Page 115 of Out of Bounds

He was talking about the five-day trip where the football team would leave campus and head off to a whole other state. Great. Part of me wanted to push for the weekend, it was so much sooner, but I couldn’t. Not with him so close.

“Fine.”

He nodded. “Good.”

As simple as that, it was done. I had a couple more weeks of being a football player’s girlfriend, and then the crowds would leave, and the weird questions from passerbyers about the size of Ryan’s dick could vanish into thin air. We’d both be better off. And I wouldn’t have to sit with this uncomfortable crush, like a sleeping paralysis demon at the edge of my bed.

Ryan pushed himself up to a standing position and held out his hand.

I took it and ignored the twinge in my chest. "You’re real good at that, by the way."

"Good at what?"

"Getting people rallied for the game." I drew my hand away from him and walked to the door, adding another couple of feet between us. "You’re a good team captain."

44

Ryan

Sixth Attempt

Almost losing Kassie put me in overdrive. It was so easy for her to say she needed to walk away, I couldn’t even imagine doing that. King’s words kept coming back to me. A constant reminder. I needed to show her I was invested for December. The more I thought about it, the more determined I became.

She was the first person I wanted to see when I woke up and the last person I thought about at two o'clock in the morning, staring up at the ceiling.

I needed something good to show her that the fake relationship was still worth it.

Withoutbuying her something.

Late Wednesday night, I pushed open the door toGianna’s. The place was crowded with people I’d never met before but I’d seen on Cleo’s danger board. A bunch of hockey playerscrammed in the left corner. A few of them raised eyebrows when they spotted me. I ignored them. I didn’t have time for a dick-measuring contest, there was more important shit to do.

Zariah bolted up from her chair when she spotted me. "Hey…Ryan."

"Hey." I held out the envelope, my gift for her party. "Congratulations on getting the resident assistant position. You earned it."

For some reason, Zariah gave the envelope a long look, full of reluctance.

"What is it?"

"I…uh…" She pressed her lips together. "So…um…everything’s good?"

"Yeah. Why wouldn’t it be?"

"I…didn’t know you were coming. Did…Kassie tell you…?"

I frowned. "You invited me three weeks ago."

"I did?" She nodded slowly. "I did. Yep. Good. Just…wanted to make sure…"

Before anyone else could take her attention, I slipped another item out of my coat pocket, a separate envelope that had nothing to do with the party. I tried to explain before one of the hockey players pulled her away. "Zariah, I need your help. You’re good with the arts and crafts shit and I want this to look nice for Kassie."

She winced. "Oh, Ryan…I don’t know."

"You’re the only one who can help me."

"Maybe that’s not such a good idea right now?" She ran a hand through her curls. "Shit, whereisKassie?"

"She’s at the design department, she didn’t want a ride," I said, with a weird pang in my chest. Before, we drove all over the place together, but Kassie started declining all the offers, one after another. I shook my head. "Please, Zariah, it’s important."

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