Page 62 of A Quarterback for Christmas

And I’m all up in the action, alright. Stuffed on a two-seater sofa between a couple of defensive linemen is not exactly what I had in mind when I put my best lipstick on.

Justin shakes his head, unknowingly letting droplets of beer fall on my thigh. I wipe away the liquid before it can get to my green skirt. “I would have sacked him just for that awful play.”

I have no idea what they’re talking about, but I don’t think they do either since they’re each on their sixth beer.

I can’t move. I can barely breathe, and it’s not because Jonah’s elbow is pressing into my rib cage. It’s because Drew is sitting directly across from me, laughing and talking to everyone, but he hasn’t acknowledged me once. How naive of me to think that seeing him again would somehow magically sort out all of our problems. That I’d suddenly become a Chatty Cathy and admit everything in front of everyone.

“What do you think, Bella?” Justin asks, the first acknowledgment that I’ve been sitting between them for the last hour.

Taking a drink of my orange soda, I glance at the TV and have no idea what’s going on. I haven’t been paying attention, and too many people are talking to hear the broadcast. “I think the guy is an idiot,” I guess, and am apparently right if Jonah’s approving smile is anything to go by.

“We’re going to play foosball. Do you want to join?” Jonah asks. They haven’t left my side in a while, and I can’t help but think it has something to do with my father.

“I’m okay. I think I’ll stay here.”

“You sure?” I nod. “If you change your mind, you can be on our team,” Justin offers as he stands, and for the first time in an hour, I remember what it feels like to take a full breath.

“Thanks.” I raise my drink in appreciation, but know what I’m going to do. I’m going to wait five minutes and then sneak down to the basement. There’s nothing for me here. Drew doesn’t want to know me. Why would he? I’ve treated him like dirt the whole time I’ve known him, and to him, this is no different. It’s just another chapter of Bella crapping all over Drew again. I need to come up with a new hobby.

Drew laughs, and the deep tone cuts through me. Did it always feel like this with him? Was I always masking my feelings with annoyance?

Screw it. It doesn’t matter now, and sitting around pontificating about it isn’t going to make me feel any better.

Dropping my drink onto the coffee table, I grab my crutches, ready to stand, and sneak away.

“Hey. It’s Bella, right?” an unfamiliar voice asks, and when I look up, I’m surprised to see Jacob Miller pointing his drink at me and throwing me a friendly smile.

“Yeah,” I wisp out, my eyes flicking to Drew for the slightest of seconds, wondering if he’s watching me. “And you’re Jacob Miller?”

“Yup.” He pops out and then points to the now empty seat beside me. “Is this spot free?”

I drop my crutches to the side because I guess I’m not going anywhere, anytime soon.

“Uh-huh.”

He takes a seat, and although not as large as Jonah or Justin, his presence is just as overwhelming. Tanned skin and perfect teeth make Jacob hard to talk to. Unnecessarily beautiful, and obnoxiously talented, is the only way to describe a guy like him. I can already feel my tongue getting fat and my brain losing the ability to form sentences. That’s just the kind of guy Jacob is.

“I don’t think we’ve met,” he starts, and I gulp. I’m guessing he still doesn’t know about my impromptu Drew impersonation from a few weeks back.

“We haven’t.”

“We’ve talked, though.” He takes a swig of his beer, not once moving his eyes off the screen and the game on it. I silently stare at him for a beat, and that’s when I see the smallest of smirks gracing his lips.

“We have?” My voice rises as though it’s a question, but in reality, it’s because I’m petrified that he knows.

“Virtually. You know, when you were bored and pretended to be Drew.”

My hands flail, and my tongue talks without my permission. “I’m so sorry about that, Jacob. I didn’t know it was you until after you started talking to me. I thought it was some pimply kid that Drew playedFortnightwith. If I had known it was you, I would have told you immediately, or shut the game off.”

“But you didn’t stop when you realized.”

He’s got me there.

My face burns crimson, and I give him a sheepish smile before brushing off the invisible lint from my skirt. “Because I was in too deep. You seemed sad, and I didn’t want to embarrass you.”

He raises his dark brows in surprise. “So you thought you’d give me relationship advice instead?”

“I mean, honestly, I didn’t think you’d ever need relationship advice. You’re…” I wave my hands close to his face. “You.”

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