𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐲 𝐋𝐢𝐩𝐬 ✓

25

"Wow. I didn't realize how huge this fridge is." Lexi admonishes. Our group of friends sits at the countertop.

"Eight boys live in this house, what did you expect?" Faye asks.

"Hey hey hey, eight men." Maddox corrects and she rolls her eyes.

"Speak for yourself." She taunts and Reece pokes her side until she giggles.

"Grilled cheese?" Lexi straightens up with a block of cheese in one hand and butter in the other.

"I'll eat anything. Beware the vultures though, love." I say without thinking and immediately the three stooges to my right lean forward at different stages to stare me down simultaneously. I close my eyes and act like it's normal for me to call her that, because for Lexi and I, it is.

Lexi takes the bread out and turns on the stove, occupied. I glare at the three of them, daring them to call attention to it. "What the hell did I just walk into?" Luke asks, appearing from the direction of the front door.

"I'm making grilled cheese! Want one?" Lexi asks and Luke looks between everyone curiously as we all act normal. He nods but doesn't say a word as he sits on my left.

"What just happened?" He asks quietly.

"Nothing. They just heard me call Lexi a nickname that they haven't heard before. It's nothing, they're being daft." The three in question lean in together and speak in hushed voices.

"It doesn't mean what you think it does," I grumble so that they can hear me.

"Uh-huh. Okay." Faye nods as if she believes me but the look in her eyes says otherwise.

"She could have done, but she didn't react to it. Why should you?" I ask them defensively.

"She is accustomed to it. Does that word really mean something different to you?" Faye says. "When you use it on her?" She adds.

"We're friends." Is all I can think to say.

"Done! Eat fast before they can smell them." Lexi says, placing a plate of grilled cheese halves down on the counter between us. She props herself on her elbows, bends over at the waist, still only wearing her baby blue bikini. I stuff a hot sandwich in my mouth and eat my words.

"Soccer anyone?" Reece asks and the girls cringe. "We'll go easy on you. And it's not like it will be boys versus girls." He laughs.

"I mean..." Lexi looks at Faye and gets a shrug in response. "Why not?" She stands up and reaches for the plate but I snatch it away before she can get it.

"Go on, I'll meet you all out there," I say and throw the dishes in the sink for a wash. I finish up quickly and change into some dry shorts, forgoing the shirt because of the heat. Mostly because of the heat.

Walking around the pool and through the row of trees behind it, I find myself on the turf field behind the house. The girls' eyes are wide in awe and I smile proudly as if I'd built it myself. They both have on spare practice jerseys thankfully, otherwise, I would have been much too distracted to play.

"If you don't have to wear shirts—" Faye starts but Lexi cuts her off.

"It's probably for the best. We don't want any wardrobe malfunctions." She shrugs and bites her lips. Faye looks thoughtful and winces.

"Good idea."

"Hey, speak for yourself!" Maddox says as he bounces the ball up on his knees skillfully. He does a few tricks to show off and has the girls clapping.

"Alright. Teams?" I ask.

"Stop talking. You're stealing the show." Maddox jokes and slaps my back.

"Aren't you guys both captains? How about you two?" Faye asks, gesturing between Maddox and me. We nod and turn to each other with our fists on our open palms.

"Rock. Paper. Scissors." Maddox wins so he gets the first ball and I get first pick.

"Lexi."

He shakes his head. "Sorry babe, but he chose wrong. Reece." Maddox says and I grimace. Lexi walks over to me, and so does Luke after Faye goes to Maddox's team.

"We're screwed," Luke says. I nod.

"What? Why?" Lexi asks, looking stricken.

"Any team that has Reece on it would have won. He's the goalkeeper."

"Well. Do you have any more goalkeepers in the house? Let's get them! I like winning." She admits and I look at Luke.

"No..."

"Wait a second," I say. "What about you? I saw your game, you can dive for the ball no matter where it goes, this time, you just have to try to catch it."

Lexi looks apprehensive but shrugs. "I can try. Won't it hurt though?" She asks, bending down to feel the turf and looks up with wide eyes. "No way."

"I'll run and grab you a pair of sweatpants and a long sleeve shirt if you want." Luke offers and Lexi just sighs.

"Alright fine, I'll try. Let's just play." She says, walking over to the net. The jersey comes down to mid-thigh on her and I thank god that she is going to be behind me and not serving as a distraction.

Maddox raises an eyebrow at her position and puts the ball down. Poor Faye. He isn't known as the most patient person in the world. He starts to dribble the ball and I move to defend him, but Maddox likes tricks. He kicks the ball up over my head and continues around me, surprisingly passing the ball off to Faye who immediately kicks it back inaccurately, shrieking as Luke charges her. They laugh as he reaches her and Maddox kicks the ball past Lexi and into the goal. I smile wide at her and give her a thumbs up but she just looks at me with her head tilted to the side, expressionless as she passes me the ball.

I set it down and pass it off to Luke. Running up the short field, Luke passes it back and Maddox almost runs into me but I'm faster and manage to pass it off. Luke shoots but Reece catches it easily and shrugs. He kicks it downfield and Maddox gives Faye an opportunity to shoot. Lexi catches it easily and they smile at each other.

Leaving the competition out, for the most part, is refreshing. I end up scoring twice but Maddox's team still wins by one. Gesturing with my head towards the house, Lexi smiles and jogs to catch up with me.

"Good game," I tell her. Lexi bumps my arm with hers and I wrap my arm around her shoulder, pulling her body into mine.

"It's getting dark, we should probably head back." She says, looking up at the darkening blue sky. I nod.

"Feel free to crash our party anytime, but not during another practice, please. I don't blame them for staying." I glance over at her and she looks down, probably hiding a faint blush on her olive skin.

"Deal."