Chapter 7: Options (Kalia’s POV)
978 Words
“Wow… you look beautiful,” Justin said, his eyes lingering on me as if he couldn’t look away. “Ready to go?”
“You clean up pretty well yourself,” I teased, winking at him. “Yeah, I’m ready. I still can’t believe you actually came all the way down here.”
“Thank Coach O’Donald,” he said with a grin. “I think he knows I can’t stay away from you for too long.”
His smile softened as he looked at me, hopeful for just a second before letting out a quiet sigh.
He knew the rules.
My dad would lose his mind if anything ever happened between us, and I refused to be the reason Justin lost his place with the Minnesota Storm.
“You know who asked me about you the other day?” he asked.
“Please don’t tell me,” I groaned, already feeling my face heat up.
“Christian. The love of your life.”
I laughed so hard I nearly snorted.
“Justin, please. He wishes he had a chance with me.”
“Hey, that’s not his fault. Nobody told you to be this beautiful and charismatic,” he said dramatically. “I still remember when he came sprinting into the locker room talking about how you accidentally touched his arm and that obviously meant you were in love with him.”
I buried my face in my hands.
“Then the very next day,” Justin continued between laughs, “he showed up with an engagement ring and asked your dad for permission to marry you.”
“Oh my God.”
“If you could’ve seen your dad’s face…” Justin shook his head. “I swear he was two seconds away from committing a felony.”
We both burst out laughing as we made our way to The Vault, a steakhouse not too far from campus.
Dinner was exactly what I needed.
Good food. Good company. Old memories.
For a few hours, it felt like nothing had changed.
Eventually, Justin leaned back in his chair and gave me a knowing look.
“So what’s going on with you and Bryce?”
“Nothing,” I said a little too quickly.
His eyebrow lifted.
“Okay… maybe not nothing,” I admitted. “I really like him. The problem is he thinks love is overrated. Every time things start feeling real, he pulls back. There’s just too much uncertainty.”
Justin nodded slowly.
“Yeah, I get that.”
His eyes met mine, and suddenly the playful mood disappeared.
“You deserve so much better anyway.”
There was something in the way he said it that made my chest ache.
“I wish…” he started before stopping himself.
“I know, Justin,” I said quietly.
I know.
Truthfully, Justin was the first person I ever loved after finding my ex-boyfriend and my ex-best friend together.
He was the first person who truly saw me.
The first person who understood me.
Loving him came as naturally as breathing.
The hardest part was pretending I didn’t.
Because no matter how badly we wanted it, being together was forbidden.
Justin stared down at his drink before finally speaking.
“Look, I’d hate seeing you happy with someone else because, if we’re being honest, I think it should be me making you happy.”
The words hit harder than I wanted them to.
“But Bryce…” He sighed. “Bryce has some things he needs to work through. I can see it, though. He’s falling for you.”
I looked away, suddenly unable to meet his eyes.
“Just be patient with him,” Justin continued. “Be his friend first. Let him figure things out. It’ll take you two a lot further than trying to force it.”
He tried to sound supportive, but I could hear the heartbreak underneath every word.
And somehow that made it worse.
Because if our situation were reversed, I would’ve been dying inside giving that advice too.
Part of me always imagined some future where Justin retired, where the rules disappeared, where we’d finally get our chance.
Both of us realized some dreams aren’t meant to wait forever.
Maybe in another life, babe.
“I know this is hard,” I said softly before forcing a smile. “But thanks for the completely unsolicited relationship advice.”
I nudged his shoulder.
“You’re only here until tomorrow. We have to make the most of it.”
“Fair enough,” he laughed.
As dinner wrapped up, my phone buzzed.
Bryce: What do y’all have planned after dinner?
A smile instantly found its way onto my face.
Kalia: I don’t know. Why don’t you join us? Be our tour guide.
Bryce: Bet. Where y’all at?
Kalia: The Vault.
Bryce: OTW.
I looked up from my phone.
“So… Bryce offered to be our tour guide tonight.”
The second the words left my mouth, I realized I probably should’ve asked first.
“Oh my God. I’m sorry. I should’ve checked with you before inviting him.”
Justin waved me off immediately.
“All good. Bryce is a cool dude.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah.” He smiled. “Besides, it’ll give me a chance to make sure he’s actually good enough for you.”
I rolled my eyes.
Trying way too hard to play it cool.
That’s what Justin always did.
And somehow, that made me love him even more.
When we stepped outside, Bryce was already waiting.
Leaning casually against his truck.
That goofy, lopsided grin spread across his face the second he saw me.
The same smile that made me fall for him the first time we met.
And judging by the way my heart immediately betrayed me, it still had the same effect.
- Writer
