OFF TRACK

6

SUMMER
NOVEMBER

"Hey, I need to stop by Alex's do you mind?" Ellie asks as she guides her car out of the grocery store parking lot.

They're officially boyfriend and girlfriend now, so she spends most nights at his apartment. I barely see her anymore outside of practice but she seems happy and that's all that really matters. Because if she wasn't Alex would have another thing coming for him.

We just got done with a four hour practice and went for a quick grocery run. All I want right now is to shower and to go to bed.

I groan, "Why? It's thirty minutes the opposite way!"

"I left one of my credit cards there," she sighs, "I need it for tomorrow."

"Fine," I turn into the back seat to pull out the bag of chips I just bought.

"Hey! No eating in the Mercedes!" Ellie squeals.

I ignore her, "You're literally kidnapping me."

"I'm literally not," she side eyes me, "It'll be a quick stop."

About forty minutes later, thanks to good ole LA traffic, we're finally pulling up to Alex's apartment complex.

"I'll be quick!" Ellie quickly undoes her seat belt and exits the car. I pick up my phone and scroll on it while I wait for her.

A few seconds later a knock on the window makes me jump away from the window. I turn to see Trevor laughing his ass off.

I roll down the window, "You asshole!" I punch him on the arm.

It's been a few weeks since his game, and our flirty night at the bar. That night we ended up chatting and laughing all night long, because James ran off with some blonde. Alex and Ellie were in their own world the whole night.

Then at the end of the night I thought he was gonna kiss me but he didn't, I was kind of disappointed.

Alex and Ellie were saying their goodbyes which left us standing as far away from them as possible, but he didn't make a move. He had been sending me flirty signals all night long but maybe I'm just so desperate I miss interpreted them.

Then there was also the hockey party Ellie and I went to. Ellie and Alex of course were off doing their own thing which had left me alone until Trevor took me under his wing and we ended up spent the night playing pong. We were a damn good team, we beat at least three sets of his own teammates.

"I didn't think you'd jump out of your seat," he's still laughing but trying to calm himself.

"It's dark out and a random man knocks on my window! That's terrifying!" I punch him again. 

"Stop hitting me!" He rubs his arm as if I actually hurt him. Which I know I didn't hit him that hard.

"Oh shut up! You're fine!" I glare at him.

"You're just a ray of sunshine, aren't you?" He teases me, leaning over so his arms are rested on the window frame.

"What do you want, Trevor?"

God, he is hot. His nose is a bit crooked from a few hockey fights, but it's cute. I feel the need to run my tongue along his jawline.

Snap out of it, Summer!

"Can't I just say hi? I saw Ellie heading up when I was on my way out," he shrugs.

"It's never just 'Hi' with you," I raise a brow at him.

"You're right," he sighs, "What are you doing next Saturday?"

"Uhm," I have to think about it, "We have a game Friday so I probably just work."

"Okay so my family's coming to visit and thanks to that dumbass upstairs, they now think I have a girlfriend," he sighs.

"Okay..."

"I didn't exactly tell them I don't. They heard Ellie laughing in the background of a call the other night and my mom really ran with it." He continues, "I didn't have the heart to tell her no so now they want to meet her when they're in town next week," he looks genuinely nervous and annoyed at the same time, "Will you come pretend to be my girlfriend?"

I can't help but laugh, "No, I'm not helping you lie to your family."

"Please," he's begging, "Just one day of faking it, then in a couple weeks I'll tell them we broke up."

"Why do you want this so much?" I can tell this means a lot to him, but I don't understand why.

He takes a deep breath, "My parents are great but they have this idea that if I don't find a girlfriend now, I never will. I've just never been a girlfriend guy."

"Never?"

"I've dated girls but it never got serious," he explains. It makes sense though, I don't know many college athletes with serious girlfriends. Off the top of my head, Alex is the only one so can think of.

I don't know why but I agree to help him, "Where do I need to be when?"

"I'll pick you up next Saturday at five am."

"Five am?" I cut him off, "What the hell are we doing?"

"Golfing. Dad's a big golf guy."

"Five am? To golf?" I'm still in shock because how the hell can that be fun?

"Well we'll actually start at six and be done by noon," he says as if it's nothing.

"Why the hell is golf six hours long?"

"We'll be done on the course by ten but then we'll grab lunch somewhere."

"God," I let my head fall back onto the head rest, "What did I sign up for?"

"Oh c'mon on, Sunshine," he reaches for my face, but I pull away.

"Don't call me that," I glare at him.

"I like it," he smiles.

"I don't care," I snap. He started calling me that last time I saw him. I don't know why or when he came up with it but now it's stuck.

"Why are you torturing my friend, St. Claire?" Ellie's playful voice makes him stand up.

"I'm just saying hi," he answers before bending back over to see me, "I'll text you about Saturday."

"You don't have my number."

"Here," he hands me his unlocked phone. I hold it, I could click any button on that screen and probably learn every little detail about him. But I don't, I just add my name and number to his phone.

"Thank you," he stands back up, waving at Ellie, "Goodnight ladies!"

A second later Ellie lowers herself into the car, "What was that about?"

"Nothing, but see! This is what I was saying I can't escape him so I can't sleep with him!"

"Oh whatever!" Ellie starts to reverse the car and we're finally heading home.