Page 15 of Faking the Play

“Before Ethan sticks his foot any further into his mouth,” Ryan interrupted, “what he means is that we’re going to help you get comfortable being around and talking to guys.”

“I can’t ask you guys to do any of that for me,” I said. “I know we used to be really good friends, and I hope we’re on our way to being that again, but it’s one thing to be there for me when I’m in the middle of a crisis and something else entirely to pretend to date me. You guys have your own social lives and I don’t—”

“You haven’t heard what we want from you,” Logan smoothly interjected.

For a brief moment, I had the strangest, most erotic image in my mind of me “serving” the guys on my knees.

“We have to keep our grades up,” he continued. “Not only to graduate, but we have to stay eligible. We had scouts looking at us last year, but we need them to see us this year too if we want to get drafted.”

“So the plan is to play in the NBA?” The looks of horror on their faces were everything I could’ve hoped for. I managed to keep a straight face for half a minute before bursting out laughing. “I’m not that bad, guys. Not only do I know that it’s the NFL, I have actually been paying some attention to the team over the last four years.”

I didn’t tell them that I’d actually been just watching them. Things were going too well to mess it up by being creepy.

“Seriously though,” Logan said after we all stopped laughing. “We probably would’ve ended up getting a tutor at some point, so we might as well get the smartest person we know to help us right away, and then we won’t fall behind at all.”

Just like when we were kids, none of us brought up that Ryan would need the most help. It’d just work out that way and we’d never talk about it.

“Okay,” I said, “but we need to have rules about this dating thing.”

“Like what?” Ethan asked. “Because I want clothing-optional dates.”

I rolled my eyes. “Like no presents or going to fancy places. And I pay my own way.”

As the four of us debated various points, I couldn’t help the thrill of excitement that grew alongside my hope. I was going to do this, and maybe it could help fix things.

Chapter nine

Amelia

The rest of the week hadn’t been great, but I had tonight to look forward to, so I’d gotten through it. Now, as I waited for Ryan to pick me up, I was torn between anxiety about Megan showing up before I left and a whole different kind of anxiety about going on a date with Ryan Thompson. One of my childhood best friends…who was now one of Colorado State University’s hottest bachelors.

“Stop freaking yourself out,” I whispered as I checked my dress for the millionth time, as if I was worried that it might morph from a cute little blue sundress with white daises into something hideous.

The knock at my door made me jump and let out an embarrassing squeak. My hands fluttered as I rushed over and yanked the door open…then stood, gaping at Ryan like an idiot.

“Are—am I early?” Ryan glanced around. “Is something wrong?”

I snapped my jaw shut and shook my head. “No. Sorry. You look really nice.”

He smiled, and it was the soft, sweet smile that I remembered from when we were kids. “Thank you. And so do you.” He chuckled, a low rumble that was definitelynotwhat he sounded like when we were kids. “Actually, that’s not true. You look fucking amazing.”

I blushed and grabbed for my purse, needing to do something with my hands. “Thank you. And you’re right on time.”

“Good.” He held out his hand. “I thought we’d start simple. A movie and then dinner. I was thinking maybe that new action flick with the Hemsworth brothers.”

“Hot Australians blowing things up? Yes, please.” I took his hand, warmth curling in my stomach as I threaded my fingers between his.

The two of us had gotten quite a few looks every time we were seen together on campus over the past week, but nothing compared to the shock on people’s faces when they saw us dressed up and holding hands, without a textbook in sight. The four of us had already discussed how we wanted to handle the attention we were sure to receive when we were spotted, so that was what Ryan and I did now. We ignored everyone but each other.

“Do you remember finding out that Gale fromThe Hunger Gamesand Thor were brothers?” Ryan asked.

I laughed as the memory came to me. “I tried to convince Mr. Yardley to let me do my science project on family genetics and use them as an illustration of shared and different physical characteristics.”

“I think that’s when we all realized just how much smarter than everyone else you were,” Ryan said.

“You guys might’ve thought that, but Mr. Yardley was convinced that I’d stolen it from a high schooler.” I shook my head. “He actually asked Mrs. Carney which of her students was doing a project on genetics.”

“Didn’t she twist it around on him and made him sound like he thought a girl couldn’t come up with something like that?”

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