2. Addison

I threwthe ball across the field, but instead of watching it soar to its destination, my eyes caught on Callum.

That man had a way of drawing my eyes even when they were supposed to be looking elsewhere.

He was in better form today, but the way he was practicing throws made me frown and glance over at his one-on-one coach, wondering if he was seeing what I was seeing. Callum was good, but he was rushing through movements... Maybe it was just nerves, but that would be a bad look for live games.

“Switch!” Coach Oliveira called into his megaphone.

“Come on,” Sean said to me, and I realized I”d paused for too long.

I forced my attention back to what we were doing, focusing on getting the movements just right. My body took over and everything cleared. This part of my job was like meditation. I could run drills until my muscles gave out and afterwards, I would sleep like a baby. Nothing reset me like these practiced moves that made me focus and made me sweat.

I was in top form until the end of this training bootcamp drew nearer and the hours felt like they were dragging on.

Everyone was getting one on one now and when I glanced around, Callum was still on the field with his personal trainer, but Sean had turned all of his focus on me.

We worked on reaction times with a med ball until my thighs were burning and I felt ready to collapse and finally, practice was called to a quit.

I straightened, groaning and wiping the sweat from my eyes. Even a sweat band wasn’t enough under the Texas sun in August.

“Good one, Addy,” Sean said, coming up and patting me on the back. “You”re in good shape for this season.”

“I feel good,” I agreed.

We fell into conversation about what was to come, and then on our lingering bitterness over our season-ending lost game against the Copperheads last year.

By the time I was heading to the showers, half the guys were already heading out.

“See you tonight?” I asked Wyatt as I passed him.

“For sure,” he said, clapping my hand as he passed.

I fist bumped everyone who was on the way out the door as I entered, saying bye and either, ”see you tonight,” or ”see you in Jacksonville” until I was finally inside.

My sweat was already drying on my gear and the locker room was filled with the smell of musk slowly going stale. But the door and windows were open, and the scent of shampoo being carried into the room from the showers was just as strong.

As quickly as I could, I got undressed and grabbed my towel and soaps.

The showers were steamy but only two people were still inside.

My gaze immediately caught on Callum”s naked back.

I tried not to look while I walked in, but it was basically impossible.

Whoever had created open showers like these had clearly been very straight... or very perverted because there was no way to avoid an eyeful even when you didn”t want to look. And Callum, with all that clear brown skin, narrow hips and full, round ass was someone I absolutely wanted to look at, even if I shouldn’t.

“Hey Addy.”

I nearly jumped out of my skin at the reminder that Cooper was in here too. I glanced over at him but he had soap running into his eyes, so I didn’t think he’d noticed me staring at Callum’s ass.

He was openly gay, so I knew he wouldn’t judge, but I still didn’t want him to think I was a pervert.

“Hey, man,” I said, quickly going to one of the free spots and turning on the water. “You ready for Jacksonville?”

“Are they ready for us,” he countered, and I chuckled.

“Hell no, they”re not.”

“They won’t see us coming,” he agreed.

Grinning, I began to wash myself down, taking my time to lather up my hair because... well, mostly because Coop was already turning off the water and leaving to get dressed and Callum was still here, standing with his head under the spray like the rest of the world was lost to him.

I rinsed the shampoo out of my hair and stood there, glancing over every couple of seconds because I wanted to saysomething. I just hadn”t decided what yet.

But every time I looked, his head was still bowed, the water soaking the long strands of his russet brown curls so that they hung over his face, blocking his boyish features.

I didn”t need to see his expression to know that he was feeling down though.

There was something about Callum—beyond the body and prettiness, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. He smiled and was polite, but he didn’t mingle as much as the others. He joked around if someone else started it, but he never started a conversation himself.

I didn’t have to be best friends with everyone on the team. We mostly all got along anyway, but I wanted to get along with Callum the most. After all, we were the team’s QB’s and we should have each other’s backs.

Finally, he lifted his head and pushed the shoulder length hair from his face.

He glanced over then, as though knowing someone was there even though I doubted he”d heard anything with his head under the water like that.

Our gazes met.

For a split second, his wide, soulful brown eyes pierced me.

Immediately, I offered him a smile, looking away quickly in the hopes that he wouldn’t think I had been staring at him while he showered.

“You good?” I asked.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” he returned.

I pursed my lips and kept quiet, keeping focused on my shower.

Callum shut his water off and left before I had even rinsed all the soap off.

I didn’t blame him. I would be snippy too if I”d been picked apart the way that he”d been yesterday by the coaches. He”d been frowning nonstop ever since then.

Drying off, I wrapped my towel loosely around my hips before returning to the changing room. Callum was still there as was Coop. They were chatting amicably but he was already tying on his shoes looking ready to run. Coop meanwhile was taking his time, sitting in a pair of jeans with no shirt on yet.

“It’s a cool place,” Coop was saying as he ran a towel through his hair. “You have to come.”

“I don’t know,” Callum said, hesitating. I could practically see him searching for an excuse. “I have a couple things I need to get done.”

“Cancel your other plans,” I said, joining in. “I’ll buy you a drink.”

Callum hesitated.

“One on me too,” Coop said. “Can’t have you picking Addy as your favourite. I know he’s hard to resist.”

“Shut up,” I said, trying to smack him with my wet towel. He dove out of the way and turned his towel in my direction and by the time we were about to reach a ceasefire, Callum was already at the exit, trying to run away.

“You’ll be there, right?” I called and he paused at the doorway, gave me a smile that was more of a grimace and nodded.

“See you guys at seven.”

Even though he clearly didn’t want to come, it still felt like a win.

Then a wet towel smacked me across the back like a whip and I yelped.

“OW! What the hell! I thought we were done.”

We both burst into laughter, and it was on that buzz that I got dressed and left the last day of camp.

The sun was shining, I was going to meet up with my guys for some drinks tonight and I’d even convinced Callum to join us. I’d finally get to talk to him outside of the football field.

It was a bad idea to get a crush on a teammate, but in my late twenties, I was far from being a hormonal teenager anymore. I could make friends with someone I thought was cute and it didn’t need to be a whole awkward thing.

And that was what I wanted; to get Callum to open up a bit, to get to know him better. Tonight, I would get that chance.

Things were good.

Then I pulled out my phone, saw four calls from an unknown number and my steps slowed.

I stared at the number, the hairs rising all up my body. It wasn’t a big deal. It could be anyone… but why would “anyone”call four times in a row? They could just leave a message if it was important.

I checked.

No messages. Just missed calls. There was only one person that could be. The same person whose number I had been blocking again and again for years now.

A car suddenly revved next to me, making me jump.

For a moment I stared at the piece of junk. A Subaru from the Dark Ages that was smoking from under the hood.

Callum looked like he was about to die from embarrassment in the front seat. For a second, I wondered if I should just keep walking and pretend I hadn’t noticed, but nope, too late. We made eye contact.

I tapped the top of the hood.

“Mind if I take a look?” I asked.

He shrugged and climbed out of the car, coming to join me.

When I pulled the hood up, the amount of smoke billowing out had both of us backing up in a hurry.

“Shit,” he muttered.

“Yeah,” I chuckled. “Might be time to replace her soon.”

He paled at the suggestion.

“There’s a mechanic nearby. They’ll probably tow.”

He shook his head frantically.

“No, no. I’ll drive home. It’ll be fine.”

I waited, just in case, and sure enough, the car still wouldn’t turn on.

I stood on the sidelines while he spoke to the mechanic, then waited in my car so that I wouldn’t be in the way. When they were here and attaching her to the back of a pickup truck, Callum finally thought to come over to my car, looking guilty.

“You really don’t have to stay,” he said, leaning against my open window.

His eyes were so pretty in the sunlight, the brown so rich and rimmed in dark lashes.

“I’m driving you home,” I said firmly.

He looked like he was about to argue but glanced back at his car and nodded.

“Thank you,” he murmured and went back to talk to the mechanic again.

I watched as they handed him a card, wondering why he seemed so upset about a car that was so old and so beat up. Maybe it was sentimental.

When he climbed into the passenger seat five minutes later, I turned on the engine and the AC, ready to get going.

For a while, we were silent as we drove.

“I guess you really like that car, huh?” I asked.

Callum shrugged, still looking gloomy.

“It gets me around.”

The conversation ended there so that he could give me directions. We hit a bit of the evening traffic going through the downtown area, but it didn’t last long and soon, we were in front of a building that looked much older than Callum’s car and even more beat up.

I looked up at the faded bricks in confusion.

Callum was an NFL player. What was he doing living here?

Not that I expected him to be in a mansion as a new recruit, but surely, he could afford a bit of an upgrade.

“Thanks again,” he said, drawing my attention back to him.

“Not a problem.”

He climbed out, reaching back in to grab his gear bag.

“I can be here at six-forty-five to pick you up again,” I blurted.

“No, no,” Callum said at once. “It’s okay.”

“It’s fine. You’re on the way and I’m only planning on having a drink or two.”

He stared at me for a moment and then visibly sagged.

“Okay then. Sure.”

“See you then!”

He nodded, gave me a little wave and off he went, into a building that didn’t even have a lock on the door. No security that I could see, and a broken window on one of the apartments on the first floor.

He had to get the hell out of there.

Maybe I could hook him up with my realtor…

Okay, I was getting ahead of myself. I was pretty sure Callum hadn’t asked me to take over his life. I shook myself and pulled back onto the road.