Page 17 of The Playbook

Ihad no idea what the fuck I was doing. I’d kissed Nikki in front of Grace. Sure, Nikki was hot as hell, but it couldn’t happen. We’d skipped our last couple classes to fool around in the crow’s nest on the football field. But standing out in the parking lot and watching while some no name shithead hugged on Grace lit a fire inside me I couldn’t understand.

She and I had an uneasy friendship, if I could even call it that. Plus, she was mytask. I knew I wouldn’t be able to do what I needed to with Nikki on my arm. I sure wouldn’t be able to win it if some band nerd was hugging Grace on her worst days in the parking lot either. I needed to get my shit together. Andy was taking Marissa out after the game tonight. I was relying on Marissa’s scary exterior to keep Andy at bay. But Andy wanted to win too, so not even making out with the daughter of Satan would probably stop him.

“I’ve gotta go,” I said, pulling away from everyone as Grace got into the car with the band kid. I was pretty sure his name was Noah.

“I thought we could go to my house—” Nikki started, but I shook her off.

“Can’t. We’ll talk later,” I said, moving away from her put-off stare and pouting lips.

I got in my car and drove to where I knew Grace lived. I made sure to park down the street and spied as the guy she was with gave her another hug in the front seat of his car before she climbed out, looking fucking adorable in my basketball shorts. Slowly, she walked to her front door and disappeared inside.

I couldn’t do it. Whateveritwas. Maybe I’d planned on just marching up to her front door and begging her to go out with me on a date. Pleading for her to let me kiss her.Or more.I snorted at the thought. Grace Matthews wasn’t amorekind of girl.

And I was an asshole.

With a sigh, I drove away from her house and went to my own. I showered and did some homework since I knew the weekend would be filled with parties and friends. I added info to the playbook on what I’d managed to accomplish so far, which wasn’t much. A scowl crossed my face as I thought about how far ahead Andy already was. He was a task ahead of me. He actuallyhadthe date.

Slamming the notebook shut, I made my mind up I wasn't going to take no for an answer from Grace. Tonight. I was going to make it happen after we won the game. She’d be there since she was a band geek and they played at all our home games. Grinning, I made my way back to school.

“Nice of you to show up,” Andy grinned at me.

“I’m not late.” I started trading my regular clothes for my football gear, pulling my pads on, not bothering to look over at him. I knew he was still wearing his cocky grin.

“Just late in getting Matthews on a date,” he snarked.

A few of the guys in the locker room guffawed at his quip.

“Tonight.” I got to my feet, finally turning my gaze on him, my own cocky smile in place. “I’m going to ask her out tonight. Besides, if you’re so good, where’s your make out with Marissa?”

His mouth turned down into a frown, a very un-Andy-like move. He didn’t answer. He simply turned and walked away.

“That was weird,” Ryan muttered, coming to stand beside me.

“You’re telling me.” I turned and smirked at him, not really caring what Andy was doing. “I’m asking Grace out tonight.”

Ryan rolled his eyes. “Whatever. She’s not going to say yes. Besides, I heard she hates you.”

“Where did you hear that?” I frowned at the information.

“Lana. Her friend. I saw her earlier. Figured I’d ask and try to find an in for you.” Ryan shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal.

“Wait, what else did she say?” I demanded, now fully padded and dressed.

“Lana said Grace thinks you have an overly-inflated ego, you’re as fake as one of Nikki’s smiles, and you have hidden motives. And I gotta say, she’s not really wrong.”

“Yeah, she is,” I grunted. “I’m not fake—”

“Dude, you don’t evenlikeGrace. You are being fake with her. And you do have hidden motives. This is just a stupid bet. Also, you really do have an inflated ego.”

“Grace isn’t that bad.”

Dax came up and slapped my shoulder pads, interrupting us. “You guys talking about Grace?”

“Yeah,” I grunted.

“I think she’s hot as fuck. I’d probably be serious about asking her out if she wasn’t Coach’s daughter.” Dax said, nodding. “He’d bench me if I did.”

Something about Dax wanting to ask her out upset me.Why did it bother me?I shook it off.

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