“I don’t know, I think he’s acting different,” Karson said and Lucas nodded.

“Yeah, something is up. I just can’t decide what it could be.”

Lucy.

It was all Lucy.

Or at least, he thought so. He had never felt happier in the last twelve years than he did now. When he wasn’t playing or practicing, he and Lucy were texting or FaceTiming. She was adorable and funny, and he could tell she was hesitant. But, he knew she was slowly getting comfortable with him. She had been so stressed lately, and he hated that. He wanted to fix it, but she wouldn’t let him. She was independent, and that was one of the things he liked so much about her.

She didn’t need anyone.

But the fact that she wanted him somehow meant more.

“Wait, are you dating someone? You getting laid, bro?” Vaughn razzed as he came up behind Benji, shaking him by his shoulders as everyone cut up. “Did our little boy finally lose his virginity?”

That rewarded him with a round of guffaws since everyone knew Benji wasn’t really good with the ladies. Well, he used to not be good with the ladies. Now, he was good. Real good—with one lady. But before, being on a team with thirty guys, it was unheard of that one of them wasn’t getting laid. And of course, all of them had advice. It ranged from hiring a hooker to sleeping with one of their relatives. Everyone had a single sister or cousin or mother. The last always made him cringe. But Benji didn’t have to worry about that anymore. He was talking to the queen of women and it felt good. Real fucking good. Still, though, the guilt was there, but he was trying to get over that. He had to get over that. Or it could have the potential to ruin a damn good thing.

And that couldn’t happen.

No. Lucy and Angie were special, and he refused to hurt them.

He couldn’t.

“Aw, look, our little boy is blushing,” someone said. He thought it was Vaughn, and he just rolled his eyes.

“Oh, shut it,” he laughed, but they didn’t, razzing him to the extreme. But Benji just laughed them off.

He enjoyed it.

He felt like one of them.

It was well past his bedtime, but he was still downstairs with the boys when his phone vibrated in his pocket. Surprised and a little confused, he pulled his phone out to see it was from Lucy. A little grin sat on his lips as he hit her message.

Lucy: You awake?

Benji: Yes, surprisingly. I’m down at the bar with the guys. Hanging out.

Lucy: Oh. Well, call me in the morning.

Lucy: Sorry to bug ya.

Benji: Please. I’ve been thinking about you and you never bug me. What’s up?

Lucy: :) Been thinking about me, huh?

Benji: Yeah, it happens a lot.

Lucy: Well. What about?

Benji: It would take me an hour to text you everything I think about, so how about I call you when I get back up to the room?

Lucy: Boo. I’m about to go to bed. Angie is sleeping with me tonight. She doesn’t like the other room.

Benji: She okay?

Lucy: Yeah, something about the closet. It does look sketchy, but Jayden said he’ll fix it when he gets home.

Benji: Okay, well then, can I call you in the morning?

Lucy: Yeah, I’d like that.

Benji: Me too.

Benji: Goodnight, gorgeous.

Lucy: Night <3

“Aw, are you texting her? Who is she?” Vaughn joked and Benji hid his phone as everyone laughed.

“Get away from me,” Benji laughed, tucking his phone into his pocket and rolling his eyes. When Jayden got up to go to the bar to order some food, Benji watched him and wondered if he should follow him. He had wanted to talk to him since they left for the trip, but he hadn’t had the right moment. Or had the balls to do it. He respected Jayden and knew how much Lucy meant to him. He kind of wanted to be the one to tell him. Man-to-man. But he didn’t want to piss Lucy off by saying something to Jayden. He just didn’t feel right about not saying anything, though. They were kind of in a relationship, weren’t they? He wasn’t sure—that was probably something he should verify with Lucy—but he still felt like he was hiding something and he didn’t like that.

Getting up, he moved past Vaughn as he told a story of himself and a set of triplets. It was a very interesting story, but Benji wanted to talk to Jayden. Plus, he had heard it three times. It was one of Vaughn’s highlights.

Moving across the bar, a girl stopped him.

“Hey, aren’t you Benji Paxton?”

He paused, looking around, confused. “Me?”

“Yeah,” she giggled, her friends looking at him like a piece of meat.

What in the hell?

“Um, yeah, that’s me.”

“I didn’t know you wore glasses—very Clark Kent,” she said. Any other day, he would have said she was hot, especially with her Clark Kent reference, but she wasn’t Lucy.

“Yeah, I can’t see without my contacts,” he said, and then he tapped the table. “Sorry, but I’m meeting my buddy. You ladies have a nice night.”

He went to walk away, but the blonde said, “Maybe with you?”

He looked back, his eyes wide, and then he chuckled.

Figured. He started to talk to someone, and now he was apparently attractive to women.

Whatever.

Waving at her, of course, in the most awkward way possible, he went to the bar where Jayden was. He’d seen the whole thing and was laughing.

“Dude, she wanted the D. Shit. I just sound like my little brother.”

Benji scoffed. “Yeah, no.”