Page 16 of End Game

There’s music playing and a girl squealing about something, and Frank magically appears in the short hallway, a big grin on his face when he spots me.

“You’re awake!” He gestures toward the living room. “You should come meet everyone.”

I slowly shake my head. “I should probably take a shower first.”

I feel grimy. Like I’ve been in these clothes for at least a week.

His smile fades the slightest bit. “Sure. Okay. Go take a shower, and then come out and hang with us. It’ll be fun.”

“Who’s us?” I smile, trying to pretend I’m not intimidated by the idea of spending my first night here with a bunch of strangers.

Deep down, I’m terrified.

“Some of the guys from the team. A couple of their friends.” He shrugs. “It’s super casual.”

He mentioned earlier when we were shopping that all three of them are on the college football team, but he didn’t make a big deal about it. I know the football team does well here at Santa Mira, and I bet it’s fun to go to the games.

I wonder if they’ll give me free tickets. The perks of being their roomie, maybe?

“I’ll come out in a bit, if that’s okay,” I say when I realize Frank is still waiting.

“Cool. Sounds good.” He’s nodding, walking backward toward the living room, and he almost trips over his own feet, which has me giggling. “Take your time.”

He darts off, and I go back into my bedroom, shutting the door before I search through the shopping bag and pull out a pair of panties. They’re a pale pink and basic cotton. Nothing special. I tear off the tags with my teeth, clutching the underwear in my fist as I continue searching through the bag with my other hand.

And realize I don’t really have anything to wear to bed. I don’t want to sleep in just my undies. What if one of the guys just barges into my room? I’m sure that wouldn’t happen, but you never know.

Sighing, I grab my new pair of sweats and a tank top along with the panties and exit my bedroom, about to cross the hall into Nico’s room to use the bathroom when I collide with something solid.

And warm.

“Whoa.” Big hands clasp my upper arms and set me aside, my skin tingling where he touches me. I glance up, not surprised at all to find it’s Nico smiling down at me with that charming grin, his eyes actually sparkling, putting me into a trance. “Where you headed to in such a hurry?”

“Um, the shower. If you don’t mind,” I tack on because I’m definitely not comfortable just entering his bedroom and using his showerwhenever I want, even though he offered. Even though that’s the deal we have now.

“Of course I don’t mind. It’s now your bathroom too,” he says, slowly releasing his hold on me. I immediately miss his touch, which is weird. I don’t even know this guy. “We’ll just have to get used to sharing it.”

“Thank you,” I say, my voice soft. “And I guess we will.”

“You going to hang out with us tonight?”

“I don’t know.” I shrug. “Frank asked me to.”

“You should. Meet some new people. A few girls are out there. Coop’s sister, for one.” He pauses, studying me carefully. I almost start squirming, his gaze is so intense. “How old are you, anyway?”

“I just turned twenty-one last month. I’m a junior.”

“Sienna is the same age as you then. You’ll love her. She’s the complete opposite of her brother.” Nico is grinning again, and I find myself smiling, too, because his mood is contagious.

When he’s a little grumpy, though? Not so contagious. But still appealing.

And that’s so frustrating, ugh.

Chapter Seven

NICO

I’ve loved football my entire life. There are photos of me as a baby holding a mini blue football. I dressed up as a San Francisco 49er for Halloween when I was three. I started in youth football when I was five and have been playing ever since.

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