The Winner

Catching Feelings

*Nate*

The next morning I woke up around 10am with the worst fucking hangover. How many drinks did we even consume last night??

Squinting my eyes at the sun streaming in, I sit up against the headboard of my bed. My head is pounding and I'm dehydrated. I'm still in my jeans and polo shirt, now untucked and wrinkled. I don't even remember coming home.

I look over, making sure no one's next to me in bed - not that I have a tendency to bring women home often like that, but it certainly has happened over the years. Especially having drinks with those two blokes. Leo and Harrison can party hard some nights, that much everyone knows.

I pick up my now almost dead iPhone, scanning through about a dozen texts from different people I've yet to respond to, to see if Julia ever responded. Nothing.

She's playing hard to get.

I plug in my phone and get up in search of some Advil for this headache. Fuck, I need to stop drinking so much. It's gonna be a long day.
*****

*Julia*

Proud of my running time, I smile to myself, ending the treadmill work out. No one else is in the hotel gym. I get off the treadmill and grab a towel and the disinfectant to wipe down my machine and look up at the time. 10:30am. I still have time to make it for the hotel's free breakfast before it closes at 11.  I grab my phone and key card and head down to the lobby.

Two receptionist I don't really recognize both politely say good morning to me as I nod and pass through the main lobby, heading straight to the food.

This place is so busy today. By the looks of their different jerseys, three soccer teams of teenage boys took over the breakfast room. Must be a soccer tournament going on this week or something. Trying to think back on when spring break was...April... sounds about right. They're all on vacation and probably club teams traveling from all over.

I grab some food and a coffee and sat down at the last free table. It's so loud in here! I don't mind though. I once had a teenage boy. He was a damn good soccer player, too. That was his life. Soccer was everything to him. It wasn't too long ago I was one of the tired moms traveling with her "soccer family." And that's what they became... my family. Danny considered his teammates family as well.

God, I miss that kid. I take a deep breath and push those memories aside. It's just too hard to even think about.

I need a distraction.

I look at my phone , feeling a little guilty. I should have at least responded to Nate's text last night. What was my issue anyway? He was probably just trying to be friendly, especially knowing I'm currently stuck at this hotel for a while.

[Hey Nate ]

I type, trying to think of a good explanation. I'm certainly not going to tell him I spent the night having a pity party for one with all that has happened. If anything, I should be grateful for my best friend. Chloe signed my name for that contest, not hers. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for her. And Lord knows, I needed to go away for a while and change it up.

I continue to type.

[Sorry, I never responded last night. Hope you and your friends had a great time, though! See you Friday.]

Immediately, a message comes through. That was fast. I continue eating my scrambled eggs while reading Nate's response.

[You missed a fun night, Julia. I think...? I actually can't remember, haha]

Wow, sounds fun- I thought to myself. I'm now relieved I didn't go.

[Yeah, I don't think I could keep up with you children in my old age and all] I replied back.