I lean toward Brendan. “You know, you don’t have to be so harsh with him. He was just saying hi.”
He doesn’t glance up from his tablet. “I wasn’t harsh. That’s my standard coaching demeanor with all the players.”
“That’syour normal coaching voice?” I stare at him. “Wow. I’m amazed they even talk to you voluntarily.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” He looks directly at me. “They understand it’s not personal.”
“I get that you’re a coach, but that doesn’t mean you have to be a jerk. You were their friend before you were Coach Marco.”
He shakes his head. “But this is how it is now. The other coaches expect it.”
“Do you ever just hang out with them?” I suggest, lifting a shoulder. “For fun?”
“No.” He hesitates, looking back at a spreadsheet on his iPad. “Not since I got promoted to assistant coach.”
“Maybe you should try it sometime. I think that’s why they tease you so much. They’re trying to get that stone face to crack a smile.”
“I am not stone-faced,” he argues.
I hold up my phone and snap a picture before he can school his face. “You want to argue against my evidence?” I turn the phone around as proof.
He stares at the picture, then returns to his tablet. “Okay, never mind.”
I pop in my earbuds and turn on the audiobook I started last week, hoping to drown out the conversations around me.
Yeah, he’s a good coach.He could even be agreatcoach someday.
As the bus pulls away from the arena and Brendan hovers overhis spreadsheets, I close my eyes. I’ve been burning the candle at both ends for months. I hadn’t realized how exhausted I was until the gentle motion of the bus lulls me to sleep. The last thing I’m aware of before I drift off completely is Brendan shifting slightly. Not away from me, but closer, like he’s making sure I won’t wake up with a crook in my neck.
I must be dreaming already.
It’s not until I hear the book’s epilogue finishing that I realize how long I’ve been asleep.
And that’s when I notice something warm and solid against my cheek.
My eyes flutter open and a tiny gasp escapes my lips. I’m leaning against Brendan’s shoulder. His defined, but surprisingly comfortable shoulder that only makes me want to snuggle against him more.
For a moment, I don’t move, trying to figure out how I got here. I guess I used him as a pillow, and instead of pushing me off, he let me stay here, curled into him.
I stir, slightly pulling away. “I didn’t mean to?—”
“It’s okay.” His voice is soft. “You were exhausted. I didn’t want to wake you up if you needed the sleep.”
I sit up and immediately miss the warmth of his shoulder. “How long was I out?”
“Over three hours.”
“Three hours?” I look around, disoriented. I haven’t taken a nap that long in forever.
“Yeah,” he says quietly. There’s a softness in his expression that makes my heart skip a beat.
And then, like someone flipped a switch, it’s gone, replaced with spreadsheets and Coach Marco’s stone face.
“So, did I miss anything?” I ask, pretending I don’t notice the change.
“Only Rourke telling inappropriate stories about his dating life before Janie.”
“Sounds like a fun time.” I smooth my hands over my hair,trying to fix whatever damage the nap caused. “I can’t believe I fell asleep on you. I’m so…” My gaze lands on his sleeve where I was sleeping.