Page 10 of Undeniable Love

“You’ll have to show me around Nashville then.”

Her smile was sparkling. Almost daring. “You got it, hotshot.”

Her friend Hailey was down at the end of the table, talking to Dalton. “How about your friend? She has a boyfriend, right?”

“She hasn’t asked. I won’t give my opinion.”

“Really?”

As if she knew we were talking about her, Hailey smiled our way. “You talking about me?”

“Tuevo here wants to know what I think about you and Darrick.”

“Oh no.” Hailey started shaking her head and waving her hands. “I’m totally off-limits.”

“Why’s that?” Who wouldn’t want to know if they’d be happy forever with who they were seeing?

Except for me, of course.

Hailey grinned. “Takes the fun out of living, I guess.”

Next to me, Meredith chuckled.

I grinned at her. “Are you going to apologize for ruining the fun of me living my life?”

“Not a chance in hell.” Hailey went back to her conversation with Dalton, ignoring us, and Meredith leaned in closer. “Between you and me? He’s going to break her heart. And when he does, I’ll be there without a single I knew it coming from my mouth.”

“You don’t want to protect her?” That had to be breaking some kind of girl code.

“If she wants my opinion, I’ll give it, but I’m not in the business of breaking hearts. But to be honest, I’ve always pictured her with someone different. Someone rugged. A football player or something. I don’t know. I guess we’ll see.” Something snagged her attention and I turned to see. The three girls with the lone guy at the table were pushing off their stools. “And if you’ll excuse me, I’m also going to prove how right I am.”

She yelled Hailey’s name, and they went off, following the three girls to the restroom.

Caleb’s hand landed on my shoulder. “You in love with her yet?”

“Fuck off.” I shoved him, but my words lacked heat.

She was hot. She was something different. She’d clearly be unimpressed with the fact I was some NHL player given her family. She was everything I’d want if I was looking for someone or something serious.

CHAPTER 5

Meredith

“This is reaching a new level of delusion,” Hailey muttered as we stood outside the bathroom in line. The girls from the table, with the cheater, had just gone inside, but it was so packed we couldn’t cram into the space with them. “You’ve always laughed this off.”

“I know, and maybe I’m wrong about Tuevo, but I guess I want him to trust me.”

“And what? Whisk you to the courthouse tomorrow for a marriage license?”

“No. We can wait six months.”

Hailey and I laughed, and I was joking. Also, I kinda wasn’t. The moment Caleb had introduced me to his new roommate and teammate, my crush had immediately formed. Now it all made sense. I dated. I’d even had a few boyfriends, knowing they wouldn’t go anywhere. I was twenty-one years old. I hadn’t wanted anything serious. Besides, there was fun in dating to date and get to know people. Until the moment I saw Tuevo in person, I’d doubted I’d really be able to tell if someone was meant for me or not. And it wasn’t like I was batting a thousand. But I was right more than I was wrong.

Tuevo, though? Every time Caleb talked about him, I had to fight a blush. Every time he peeked his head into our FaceTime calls, I pressed my thighs together. Perhaps my initial reaction to seeing him earlier shouldn’t have surprised me, but I hadn’t expected for it to hit me so hard I’d swayed on my feet.

The door to the bathroom opened and we squeezed in after two girls walked out. I immediately pulled out my phone, pressed the record button on audio, and pretended to use my phone screen as a mirror to reapply my lipstick.

Hailey whispered, “I don’t even have to pee.” And then quickly quieted as her phone buzzed in her hand.

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