Page 15 of The Wrong Quarterback

Nat huffed next to me again, and I side-eyed her. I was starting to get the feeling that Gray wasn’t her favorite person. I’d been really disappointed when he’d canceled dinner on my move-in day, and she’d seemed to hold it against him ever since.

“Thank you. So do you.” Crap, this was awkward. I couldn’t talk to a guy on a normal day, and that guy being Gray made it even worse.

I could only imagine what I would say if a guy like Parker Davis ever talked to me. Okay…not thinking about that.

“Want to have lunch with me after class? What do you have today again?”

My insides sank a little at that. I had sent him my full class schedule as soon as I got it, and I still think he’d asked me that same question at least ten times over text since then. I mean it was ridiculous to think that he should have to memorize it. Butthat would have shown he was interested, right?I’dmemorized his schedule.

In the two times I’d seen him on campus he’d been really touchy-feely, hovering over me so his frat bros didn’t get too friendly with me. But I still wasn’t sure whatthiswas.

“I have History of the Roman Empire and then Calculus II,” I told him. He shivered in mock horror, and I grinned. Gray still hadn’t declared his major, even though he was a junior this year. At this rate he was going to be on the ten-year college plan if he didn’t decide soon.

“We’d better get to class, wouldn’t want to be late,” Nat said in a sweet, fake voice.

Gray lifted his hat up and ran his hand through his hair. “Alright…well, text me when you’re done?”

Before I could answer, he swept in…and kissed me. It was just once, but it caught me so off-guard, for a second I was afraid I was going to faint. He started walking away, acting like what he’d just done was no-big deal.

And then he really did me in.

“Ben would have been proud of you, Case,” he called over his shoulder before he just walked away.

My whole body shivered, and I hunched over, wrapping my arms around myself and trying to hold in the tears.

“Casey?” Nat said softly. “Are you okay? Who’s Ben?”

“My big brother,” I whispered. “He was Gray’s best friend. He died in a car crash two years ago. We were both with him.”

She didn’t ask anything else after that, just wrapped her arm around my shoulders and guided me toward the building where both our first classes were as I moved on autopilot.

Nat walked me all the way to the entrance of my class and turned me to face her, already showing she was a better friend than anyone else I’d ever had in my life.

Besides Ben.

“For the record, I still think this is going to be a great year, Casey Larsen,” she said, trying to get me to smile. I reluctantly smiled back, feeling bad I’d gone zombie-girl on her when she’d only known me for a few days.

“I agree,” I said softly, and I tried to feel the words in my bones.

For Ben.

CHAPTER 4

PARKER

Iwas in the front of the lecture hall, flipping through some papers I was going to have to hand out during class, pretending to be interested in what I was doing so I could avoid accidentally locking eyes with any potential stage-five clingers. Being a TA for a freshman history class wasn’t exactly thrilling—and I didn’t exactly have time for it, but my agent had said it would look good on my resume. Apparently after the last two years, when the number one draft picks had ended up complete failures thanks to their partying, NFL scouts were wanting to see that prospective players weren’t just good at football—they had their shit together too.

So here I was, faking that I did.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out, hoping it wasn’t bad news from Mom’s nurse. I really didn’t need any bad news today. Not with the first game of the season tomorrow.

I grinned when I saw it was Jace.

Jace: What does a hot dog use for protection?

Matty: Please, fuck, no.

Me: Just let him get it out.

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