Page 42 of Faking the Play

“Who’re we talkin’ ’bout?”

I sighed. I was fairly certain that voice belonged to that asshole player, Otto, who the guys had kicked out of the party at their place. We weren’t in their apartment now, unfortunately, which meant he was present. I really didn’t want to deal with him, so I stayed where I was for a few more minutes, listening to the four or five people in the hall discuss what I may or may not have been doing with my three friends. When they were finally gone, I quickly left, breathing a sigh of relief when I found myself relatively alone in the hall.

That relief didn’t last. I’d barely gone a few feet before someone came out of another room and stepped directly into my path.

“What do you want, Jason?” I asked. “We’ve already done this little dance. I’d rather just get back to—”

“Your date?” he cut in. “Or should I say ‘dates’? Because we both know you’re fucking all three of them.”

“Like I said, we already had this conversation.”

“Oh, but I was guessing before,” he said. “Now I’m sure. And you’re not even trying to hide it, are you?”

“I don’t have to listen to this.” I moved to go around him and he grabbed my arm.

“I think you should listen a little longer,” he said, his voice low and angry. “How else will you know what I want?”

I yanked my arm away. “Why should I give a damn what you want?”

“Because if you don’t give me what I want, I’ll make sure everyone knows you’re a fucking gold digger, going after three top NFL prospects, probably planning on trapping at least one of them into something.”

I gritted my teeth. “That’s a lie.”

He shrugged. “People believed other lies about you. I’m sure these ones will stick. At least enough to ruin you and your asshole boyfriends.”

“Why won’t you just leave me alone?” I asked, anger giving way to the sort of hurt I hadn’t thought he could inflict on me anymore.

“I’m gonna text you in a few days and let you know what I want,” he said. “There’ll be some money. Some work I’ll want you to do for me.” His eyes ran over me. “Maybe some other things. But whatever it is, you’re gonna give it to me, or your life will be done. No career. No prospects. No friends.”

And then he walked away like I was nothing.

My heart constricted painfully. I needed to go home. Now.

Chapter twenty-three

Ryan

“Fuck! I’m never going to get this!” I shoved my laptop away from me and stood up. I paced back and forth across the living room, fists opening and closing as I resisted the urge to punch a hole in something. “I’m just stupid. I never should’ve thought I could do this.”

“You’re not stupid!” Amelia snapped at me, getting to her feet and deliberately stepping in my path. “Don’t say that about yourself. I didn’t put up with it when we were kids and I’m sure as hell not going to put up with it now.”

I stopped a few inches from her, surprised that she held her ground without blinking. I was glad she wasn’t scared of me, but I wouldn’t blame her if she was. When I got pissed, I scared the shit out of pretty much everyone.

“Oh, yeah, I’m a real Einstein.” Sarcasm filled my words. “All I needed was a pep talk.”

She poked my chest hard enough to surprise me. It didn’t hurt me, but she winced. I suddenly wanted to take her hand and kiss each of her fingers until she forgot which one hurt.

“You don’t need a pep talk,” she argued. “There are plenty of scantily dressed cheerleaders who’d be all too willing to help lift your spirits.”

The jealousy that flashed across her eyes made my stomach flip and I had to force myself to pay attention to what she was saying.

“You need a kick in the ass.” She put her hands on her hips and glared up at me. “You may be bigger than me, but I remember everything you guys taught me about how to fight someone twice my size.”

I raised an eyebrow and managed not to laugh. “Really?”

She nodded. “If it’s a guy, kick or knee him in the nuts, and then when he bends over, grab his hair and slam his face into my knee.”

“Good memory,” I said. “I hope you like my nuts well enough that you wouldn’t want to damage them.”

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