Chapter 105

“Just a little bit of touching… You’re too irresistible not to want to touch.” It’s a wink, a return of playful, and yet my heart plummets.

Don’t go there, Alexi, please. I don’t want to fight again.

I mentally will him not to go down this route and push his hand away as he smiles my way.

“Did you have some sort of personality transplant when I was gone?” I scold him, half-serious and deflating inside, knowing that this was a dumb invitation to accept. There’s too much between us that comes out whenever we are left alone, and I don’t think we should try to build camaraderie outside of the club if this is anything to go by. History means there is so much tension and resentment in the silence that neither of us wants to air. I’m not a great communicator, and he seems to want to avoid the before also.

“Maybe I had a wake-up call… in more ways than one.”

“Because your club went down the shitter, and you realised you might need me?” It comes out impulsively.