Page 32 of End Game

Her smile is a little dirty. “So you’ve thought about messing around with him.”

“No, I have definitely not.” I clamp my lips shut, cutting myself off. I’m protesting too much. The bigger the reaction, the more she’s going to think I most definitely have thought about it, and damn it ...

I have.

“He’s not forever material, anyway. None of them are.” Her expression immediately turns glum, and she’s watching someone from across the room. I don’t even have to check on who it is. I already have my suspicions.

“Who are you crushing on?” My voice is gentle, and I take a huge gulp from my drink, wondering if the alcohol is making me braver. We’re delving into private territory, and we barely know each other. Though sometimes isn’t it easier to confess your truths to a virtual stranger?

“No one,” she says way too quickly.

“Come on, now. You can tell me.”

She blows out a frustrated breath. “Fine. I’m madly in love with Gavin, but he barely knows I exist.”

This time I do look behind me to check on who she’s staring at, and yep, there’s Gavin, along with Nico and Coop. All three are standingby a table full of students, smiling and nodding as the students seem to gush over them.

“I’m sure he knows you exist,” I tell her when I’m facing her once more.

“Only as Coop’s little sister and nothing else.” Oh, she sounds down in the dumps. “He doesn’t really see me, you know?”

“Are you so sure about that?”

“Positive. I basically threw myself at him a couple of years ago when I first started here, and he turned me down. We’ve been ‘just friends’”—she uses air quotes—“ever since.”

“Ouch.” I finish off my drink in one last swallow, realizing that Sienna has barely touched hers. Though she had a head start, so I shouldn’t feel too bad. “That was kind of a long time ago, though.”

“Yeah. I was eighteen and way too confident.” Now she’s the one gulping down her drink. “I was trashed that night and positive he could feel the vibes between us. I’m fairly certain that’s how I phrased it to him.”

“And I’m guessing he was kind and thoughtful and said he could never touch you because you’re his friend’s sister,” I say.

“That’s exactly what happened, and I was devastated. I essentially avoided him for a year. Then I started coming around to Coop’s again when he was with his friends, and now I think we’re at peace. Sort of.”

“What do you mean bysort of?”

“He keeps talking to me. Like one on one. Seeking me out all the time. It’s confusing.”

“Men are confusing.”

Sienna holds up her glass, and I clink mine against hers again. “Amen.”

Chapter Twelve

NICO

“And . . . go!”

I’m running as fast as I can, 100 percent focused on getting nothing but mass yardage. I hear the heavy footfalls of the defensive line running after my ass, but I ignore them, turning at the very last second and holding my hands open.

The ball lands into my hands like that was supposed to happen. I run the ball into the end zone with fucking ease, a giant grin on my face.

The entire offensive coaching team is standing on the edge of the field by the goalpost, watching me. Head Coach Porter is blowing his whistle repeatedly.

“What the fuck, guys? You couldn’t catch him?” His voice is a mixture of anger and incredulity.

“I’m just that fast,” I tell him, keeping the grin on my face. The grin that I know irritates him most of the time because he thinks I’m too arrogant. He’s told me that multiple times over the course of our relationship.

Then I pull a play like what just happened, and I want to tell him there’s a reason I’m what I prefer to callconfident: I’m fucking good. Gav’s accuracy when he throws the ball, combined with the fact that Iknow when that ball is about to land in my hands, is something I can’t describe. We’re connected on the field. It’s fucking magical.

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