Page 45 of End Game

Not that it hurts him. The moment we got to the bar, he was surrounded by women, all of them calling his name and flashing their flirtatious smiles. Each of them beautiful and hanging all over him. I was jealous.

And Coop caught me in my feels.

It was late, and I was sitting alone at a small table. Sienna had abandoned me for Gavin—I don’t blame her, but she’s always chasing him. Coop approached me, catching me watching Nico laughing with his fan base over at the bar, and he said the weirdest thing.

“You know he’s just fighting his feelings.”

That was it. The only thing he said before he settled into the chair next to me. A teammate magically appeared and sat next to Coop, engaging him in football talk for the rest of the evening while I sat there and turned that one sentence over and over again in my mind.

You know he’s just fighting his feelings.

What did Coop mean by that? I’m sure he was referring to Nico, considering he looked right at him when he said it. But what did he mean? Fighting his feelings for what?

For who?

He couldn’t have been talking about ...

Me?

I didn’t want to put too much thought into it because it just seemed too fantastical to me. Nico is friendly and flirts with women. A lot. It’s part of his nature.

The front door slams closed, startling me from my thoughts, and I smile when I see Frank enter the kitchen. “Hey.”

“Hi.” He sets his backpack on one of the dining room chairs. “They cut me loose from practice early.”

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” I hope he says good because he’s been so down lately.

“Coach literally said he didn’t need me to stick around, so he let me go.” Frank shrugs. “I take that as a bad thing.”

“Aw, Frank. I’m so sorry.”

“They never let anyone leave practice early. We’re a team. If you’re hurt, suspended, benched, what the fuck ever, you stay for every practice. Every meeting. Every game. We’re together always, and if you’re pissed that you can’t play, too bad. You’re sticking with your team. I’ve never had a problem with it. I’m in it for the long haul, but today Iswear ...” He presses his lips together, shaking his head. “It hurt, having him send me away. Like I don’t matter anymore.”

My heart hurts for him, and I don’t even think about what I’m doing. I go to him and give him a big hug, wishing I could absorb his pain.

He returns the hug, his arms coming around me carefully, holding me close. We just stand there for a few minutes hugging each other in the middle of the kitchen when I hear a familiar voice.

“Oh. Hey.”

We spring away from each other at the sound of the familiar deep voice, and everything inside me shrivels a little.

It’s Nico.

And he doesn’t look happy to catch me and Frank hugging. Though why should he care? After all, I’m just his roommate.

“What are you doing here already?” Frank asks, rubbing the back of his neck.

“We all got released early. It’s a bye week,” Nico bites out as he strides toward the fridge and opens it, grabbing an apple. God, they are seriously always hungry.

“Oh yeah. That’s right.” Frank sends me a look, and I swear it says,Maybe I overreacted.

Maybe he did, but I’m glad I could be there for him. He was feeling down, and he needed someone to lift him up.

I hope I was that someone, even if all I did was show him sympathy and give him a hug.

“Could we maybe start the yoga session early?” Frank asks me. “Looks like everyone will be available. Want me to text the rest of the guys?”

He’s already got his phone in his hands, ready to send out the text.

---