Page 6 of Out of Bounds
Keeping his eyes downcast, he pauses.
Tick, tick, tick.
Several seconds go by before he breaks the silence.
“I got cut.”
I inhale sharply, sputtering on the overly sweet beverage. A few drops of liquid splatter onto my shirt and I swipe them quickly away. Cam says nothing, his jaw tense.
“Shoot. I’m real sorry, Cam. That sucks.”
“Yeah. It does.”
He sighs, his huge shoulders lifting then sinking, exhaling his despair. A decade ago, I would have reached for his hand, but the gesture feels clunky and awkward now, after all this time.
“Um—so what happens next?” I tuck my leg up under me, biting at my lip. “Do you get picked up by another team or something?”
He resumes the finger drumming. “Maybe. I had a tough season, didn’t make as many plays as I wanted.”
“Oh.”
“The coach said I have an attitude problem coupled with a bad reputation, whatever that’s supposed to mean. I may have told him to fuck off.”
“Wow, okay.”
Rule number one in football—never tell the coach to fuck off. That would get you ten laps, fifty pushups, and at least a one-game suspension from Coach Carter.
Cam lifts his head, staring straight at me. “That coach is kind of a dick. I do not have an attitude problem.”
I nod, noticing he didn’t mention the reputation part. But no need to poke the bear. What do I know, anyway? I wasn’t there and you can’t always trust everything you read in the tabloids.
“So what’s your plan? Do you go to some type of camp or something to get scouted?”
“Nah. My agent’s working on it. But he suggested I take some time off to ‘get back to basics.’”
“And that’s why you’re here, to see my dad.”
“Yep.”
Not to see me.
“So are you staying in town for the summer then?” I run my thumb up and down the smooth surface of myglass, wiping away the condensation and holding my breath for his response.
He shakes his head. “I don’t know. Maybe? My folks moved to Denver to be closer to my oldest sister and her kids. Everything’s kind of up in the air right now.”
“Right.” I bob my head in sympathy. “I know that feeling.”
“Are you visiting? Didn’t think you’d move back to Thunder Creek after college. I always figured you’d have some fancy corporate job, since you’re so smart.” He locks his eyes on mine and heat creeps up my neck.
Guess it’s my turn in the hot seat.
“Not visiting, exactly. I’m kind of between things at the moment myself—” My voice trails off as I kick around the most positive way to say I’m jobless, homeless, and newly unengaged.
“Guess that makes two of us, huh?” He shoots me a half-hearted smile and I go all gooey inside.
Get it together, Sloane. The guy just lost his career, his passion. Stop mooning over him like a lovesick highschooler.
“Yeah, guess so.” I swallow hard, my throat tight and dry in spite of the lemonade.