Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

RIO

TEN DAYS LATER

The bus is almost silent tonight. It is filled with frowns and broken hearts as we make the drive back to the GSU campus. We lost our away game last night so badly it was fucking pathetic. Coach reamed us out after the game, and we deserved it. We hadn't lost a single game this season until last night, and it stings.

"I know last night was a tough loss, but I don't want it to keep you down forever," Coach tells us as we pull into the campus parking lot. "We have another game on Tuesday, and I know you can pull it around."

We all nod our heads and quietly respond, " Yes, Coach," before getting off the bus.

"I wish I knew why we sucked so bad last night," BooBoo grumbles as we grab our bags.

Me too, man, but there's nothing we can do about it. We just have to pick ourselves up and try to do better at our next game."

He nods, then heads toward his parked car, and I do the same.

As I make my way to my apartment all I can think about is having a nap. I barely got any sleep last night, and the small amount I managed wasn't restful at all. At least the upside of a shit sleep was the fact that I didn't have any weird dreams.

The elevator slowly takes me to my floor, and my feet shuffle against the carpet as I head to my apartment. My thoughts are solely on getting sleep, so I'm completely caught off guard when I'm greeted with a giant bear hug that almost steals the air from my lungs. Fuck, Sasha's a lot stronger than he looks.

"I'm so sorry about your loss," he coos into my ear while holding me tightly.

"What are you doing here?" I grumble as he continues to hug me. Part of me thinks I should be pushing him away, but the embrace actually feels nice. I've never allowed Sasha to comfort me like this before, but I don't hate it, even though I probably should. I actually kind of like it.

"I didn't think you should be alone after a loss like that," he says, finally loosening his embrace, but his hands don't leave my body, which, again, I don't hate. His touch is comforting and is helping to ease some of the disappointment I've been harboring since the loss of the game. "Monster told me he was busy with his sister today, and Bronny had plans with some other friends. Both of them offered to cancel their previous arrangements, but I told them I would be here for you."

"I just want to nap," I respond, trying to step to the side.

"That's fine. I'll be here when you're ready," he tells me, finally stepping back and letting me fully enter my apartment.

When he removes his hands from my arms, I miss his touch, which leaves me confused. Although that seems to be a common emotion around Sasha these days, I should probably try to decipher my feelings more, but I'm far too exhausted to do that right now.

"You don't have to do that," I assure him, dropping my bag by the door. Normally, I'm not a slob, but I don't have the energy to care about the mess at the moment.

"I know I don't have to, but I want to. You offered to be a listening ear for me the other day. I'm doing the same now. Even if you don't want to talk, I'm not going anywhere. I'll sit here in silence and study, but I'm not leaving you so you can wallow in self-hate."

I sigh. "How do you know I'm going to wallow?"

Sasha rolls his eyes dramatically and scoffs. "We might not be best friends, but I know you well enough to know you sulk after a loss, and I'm not going to stand for it today."

"There's nothing I can say to get you to leave, is there?" I check.

He shakes his head with a toothy grin. "Now go take your nap if you must. I'll be here when you're ready for some company," he tells me before heading to the living room and plopping himself onto one of the recliners.

I shake my head, making my way to my room, but notice there is a hint of a smile on my lips at the idea of Sasha not leaving. I've always wanted to be left alone after losses, but knowing there is someone here for me, whether I like it or not, is kind of comforting.

Sasha is right that we've never been best friends, and his pushiness has often been beyond annoying to me, but this time, I don't hate it. Maybe it's because my feelings for him have been evolving over the past couple of weeks, and I can't seem to get him out of my head, no matter how hard I try.

I close the door behind me and undress, placing the quartz from my pocket under my pillow like I've done every night since BooBoo gave it to me. I don't feel like it's offered me any sort of clarity, but I can't find it in me to stop carrying it around with me. Everywhere I go, that stupid stone goes.

With how exhausted I am the moment my head hits my pillow I'm pulled into a deep sleep, but of course am met with the stupid dream that won't leave me alone. Maybe it's time to see BooBoo's mom and get that tarot reading. I can't continue to live with my dreams being haunted by something that makes zero sense to me.

It's early evening by the time I finally wake. My stomach grumbles at me, offended that it hasn't been fed in far too long. I should have set an alarm so I didn't nap so late since it will be almost impossible to sleep tonight, but I was exhausted and needed the rest.

I throw on a pair of sweats and a GSU hoodie before deciding to go on the hunt for food, but come up short when I open my door and am met by my duffle bag resting on the floor. I furrow my brows. How in the world did it get here? My brain is still filled with sleep, and for the life of me, I can't come up with an answer, so I shrug and drag it into my room. What throws me for another loop is the fact that the zipper is open, so I quickly dig through my things wondering who the hell opened my bag.

A tiny gasp slips past my lips when I realize why my bag is open. Someone washed all of my gear and folded the items neatly before putting them back in. Who the hell would do something like that?

I give my head a shake then make my way down the hall to where Sasha, Monster, and Bronny are playing video games.

"Who did my laundry?" I question, leaning against the wall.

"I did," Sasha tells me with a wide smile. "And don't worry, I called BooBoo first to make sure I didn't wreck anything."

I'm taken aback by his words. That feels like a lot of effort to go through for someone who he even admitted isn't his best friend.

"Thank you," I whisper, unsure what else to say.

"I also made you some food," he says while turning his focus back to the game. "The plate is in the fridge; all you have to do is warm it up."

I stare at him like he's grown a second head. I know he told me he was going to be here for me today, but I'm still shocked and a bit in awe that he did so much for me, all because I had a bad day. I've seen Sasha's sweet side a few times over the years I've known him, but it's never been directed toward me like this, and I don't know how to process it.

Instead of saying anything, I just dip my chin and head to the kitchen to see what he made. My hopes aren't high, considering Sasha always burns the popcorn on movie nights and one time he almost set the apartment on fire when him and Monster tried to make some sort of deep-fried dish.

My jaw damn near hits the floor when my eyes land on a plate of chicken, rice, and veggies waiting for me. I know I slept for several hours but this man not only did my laundry, but he cooked a meal for me that is exactly what I would have made for myself. BooBoo probably filled Sasha in on my meal plan while he was telling him how to do my laundry.

I don't think I've ever had someone take care of me like this before, and I don't know how to react.

"I hope I cooked everything okay," Sasha says, joining me in the kitchen as I place the plate in the microwave. "I followed the recipe BooBoo sent me, and I cut the chicken to make sure it wasn't pink inside, but cooking isn't always my strong suit."

"Why did you do all of this?" I ask while staring at the microwave.

"It's what friends do," he tells me, and I can see him shrug his shoulders out of the corner of my eye. "You had a shitty day, and I wanted to cheer you up. You aren't one who likes it when people make a big deal about things for you, so I figured I'd just lighten your load."

Before I realize what I'm doing, I'm turning and pulling Sasha in for a hug, causing the vibrant man to squeak and stiffen before softening into my embrace and wrapping his arms around me in return.

"Thank you," I whisper as I hold him for a moment.

"You don't have to thank me. I promise it was no big deal," he responds while rubbing my back gently.

This hug feels good. His arms making me feel wanted and cared for,

I should probably let him go. The hug is going on far longer than is normal for a thank-you, but for some reason, I don't want to release him. I want to keep him in my arms. The thought alone is alarming enough to cause me to step back.

"I know you say it's no big deal, but it is to me. I really appreciate it," I tell him, and his cheeks pinken a bit. Bashful isn't a look that Sasha gets often but it's cute on him.

"Well, now that I know doing small acts of kindness can earn me a hug from the grumpy Rio, I might do them more often," he teases.

I roll my eyes, but there is a smile on my lips all the same.

The microwave beeps, and I pull my plate of food out, tilting my head. "Come on, I can eat this in the living room. I'm curious to see who's winning."

Sasha follows behind me, and I wonder what it would be like to hang out with him one-on-one. Suddenly, I want to know more about Sasha and what makes him the person he is. He has so many sides to him, and I'd like to see them all.