Page 35 of End Game

Everleigh’s gentle voice continues to counsel them through the various positions, and I swear just hearing it also somehow calms me. I end up sitting at the counter eating a bag of chips, wondering why I never got an invitation to the yoga classes. I frickin’ live here, for the love of God.

By the time I’m putting away the chips in our tiny pantry, the session is over, and I can hear all of them move about the living room, their steps seeming to shake the foundation. Everleigh laughs at something one of them says, and next thing I know she’s entering the kitchen, her smile fading when she spots me.

I take her in, noting how much skin is on display. She’s wearing hot-pink leggings and a matching sports bra with white sneakers on her feet, and holy shit. I can’t stop staring at her. Her hair is pulled back into a tight ponytail that swings when she moves, and her skin is covered with a light sheen of sweat.

I’m trying not to focus on the fact that her body is fucking incredible but ... it is. Jonesie was right.

She’s hot.

Damn it.

“Haven’t seen you in a while,” she eventually says as she makes her way to the fridge, opening it and pulling her Stanley tumbler out. She keeps it in there sometimes to make the water colder.

“Been busy.” My voice is gruff, and I clear my throat, not wanting to sound like an asshole. “Sorry I interrupted.”

“No worries.” She takes a sip, her lips wrapped around the straw making me think all sorts of dirty thoughts. “You should join us sometime.”

“I don’t do yoga.”

“Have you ever tried it?”

I say nothing because she knows my answer.

No, I haven’t.

“Neither had any of those guys in there.” She waves a hand toward the living room. “But they love it. You might too.”

“Didn’t realize you were running a gym in here.” I’m teasing but not.

I see a flash of emotion in her eye and wonder if I pissed her off.

“I’m just trying to help these guys out. Coop has been complaining about how he can’t ever relax and that he feels stressed out all the time.”

I frown. I complain about the same thing.

“He laughed at me when I suggested he should try yoga, but then when we worked on it together—and Frank joined us—he went to practice the next day praising my yoga skills.” She smiles, looking amused. “I’ve taught yoga before, but I didn’t mean to turn this into a class for others to join us. It just sort of happened.”

Again, why didn’t I hear about this? “That’s uh ... that’s great.”

“You really should join us sometime. You seem a little stressed.” She tilts her head to the side, her ponytail swinging. I want to tug on it. Wrap it around my fist, and pull her into me. “You’ve been really busy. It might be getting to you.”

“Yeah,” I croak. I know what’s getting to me, and it has nothing to do with stress.

It’s her.

Chapter Thirteen

EVERLEIGH

“I’m not going to look like a complete fool in the stands, am I?”

Sienna makes a scoffing noise at my question. “Please. You don’t have enough spirit going on, if you ask me.”

Is she serious right now?

I chance a glance in the mirror that we’re currently sitting in front of, but I can’t see much. Sienna has this nice vanity table in her bedroom with a three-way mirror and a cute pale-blue tufted-velvet bench seat that we can both fit on while she paints my face in the school colors.

It’s Saturday. Game day. The Dolphins are playing at home this afternoon, and I’m attending my first ever football game at UCSM. I’m equal parts nervous and excited, and I don’t quite get why I’m nervous.

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