter then when I walked Lyla out earlier tonight, but we still manage to find a free one and I let Will climb in before I round the car and get into the other side. The ride back to the house is silent and I actually prefer it in present company. I don't even realize until we pull up to the house that Will passed out at some point. I nudge him awake, maybe more aggressively then needed but it does the trick.

The door is unlocked as I lead the way inside, Will stumbling in behind me. He barely manages to pull his shoes off without face planting head first into the tile floor. I can hear music and voices coming from the living room and figure Danielle must have company over. I peek into the living room and find Danielle and Erica sitting on the couch, with an empty bottle of wine on the table beside another half empty one. I am in no mood for this right now.

"Hey!" Danielle exclaims as she smiles over the couch at me and Will. "Will come meet Erica, she goes to Oakridge too."

I watch as Will shuffles across the room to the couch to shake Erica's hand, the whole exchange feeling extremely awkward and stiff.

"I'm heading to bed, try to keep it down please," I request as I turn to head upstairs before anyone can pull me into a conversation. I am feeling the full effect of my exhaustion taking over coupled with the buzz I have from the beers tonight.

"I'm right behind you too," I hear Will from behind me but I don't turn around as I climb the stairs.

I can hear his loud footsteps from behind me and know he's made it to the staircase. I consider waiting at the top to make sure that he makes it up okay, but decide he can figure it out on his own and head to my room.

I strip down to my boxers before I fall into my bed, wrapping my comforter around me. I pull Lyla's pillow into my chest, hugging it against me. I grab my phone and send her a goodnight text before I close my eyes and drift off to sleep.