Page 93 of End Game

“Exactly,” I tell him. “Just—watch out.”

“Hey, let’s get the fuck out of here and head out to the field,” Gav calls. They all fall into line, and he leads the team out of the locker room, leaving me and Dollar alone with Coop lingering nearby. Ready to break us up if needed.

“Portia provoked me,” I start, but Frank interrupts me.

“Nah, dude. You started that mess Saturday night, and now I’m the one who’s gotta clean it up. I think she’s still hung up on you.” Dollar sounds absolutely miserable, making that confession.

I’m confused. “Then why are you trying to get with her? She’s just playing your ass—”

“It’s so easy for you,” he says, interrupting me again. “You can have any woman just by snapping your fingers, while I’m over here trying to do everything possible to get a girl to just pay attention to my ass at least once. I’d treat them like gold if they gave me the chance, and you discard them like trash every single time. You don’t know how good you’ve got it.”

I open my mouth, ready to defend myself, to give him tips on how to not be such a little bitch boy all the time, but he keeps talking.

“I liked Everleigh. A lot. But I never had a chance because of you.” It’s Dollar’s turn to shove at me, and I go stumbling backward, unprepared for the force of his strength. “You’re such a lucky fucker, and the worst part of it all is you’re not even aware of it. That’s just your life. It’s like nothing ever touches you, and I have to say—I hate you for it.”

Dollar stomps out of the locker room before I can respond, the door slamming so hard I flinch. My gaze goes to Coop, who’s got his foot on a bench in front of him, tying his shoe.

“He’s not wrong” is all Coop says to me.

Jesus, I cannot win with anyone lately. “What the fuck, Coop? Can’t you be on my side for once?”

“I’m always on your side. I defend you to everyone, especially Dollar. That poor guy, he just wants a shot. He’ll take whatever scraps he can get.”

“Like Portia,” I mutter.

“Like Portia,” Coop confirms. “He did like Ever. He told me so the first night she moved in.”

“And what did you tell him in response?”

“I told him it was a bad idea, just like I told you. Just like I keep telling you.” The pointed look Coop sends me lets me know he’s onto my bullshit.

“Well, you’d be happy to know she rejected my ass once and for all and hasn’t talked to me since. I haven’t seen her since she ran out of my bedroom yesterday afternoon.” I rest one hand on my hip, running the other through my hair, pushing it out of my eyes, but it just flops back into my line of vision. Goddamnit, I need a haircut.

Hell, I need a lot of things, but it’s like I don’t have time for any of it.

More like I don’t want to make the time. For anyone or anything.

The one person I thought I was willing to make time for told me no, and damn, that still stings.

“I’m sorry,” Coop finally says once he’s finished tying his shoe. “But it was probably for the best.”

“You sound just like her,” I practically snarl. “What’s so wrong with my ass anyway? Am I that horrible of a person?”

“Bro, I don’t have the time to list everything that’s wrong with you, though I can confirm one thing—you’re not horrible. You just do horrible things sometimes.”

Oh, great. No big. I’m just a careless, callous jerkoff who doesn’t give a shit about anyone but myself.

No wonder Ever ran away from me.

“Look, we have to head out to practice. Just ...” His voice trails off, and he approaches me, grabbing my shoulder and giving it a not-so-gentle shake. “Think about how you talk to people. How you treat them. The world doesn’t revolve just around you, Valente. People have feelings, even if you don’t.”

Coop’s words linger with me as I trail after him out to the field. It’s obvious he doesn’t want to walk with me, and that’s fine. I want to stew in my own head for a few seconds anyway. Before we start practice and get shit rolling.

But I come to a complete stop when I see who’s standing with the coaching staff on the sidelines clad in a pair of navy leggings and a matching sports bra.

It’s Everleigh, looking fine as fuck.

Goddamn, those matching outfits are going to be the death of me.

---