My brothers best friend

Chapter 41: Space to Breath

Chapter 41

Jake's Point of View

I woke up the next morning, the weight of yesterday still heavy in my chest. I hadn't slept much—just tossed and turned, staring at the ceiling, my mind racing with thoughts of Valerie, the article, and that kiss with Nick. The one that was supposed to be harmless, but now felt like the weight of a thousand bricks. I couldn't shake the feeling that everything was spiraling, and I had no control over it.

I glanced at my phone. No new messages from Valerie. I wasn't surprised. After I'd told her I needed space, I figured she'd back off for a while. Part of me was relieved, and another part... well, that part was still questioning if I'd made the right call.

But right then, I wasn't thinking about that. I was just trying to get out of my head. So, I pulled myself out of bed and threw on a hoodie before heading downstairs for breakfast.

Mason was already sitting at the kitchen table, scrolling through his phone. He looked up when he saw me. "Morning, man. You alive?"

"Barely," I muttered, grabbing a cup of coffee. The steam rising from the mug felt like a small comfort in the middle of this mess.

He raised an eyebrow. "You okay?"

I leaned against the counter, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach. "Not really. I don't even know what to feel. Everything's been... a lot."

Mason set his phone down and looked at me, his expression softening. "Yeah, I saw the article. That shit's brutal."

I rubbed my eyes, trying to keep the frustration from boiling over. "It's not just that, man. It's... everything. The kiss with Nick. Valerie texting me like nothing happened. I thought we were good. I thought I could trust her."

Mason nodded slowly. "I get it. It looks bad. But, you know, Val's not like that. She's my sister, Jake. I've seen her go through enough shit to know when she's not playing games. I don't think she's trying to hurt you."

I stared at him, torn between what I wanted to believe and the reality of what I saw. "I don't know, man. I just... I can't deal with this right now. I told her I need space. I need to figure out what the hell is going on."

"Space is good," Mason said quietly. "But don't completely cut her out. She's probably just as confused as you are."

I sighed. "I know. I just don't know what to do with any of it. It feels like everything's falling apart."

"You're not alone in this, Jake," Mason said, his voice firm. "But sometimes you gotta let things breathe before you make any decisions."

I nodded slowly, but in my gut, I still wasn't sure. My head was a mess, and no matter how much I tried to focus on other things, Valerie's face kept popping up. I needed to let go for a while.

_______________________________________

Two days later, I was back on the field. The familiar sound of the ball hitting my foot, the smell of fresh-cut grass—it was the one place where I could almost forget about everything else.

I was doing some drills when I saw Coach Elvis standing by the side, watching me with that knowing look of his. I jogged over to him, wiping sweat from my brow. "Hey, Coach. Got a minute?"

"Always for you, Jake," he said, giving me a quick nod. "What's on your mind, son?"

I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, trying to gather my thoughts. "I wanted to talk to you about the scouts. I've been thinking about taking the next step, you know, making sure I'm on their radar. Do you have any contacts or—"

Coach Elvis raised a hand. "I've got connections, sure. But listen, kid. You've got the talent. That's obvious. Don't let everything else distract you from that. The scouts aren't looking for drama. They want to see if you can focus, if you can handle the pressure. You're playing for more than just a team now."

I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of his words. I'd been so caught up in everything with Valerie, I'd almost forgotten the bigger picture. "Yeah, I know. I need to get my head in the game. I just feel... I don't know, like there's a lot going on in my head."

Coach Elvis gave me a knowing look. "That's life, Jake. You've got distractions. But the best players can focus despite them. You want this, you've gotta keep your eyes on the prize."

I nodded, feeling the pressure of the future on my shoulders. "Yeah. You're right. I'll do that."

He clapped me on the back. "Good. Let me know if you need those numbers. I'll set it up for you."

"Thanks, Coach. Appreciate it."

___________________________________

Three days later, I found myself at the bar with Mason and the guys. It wasn't that I was trying to escape the mess with Valerie—it's just that I needed a break. A real break. I needed to stop thinking for one damn night and just enjoy the company of the people who didn't know about my drama.

The bar was packed, and the music was blasting. The guys were laughing, joking, and I was grateful for the noise. I didn't have to think about the kiss. I didn't have to think about the article. I didn't even have to think about Valerie.

Mason shoved a beer into my hand as I walked in. "There's my guy," he said, grinning. "Been too quiet lately. You good?"

I took a long sip, feeling the cold burn of the beer slide down my throat. "I'm good, man. Just needed to get out."

We all headed to a table in the back, and I tried to settle into the conversation. We were talking about the latest soccer game, about our college classes, random stuff. It felt like... normal. For the first time in days, I wasn't haunted by thoughts of Valerie. I was just one of the guys, having a good time.

We joked around about the upcoming games, talked smack about who was going to win the next championship. I even found myself laughing—a real laugh, not the forced ones I'd been putting on lately. The guys didn't press me about Valerie, and I was thankful for that. It felt good to just breathe for a bit.

At one point, I found myself dancing with the group to some ridiculously catchy song. I couldn't even remember the last time I'd had this much fun. For a few hours, I was able to forget about everything else.

As the night wore on, the tension in my shoulders loosened, and I could almost feel the weight lifting off me. But as the guys started making their way to the dance floor, I stayed behind at the table, sipping my beer and leaning back in my chair. My mind wandered again.

For the first time in days, I didn't feel the constant ache of frustration or confusion. It was like I could just let things go, if only for a little while.

But it didn't last. Eventually, I glanced at my phone, and there it was again—the reminder of everything I was trying to forget. The screen lit up with a message from Valerie. Just one word:

Valerie: Hey.

I stared at it for a few seconds, my fingers hovering over the screen. I had no idea what to say. So, I put my phone down and got back to the moment.

For tonight, at least, I wasn't thinking about Valerie. I was just thinking about having a good time with the guys. I had enough on my plate already.

But I couldn't escape the nagging feeling that sooner or later, I was going to have to face the mess I was running from.