Love In Destin ✔

30 - dream of you

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𝑹𝒊𝒄𝒌

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WHEN I STEP into the locker room, all eyes fall on me. Some shake their heads in disapproval at me while I contemplate an excuse to tell the coach during practice today.

"Hey," greets Damon giving me a handshake and patting my back. "It's great to see you,"

"Thanks,"

"You do know you're in deep trouble with coach, right?"

Rolling my eyes dramatically,  I comb my hands through my hair and let out a low groan. "I know,"

"He's not gonna let you go off so easy for missing out on practice..." Damon trails off, and it comes to my attention that he is staring at me apprehensively.

"What?"

"Are you good?" he inquires, studying me closely.

"Why?"

"You just seem like you've had it rough this past week. So, are you good, Rick?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good,"

Damon nods a little, then cracks a smile, "Just worried about you, man,"

A smile tugs at my lips, "I know,"

How grateful I feel every day for having been blessed with a friend like Damon. He is genuine inside and out. It's not like I'm not comfortable talking to him about my feelings and emotions related to Mom's death. The truth is I'm just not ready to talk about it with anyone—not after how Sabrina treated my vulnerability and grief like a garbage pile. Someday, I hope to talk to him about anything. He's a keeper.

A hand tugs on my shoulder, and by how the fingers add pressure to it, I know it's Brent.  I clench my fist, and my jaw tightens.

"You're so late, you know that?"

"No 'hey, Rick how are you doing?' You're just caught up in this damn dare?"

Brent punches one of the lockers in vexation, "Yes, so are you going to get on with the real deal or not?"

"No. I'm done,"

He chuckles before nodding, "Ok, then I'll get the job done myself," He hurriedly walks away like a man on a mission.

Something tugs in me— the fact that I just let this all go in one blow. No, it's the fact that rather I've left Maya in the hands of Brent. It shouldn't bother me this much, but it does.

Damon confirms this by confronting me about how it might not be such a good idea to let Brent deal with Maya. I've gone too far into this and should take responsibility for getting it done. Maya's strong, I think. She will get over it quickly. She'll have to. I close my eyes momentarily and sigh.

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𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒂

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The week has gone went by with no contact with Rick. Now, Monday morning mocks me with its early morning rain, followed by sunshine when I arrive at school. Annoyance ripples through my insides at the fact that I've let my feelings for a boy determine whether I have a good or bad day at school.

Without his presence, my time at school has crackled to absolute emptiness. The only thing that has kept me going is the conversations and time I've spent with the girls. But even they've noticed I've been out of it.