Page 16 of For Emery

“Flip Caruso.”

A few girls trailed him in, their fascination with the new QB written all over their excited faces. The chump pointed around the bar at different guys who pointed back at him.

What the fuck?

Caden was a hell of a QB and he never carried himself that way. His skills on the field spoke for him, not some over-the-top antics when he entered a room so everyone would know he was there like this clown.

“You want me to introduce you?” Abbott asked.

I turned back to him with disgust creeping into my body. “Nope.”

“You’re gonna have to meet him sooner or later.”

“Later.”

Abbott shrugged.

A hand landed on my back. I stilled. I couldn’t be held responsible for my actions if our first interaction ended with my fist in Flip’s face.

“Can’t a girl get a hello?”

My smile sprang free as I spun on my stool.

Sabrina stood there all blonde, hot, and sassy with her BFF Finlay by her side. Both their mouths dropped open as they took me in, their eyes about ready to burst from their sockets. “Holy shit,” Sabrina said.

“What’d you do with Grady?” Finlay’s dark waves whipped over her shoulder as she searched the bar around us.

I shrugged. “What? I lost some weight.” And worked my ass off doing it.

“You look freaking hotttttt,” Sabrina said.

I laughed, wishing she would’ve looked at me that way over the past two years. I was still the same guy who pushed Finlay’s buttons. The one who said stupid shit. The one who helped her get back together with her pro hockey player. “Same me. Freaking hot and amazing in the sack.”

“Yup,” Finlay said, rolling her eyes. “Same douchebag.” Finlay used to be the team’s water girl and was spending a couple days on campus with Sabrina before heading to nursing school in Florida where her boyfriend—my ex-quarterback Caden Brooks—had been drafted. Finlay didn’t love me, but after two years, I could tell I was growing on her.

“Are you Grady?” a guy asked from somewhere nearby.

I twisted to my right.

The new QB stood there eyeing me.

“Who’s asking?” I knew full well who the tool was.

“Flip Caruso.” He stuck out his fist for me to bump. “Your new quarterback.”

I stared at his fist, despising the way ‘your’ quarterback sounded coming out of his mouth. This guy was gonna have to earn his position. And my respect.

Realizing I wasn’t about to tap his fist, he dropped it and glanced to Sabrina and Finlay, his head shooting back and his features softening. “Hey girls. I don’t believe we’ve met.”

“Nope,” Sabrina said. “We don’t hang out with freshmen.”

That’s my girl.

“I may be a freshman, but I’m also the team’s new quarterback,” he assured her.

Sabrina hitched her thumb over her shoulder at Finlay. “Her boyfriend’s Caden Brooks.”

Finlay cocked her head. “Sorry if we’re not impressed by some college quarterback.”

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