Had a Bromance with a Teammate

NEVER HAVE I EVER: HAD A BROMANCE WITH A TEAMMATE WILLOW DIXON This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, duplicated, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior written consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Editor: Tanja Ongkiehong Proofreader: Laura Fraser Cover Artist: Cate Ashwood This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this novel are fictitious and are products of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual events, or locales or persons, living or dead are entirely coincidental. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners. Copyright Willow Dixon © 2023 Created with Vellum CONTENTS 1. Matt 2. Jax 3. Matt 4. Jax 5. Matt 6. Jax 7. Matt 8. Jax 9. Matt 10. Jax 11. Matt 12. Jax 13. Matt 14. Jax 15. Matt 16. Jax 17. Matt 18. Jax 19. Matt 20. Matt 21. Jax 22. Jax 23. Matt 24. Jax 25. Matt 26. Jax Epilogue Books By Willow Dixon About Willow 1 MATT Knock knock knock. “It’s open.” “Quick question.” Alex peeked his head into my room. “If you’re here, who’s in the shower?” “Jax.” He smirked. “Another question. Does he have water at his place?” I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as he pushed the door to my room open and leaned against the doorjamb. My roommates constantly made fun of how much Jax was at our house. In fairness, he was here almost as much as I was, but I knew it was all in good fun. I’d lucked out when I’d applied to live in the house. I’d spent the last three years in the dorms. Mind you, I’d been in the jock house, so my accommodations had been better than those of the average student. Single room, private bathroom, and a double bed with extra floor space. It was a sweet deal. But I’d hated not having a break from my team and the whole sports culture on campus. I’d applied for shared housing last summer, and my roommates were awesome, especially considering the horror stories I’d heard about rooming with strangers. “You going to that party at Kappa?” I asked. “For a bit.” He brushed his dark hair back from his face. “Are you going to be around this weekend?” “Not until late Sunday.” Alex’s boyfriend had an apartment across town. He lived alone, so Alex spent most of his weekends over there, and Kai was a regular fixture at the house in the evenings. I liked both Alex and Kai, but it was weird having so many couples around. Beck and Finn, two of our other roommates, started hooking up at the start of the year and had finally admitted they were dating a few months ago. The funny thing was that I’d thought both Beck and Alex were straight, but it turned out they were bi. I didn’t care who my roommates hooked up with—guy, girl, whatever—but the constant sex noises from Beck and Finn, and Alex when Kai came over, were a reminder I hadn’t gotten laid in months. “Want to game for a bit when your better half stops using all our hot water?” Alex asked. “Sure.” “Cool. Meet you downstairs.” Alex closed the door. I was picking up my phone when it swung open, and Jax walked in. “Forgot your clothes again?” I asked. “Shut up.” “What the fuck is that?” I pointed to the tiny towel around his waist. The two ends barely met around his hips, and a massive gap in the material showed off most of his cut thigh. “The only towel you had in there.” He pulled it from his waist and rubbed it through his hair. Jax and I had been teammates and best friends for the past three years, ever since we met during hell week. We’d spent so much time in locker rooms together that seeing each other naked was just another day ending in y. “Someone stole the one I brought,” he added pointedly. “Not my fault.” I grinned as he wiped off his chest and arms. “You bring a huge fluffy towel over and think I’m going to leave it for you?” “It’s obvious you’re an only child.” He tossed the towel at me. I caught it with one hand before the wet terrycloth could hit me in the face. “What’s yours is mine, and what’s mine is mine.” I threw it back at him. He caught it and tossed it onto the pile of clothes that served as my hamper. “You’re a spoiled brat. You know that, right?” He tugged on a pair of boxer briefs. “Yup.” I blew him a kiss. His answering smile was filled with affection. Something in my chest fluttered. I turned my attention to my phone as Jax finished getting dressed. I didn’t understand why, but every once in a while, Jax would look at me a certain way, and a pleasant flush or a little flutter would move through me. Jax was my BFF, but he was also our team catcher. As the starting pitcher, I spent a fuckton of time with him on the field and during training. Our friendship outside of the team was the reason people called us the “dream team.” Well, the school press called us that, and our team did too because they thought it was hilarious. I would have preferred a less cliché nickname, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. “Want to game with Alex for a bit before we head out?” I asked when Jax was dressed. “I figured we’d pregame. Kappa is serving seltzer and light