Dahlia Aldridge
It was official. Dermot Ross was quickly becoming my favorite person in the world. Well, at leastoneof them. My fingers curled around my peppermint mocha happily as I wondered how the man had known this was exactly the little ‘pick me up’ I’d needed before I could focus on anything besides Stratton. To get my mind away from far more negative places. Seriously, I hadn’t even brought up wanting hot chocolate, and he had pulled into a local coffee shop on our way towards the match.
Maybe it was that evident in my expression that I was in a rough place, one that I still wasn’t fully ready to dissect or focus on, and to his credit, Dermot hadn’t asked again. I knew he would want an answer, but I didn’t really know what to tell him. I felt like I needed to confront Stratton before admitting to anyone what he said and how it had affected me.
Because you don’t want to know if anyone agrees with him.
Unfortunately, accurate. I was in no way ready to talk to Stratton right now, though. The idea of it made me sick to my stomach, and I was wondering just how long I could avoid him. Avoid him and the truth of our relationship that had been so clearly laid out for me.
Stratton wanted nothing to do with me.
Inhaling and exhaling slowly, I looked around the misty rugby pitch, the rain having slowed to a light drizzle. Still, the skies remained dark, allowing me to see the entire scene without having to slip on sunglasses. Normally, I preferred more sunshine, especially while sitting outside, but this somehow not only fit my mood but also kept me feeling less heated. The cool rain on my skin diminished any sense of anger, my face cool and unflushed compared to the ride over here.
The slight chill in the air banished the normal humidity for late August and had me leaning into Dermot slightly. I caught myself only right before I completely settled into his large frame, his body relaxed next to mine, his arm stretched out to rest on the bench behind me. It cocooned me in the warmth, yet I found myself wanting more.
My leg began to bounce as I tried to shake myself from the feelings he inspired. Wasn’t it time for this match to start? I felt like it was. Plus, I very much wanted to see the twins.
The bleachers began to fill up behind us, our spots up front and close enough to see all the action. I didn’t recognize any of the faces joining us in the stands, despite feeling eyes on us, and I wondered if that had to do with the media attention that had been paid specifically to me this weekend. My picture had been all over the news, and I hated to admit that it not only made me uncomfortable, but that I had forgotten to add makeup to my outfit to cover the bruises on my jaw today. Theyweregrowing fainter, but I didn’t need to give any more ammo to the media, and I knew it made my boys upset to see them, even if they would never admit to that.
It could have been none of that though. I mean, to be fair, Dermot and I stood out a bit. The field was almost twenty minutes from our house, near a large sports complex they used for training in the middle of nowhere, so very few people here were from Camellia. The surrounding areas were far less affluent, more middle to upper class, so everything from Dermot’s car to how we were dressed stood out, even if we weren’t trying.
Taking a slow sip of my drink, I let out a pleasurable sigh at the peppermint taste.
“You cold?” Dermot asked as I bounced slightly in anticipation.
“No,” I shook my head, “just eager for the match to start.”
Dermot nodded, his gaze still filled with curiosity and concern. I offered him a small smile as if I didn’t know what he was curious about. Luckily, I didn’t have to put it off for too long, because the teams were arriving, and I eagerly sat forward, looking for Sterling and Lincoln. I had been to several matches, and each time they seemed to get more attractive in those rugby uniforms. Although, unlike today, I rarely got to gawk because I was either with King or Yates.
My brow dipped, wondering where both of them were this morning. I didn’t have my phone, but it was odd that they hadn’t mentioned going and for them to decide to just not show up. I was tempted to ask Dermot if King had texted him, but I didn’t want to risk him telling King we were here. If he saw me, he would absolutely, one hundred percent, know something was wrong. He would push, and then Yates would demand, and I would miss the entire match before I knew what was happening.
“How long have they been playing?” Dermot asked curiously, leaning forward while tilting his head. I could see his interest in the game, and it made me happy to know he would enjoy himself.
“Forever, it feels like.” I flashed a smile. “But they went semi-pro at the start of the summer.”
Dermot nodded and then frowned. “So does that mean they will be traveling? I’m assuming that their season starts in September?”
“I think so. I know their schedule has some traveling games to the East Coast and then international,” I mused, wondering if they would let me go with. “The team they are going against today is just a university team. More for fun than anything.”
“You’re the only one with the right rugby jersey on,” he pointed out. I smiled smugly.
“That’s because I’m special,” I explained primly as Dermot barked out a laugh, drawing attention. I wasn’t lying, though—the twins had to pull some serious strings to get me this jersey, mostly because it wasn’t all that common practice to give them out pre-season. But since the team was so eager to have the twins on board? I now had one in my possession. I had a collection of several from high school, but those wouldn’t do.
Plus, this made me feel important to the twins. Something I was starting to think they really viewed me as. I just hoped it was on the same level that I viewed them on.
“Don’t worry, I’ll get you one,” I teased. Dermot let out a small hum of amusement as my eyes narrowed on the team finally making their way onto the pitch.
I was smiling the minute I saw the twins.
They were so damn handsome, it was truly unfair. Sterling’s hair was slightly damp from the misted air, and Lincoln was telling him something that made him laugh, his smile dangerous and really beautiful. I could practically hear the other women in the stands swooning, and I didn’t even blame them. Lincoln’s hair was messy and his contacts were in, leaving his stunning eyes completely uninhibited from my view as his gaze finally moved over to me. I waved, smiling, as Lincoln flashed me a smile and Sterling winked, tossing me an air kiss that legit had me blushing.
Ridiculous. He was way too cute and attractive for his own good. I loved how goofy and relaxed he seemed right now—it made my day that much better, if we were being honest. As the teams got ready for the match to begin, I looked back over to Dermot and froze, realizing his curious eyes were already on me.
“What?” I asked softly.
His eyes darkened slightly as he shook his head and looked back at the field. He didn’t look upset, exactly… Instead, he looked almost sad? Why would he be sad? Before I could stop myself, I leaned into him slightly, nudging him with my elbow as he looked down at me with a small smile.
It still wasn’t enough. I didn’t like seeing even a hint of gloom. It was funny how much others’ sadness bothered me when I struggled with it so often. The match was going to start soon, but I gave him something small, figuring he deserved it for helping me out today.