Page 5 of The Quarterback Sneak

Passionate. Sweaty. Hot sex.

Nothing like us or the mechanical missionary we tried out a couple of years ago. He’d always finish first, leaving me halfway there with nowhere to go.

Bet he even went down on McKenna too.

Ugh.I throw my head back against the car seat again, banging it in a steady rhythm this time. I can’t believe I actually thought Jamie and I were in love. I was trying so hard, but he was just pacifying our parents. He pretended to love me because that’s what he thought he needed to do to keep on his dad’s good side.

“You know what? I think it’s a Ryan Gosling kind of night.” Olivia’s hand clutches my palm. “Come to my house, and we can ugly cry the whole time. I’ll get some ice cream, and we’ll go all out. Calories be damned.”

I hear the smile in her voice and give her hand a squeeze before lolling my head to look at my overeager friend in the eyes. Sunglasses still cover mine, thankfully, masking the tears threatening to spill. “I can’t.” I can hardly get the words out.

“Why not? Has Ryan Gosling ever let you down?” She squeezes my hand back.

I offer her a half-hearted smile. I’ve lost my boyfriend and reputation all in one day, and here she is, thinking an actor can make me feel better. Did she forget the bittersweet ending ofLa La Land?

“I can’t. I’ve got my etiquette classes tonight.”

“Screw that. You’ve just had your heart shoved in a blender and you’re worried about which fork goes where?!”

“I’m not, but if I’m late, you know my mom will own my ass.”

She’s quiet for once, knowing that I’m right. Controlling is an understatement when it comes to my parents. They tell me what to say, what to do, and even how to dress. I’m the girl with moremoney than I’ll need in a lifetime yet have no freedom because of the constraints it wraps around me.

“At least the debutante ball isn’t until after the new year. That’s more than enough time to find a new date for it.”

I close my eyes and press my lips together, dying slightly inside. Does Olivia have the worst case of foot-in-mouth syndrome today? I don’t want to think about that right now. Jamie’s dad will probably somehow still force him to take me, which would be even worse than going solo.

“Sadly, I don’t think my mom will look at it like that.” No, she’ll think I brought this on myself for not being good enough. She will probably blame the fact I got a B on my history report last month for Jamie’s indiscretions instead of seeing it for what it is. Jamie has just never been that interested in me. The sting of that thought radiates through my spine, but I had to admit it sooner or later.

Olivia gasps, bringing her hand to her mouth, and I look up.

Well, I didn’t think my heart could break anymore, but apparently, it can. Jamie’s right there, skipping down the steps hand in hand with McKenna. Her glossy dark hair flows in the wind, and the smug smile on her face as she takes my place makes my body deflate. I can’t hear anything except the erratic beating of my heart as my ex-boyfriend walks away from me as though I never existed.

What did I do to make him turn on me like this? To toss me aside like I’m nothing but an old skid-marked jock strap?

He hasn’t even looked at me since the video was shared on social media. Didn’t talk to me in English when I sat there staring at the back of his head, willing him to acknowledge that because of him, all eyes were on me. The whispers were more like taunts, and he pretended to be oblivious to all of it, acting like it was any other day. I had to hold my own hand under thedesk and swallow the little pride I had left to get through the class without crying.

Sighing, I turn on the engine of my car. “Come on, I need to get home before my mom calls.”

Before Olivia lets go of my knee, she quietly says, “It will get better. I promise.” I offer her a small smile and start to drive. Today can’t end fast enough.

After twenty minutes of silence, then dropping Olivia off, I pull up to the Sanderson estate. I wish it was only a mansion, but with the extra fifteen acres we own around it, a vineyard, and stables, it’s not exactly that simple. How can twenty-seven rooms full of so much stuff feel so empty? Beautiful architecture and brilliant design make the place feel more like a living museum than a home. I wonder if that’s how the King of England feels when he walks around Windsor Castle. People would beg for the life I have, but as I sit here in my Pepto Bismol car, I can’t help but feel sorry for myself.

I didn’t ask for any of this and hate that my life has been planned through every intricate detail. My school, my hobbies, my hair color, my makeup. Hell, I was told I was marrying Jamie before I even knew what a boyfriend was. We were supposed to be inevitable. The endgame to end all endgames. Joining Sanderson and Nicks not only in a legal partnership but in blood. Although, with my luck, our fathers will probably still make us do it and expect me to consider myself lucky that Jamie only cheats on me with his secretary or some stupid shit like that.

“Hunniford!” My mother taps urgently against the glass, startling me. “What are you still doing out here? Ms. Rosen is inside waiting for you.”

Despite the tapping splitting my already aching head, at least she hadn’t started her conversation by mentioning Jamie. Thatmeans the video hasn’t reached her friends at the golf club yet, and I might get out of talking to her about it today.

I push my sunglasses up my nose one last time before grabbing my purse and opening the car door. “Sorry, Mom. My history teacher wanted to talk over an assignment with me.” It was a lie, but that’s something I’m used to doing with her. It’s the only way to survive in the Sanderson household.

Why have an ugly truth when a beautiful lie will do?

Walking past my mother in her impeccable white pantsuit, her heels click against the marble floor as she tried to keep up with me. “Hunniford, did you roll up your skirt? Your thighs are jiggling.”

“No, Mom. Just getting fat.” I grit the last part out under my breath.

“Well, we’ll need to get you a size larger until you’ve worked that weight off.” I roll my eyes, clenching my fists tight because the pain of my perfectly manicured nails digging into my skin makes dealing with her that much easier.

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