Buried secrets, two girls with the same face, and a boy who loved too much.
***
When Travis and Nicole meet on a bus for the first time, he thinks she's his ex, Rachel, who broke his heart two years ago. But he doesn't understand why she's pretendin...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
MY EYES WERE glued to the name at the back of my girlfriend's jersey as she stood in the bleachers with a group of girls slurping on their smoothies.
A slow turn in my chest squeezed my heart the longer I stared. The sun was not helping; it made my body heat up more.
Sweat dripped from my forehead into my eyes, and I wiped my face with the back of my hand. The boys were on the basketball court, but the game wouldn't begin for another fifteen minutes.
Making my way over to the stands where she stood with her friends, I gently took her arm and pulled her aside.
She looked up at me, grinning when she set her eyes on me. Screams and laughter surrounded us as everyone prepared for the game to begin, yet I couldn't really focus on all those excited energies.
Because the name at the back of Rachel's jersey should have been C O N N O R. With my number, 2 4.
"I don't understand..." I said lowly so others wouldn't hear. "You didn't wear my jersey?"
"I did." She pouted, looking at me with those sweet blue eyes that made me not want to be mad at her no matter the crime she committed.
I raised a questioning brow.
"I really did, babe. But a drunk idiot walked right in my face and accidentally got booze all over me, and I had to change. Luke just happened to be passing by, saw my despair, and offered to give me his jersey."
I watched the name once again, swallowing my jealousy.
It was nothing. Nothing. Luke was my best friend, and he was simply trying to help. I'd have wanted him to help her if she needed anything and I wasn't around to assist.
"Hey, I'm sorry." She placed both hands on my cheeks, palms cool and soothing against my hot skin. She softened her voice even more so they sounded like honey. "You know what? I know the game is about to start in a few minutes, and I can't afford to miss watching you play. But I can drive home and change into another one of your jerseys if you want, okay?"
I blinked as a trickle of guilt slid down my gut at the trouble I'd put her through. "No." I shook my head. "It's fine. Don't worry."
She peered skeptically at me. "Are you sure? Because you don't look like it's-"
My palms slid up her arms until they rested on the back of her palms where they held my face. "It's fine, chipmunk."
She leaned on her tip-toes and kissed me lightly. I'd have wanted it to last just a tad bit longer, but she pulled away. "Good luck, Connor."
"Thank you, Chipmunk." I pulled on her cheek lightly, smiling at her cuteness.
When she turned to return to her seat, my eyes immediately went to the name at the back of the jersey she wore again, and my smile dropped quickly as the tightening in my chest returned.