Page 29 of The Wrong Quarterback

Cole: Smug Sunglasses Emoji

Jace snorted, and I elbowed him because it was rude to be so nosy.

Me: Why did you write that instead of just sending the emoji?

Cole: I wanted to make sure that you understood what I was saying. Those emojis can be tricky sometimes. What if you think he just looks happy instead of smug? Then you miss the whole point.

Walker: …

Cole: Hey…that’s too much of that.

Me: …

Cole: Middle Finger Emoji

Walker: I also think that the emoji would have been just fine for that one. No missing that message.

Cole: Just making sure.

Jace suddenly began jerking next to me, and I glanced over and saw that he was practicing Cole’s move in front of the mirror.

“No. Just no,” I told him. “I won’t throw you a single pass if that’s what you’re going to do.”

“I will intentionally follow you on the field and steal your passes if that’s what your plan is,” added Matty, looking horrified as he watched.

Jace shrugged and stopped humping the air. “You’re right. I imagine my dick is much larger than a rockstar’s. Wouldn’t want the whole stadium fainting and making the stands collapse.”

“Right…” drawled Matty. “We’ll go with that.”

I turned back to my phone.

Me: While I appreciate the suggestion, I think I’ll abstain from that particular move and leave that to you.

“Nice word choice,” Jace commented, back to reading my texts over my shoulder. “Such a big brain.”

I sighed in exasperation.

Walker: Moral of the story, kill it out there, Parkie.

Cole: Exactly. Go. Fight. Win.

He sent a picture of his head on a cheerleader’s body, and with that beautiful sight, it was time for this conversation to end.

The sound of the coach’s whistle broke through the room almost the second I’d put my phone away, snapping me back to what was coming. The guys stood up, voices rising as we got ready to hit the tunnel, the roar of the crowd already vibrating through the concrete walls. I took a deep breath, letting the noise fuel me, sharpen me. Game face on.

Let’s fucking go.

CASEY

The crowd was so loud, the bleachers were literally shaking beneath my feet. I stood there, overwhelmed, trying to take it all in—the sea of orange and white, the Tennessee Tigers flags waving wildly, and the air buzzing with anticipation. I’d never seen anything like this. I’d never made it to any of my high school football games, but there was no way they would have been anything like what was surrounding me.

The stands were packed, shoulder to shoulder, and the energy was insane, like the whole stadium was alive, thrumming with something I couldn’t quite explain.

Gray had his arm draped over my shoulder, and I was trying to resist the urge to move out from under it. He and his frat brothers had been drinking since dawn I was pretty sure, and he was already wasted. I watched as he slurred something to the guy next to him and took another swig of his beer, dribbling some down the front of his orange Tigers shirt.

I’d thought that maybe we would’ve gotten together last night to talk more about the fact that we were a couple now. But he hadn’t even texted me.Some pledge thing had happened, he’d told me when I met him in front of the stadium for the game this morning.Things will be better next semester when the pledge period is done, he’d continued as he gave me a messy kiss.

Nat had been with me when he’d said that, and her eye roll was so extreme I was a little afraid they were going to get stuck like that.

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