Tonight was a total shit show. We almost lost to the fucking Panthers our first near loss of the season, and to a team, we could've easily destroyed in our sleep.

Thank God we pulled it together in the second half and won the game. Although it's not a win we're celebrating especially after Coach Milton chewed us out about our nightmare performance out on the field tonight.

It was hands down our worst game of the season. I don't know what the fuck happened to the team that's been dominating this season. Playing the best we've ever played but instead tonight we looked like a bunch of fumbling idiots out on that field.

I can't help but shoulder some of the blame because my head wasn't in the game tonight.

My head's been fucked since Gen texted me earlier to say she couldn't make it to my game. That's it no explanation. I don't know I just felt off about the whole thing because Gen's not the type to flake out on something.

So I called her after I got her text but the call when straight to voicemail only raising my suspicion.

Something was wrong.

I was distracted and I let it affect my game. And that's something I never let happen.

And it wasn't just me, Nate also played like shit tonight. I assumed it has something to do with Mia he's been in a shit mood since he arrived earlier.

He stormed into the locker room, anger rolling off him in waves. Nate is normally pretty even-tempered but he has his moments. He left like ten minutes ago in an even shitter mood than before.

"Heyward, you coming with us to Mitchell's?" Lucas shouted from the other end of the locker room pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Nah I'll pass," I told him pulling my t-shirt, followed by my hoodie over my head.

"Bro since when do you pass up an opportunity to go to Mitchell's?" Cooper Monroe our team's kicker chimed in. And he was right a month ago I would've gone with guys drink a couple of beers and fucked some random girl against the bathroom wall.

But in the month since Gen and I have been hanging out, I've been spending whatever little free time I had with her.

"Since today," I shrugged.

"You know come to think of it I've rarely seen you at any parties or Mitchell's in a while," another teammate said.

"That's because he's always hanging out with Gen," Lucas said wearing a shit-eating grin that I wanted to knock off his face. "Some of you remember Gen right she's Nate's girl, fine as fuck roommate."

I going to kill him, fucking Lucas can never keep his mouth shut.

Several heads swiveled in my direction Lucas's statement. I saw some of their eyes flash with recognition.

"Nice, you're fucking her?" Levi Anderson piped up looking over at me as he dried his blonde hair with a towel.

Levi was an asshole, I mean we all can be an asshole at times, but out of all my teammates, Levi was the one I disliked the most.

A smug smirk formed at the edge of his lips.

"Maybe when you're done with her you can pass her onto me so I can have a taste."

Maybe it was the stress of the game or Gen not answering my calls that added to the fact that I couldn't stand the way he was talking about her. But before I could stop myself I launched at him anger flooding through my veins as I slammed him into the lockers.

"You better watch your fucking mouth, Anderson," I snarled.

Levi lifted his hands in the air his eyes widen in shock. "What the hell, man I was just fucking around."

Hands grip my shoulders pulling me away from him. "Hey chill, dude he's not worth it," Lucas told me before he dropped his hands from my shoulders.

Ignoring the stares of my teammates. I grabbed my stuff and walked out of the locker room.

~~~~~~~

Fifteen minutes later I was standing on Gen's tiny porch, lifting my hand I rang the doorbell and waited but no one answered.

I knew she was home because her car was parked in the driveway. So I rang the doorbell again.

"Coming," Gen shouted on the other side of the door I heard some shuffling before the door flew open.

"Brooks," she whispered. "I thought you had a game." Her hair fell in a mass of wild curls over her shoulders and down her back. I dragged my gaze over the smooth expanse of her skin that was exposed in her cropped sweater down to her long, shapely legs that were mostly bare in the shorts she wore.

"I did but it's over now," I said as my blue eyes locked with her blue-green ones. My eyes narrowed as I zeroed in on her puffy red-rimmed eyes. At a closer inspection, I noticed the slight blotchiness of her face like she'd been crying for hours.

"Were you crying? You look terrible?" I asked my brows pulling down in concern.

She rolled her eyes as a snort fell from her lips. "You say the sweetest things you know that?" she said wryly as she moved aside and gestured for me and inside.

She walked off in direction of the living room leaving me standing in the foyer. I closed the door behind me and followed her taking a seat next to her on the couch.

"What's wrong with your phone I tried calling twice." I position myself so that I was facing her. "I was worried."

She finally looked at me since I sat down her eyes remorseful. "I switched off my phone I didn't want to talk to anyone, I'm sorry if I worried you."

"What's going on Gen, first you text me last minute that can't come to my game with no explanation, then you switch off your phone, and now I come here and you look like you've been crying for hours."

She huffed. "You don't give up do you?"

I didn't respond because she already knew the answer.

She blew out an exasperated breath. "Did Nate tell you he broke things off with Mia tonight?"

"No," I frowned confused at her sudden change in topic but also shocked at her statement.

Well, that explained why he was in such a shitty mood earlier. I figured he and Mia had a fight that's why he was acting the way he was but I didn't expect him to break things off with her.

A thought popped into my head. "He asked her to his parent's anniversary party didn't he?" I asked although I already knew the answer.

Gen nodded. "When she came home we had a massive fight, she said some pretty hurtful stuff," her breath hitched at the end as she swallowed hard.

She didn't tell me what they fought over and I didn't ask.

"What about you?" she forced a smile. "Please tell me your night was better than mine. I didn't think to ask if you guys won the game or not," she said changing the subject. She obviously didn't want to talk about her fight with Mia so I didn't push her.

"Yeah, we won," I sighed. "But barely and coach wasn't happy."

"I know what we need," Gen said as she stood. "I'll be right back," she mumbled before she walked off disappearing down the hall.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket contemplating whether to text Nate or not. Deciding against it I rest my phone next to me on the couch. I'll just talk to him when I get home and give him some time to cool off.

I looked up as Gen returned with a bottle of tequila in her hand.

"Tequila?" I questioned with a lifted brow.

"Yup," she replied retaking her seat on the couch. "We both had a shitty night and I don't know about you but I could really use this."

"I have to drive home," I reminded her.

"You can crash in the spare room, it's my sewing room but it has a bed," she explained. "So what do you say, you're not going to let me drink alone are you?" she waved the bottle in my face as if to tempt me.

"You're a bad influence but I'm down." I smiled at her. "But let's order a pizza first because I'm starving."

"Done, I already ordered one while I was in the kitchen I know how hungry you are after a game."

I threw my arm around her slim shoulder pulling her to my side, eliciting a squeal from her in return. "You're the best," I told her before pressing a soft kiss on her cheek.

Her breath hitched softly when my lips made contact with her skin. Pulling back, I looked down at her our faces were so close I could easily bridge the gap between us. Crossing a line in our friendship I wasn't sure we should cross.

"I'm glad you're here," she whispered breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Me too," I responded.

And I was, my night didn't have the best start. But now sitting on Gen's couch with her in my arms, my night was looking up.

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Thank you for reading this new chapter hope you guys enjoyed it. 😊