Page 33 of The Playbook

I sat up with a jolt.

Grace.She’d driven me home. She’d laid in bed with me. Fumbling for my phone, I grabbed it and saw I’d taken some photos. Grace in my arms, smiling at the camera. In bed with me. If I didn’t know better, I’d say it looked like we’d just done more than sleep, considering she was in her tiny cami. Beneath my arms, she looked shirtless with her creamy skin peeking out. My eyes were glued to the screen, thinking of the possibilities that photo held. Shaking off my shitty thoughts, I hurriedly typed a message out to her.

Me: Thank you for last night.

Grace: No problem. Don’t drink so much next time.

Me: I won’t. I’m sorry I got you in trouble.

She didn’t reply. Sighing, I typed out another message.

Me: I’m sorry if I said or did anything last night that was uncalled for.

Grace: Seriously. We’re cool. Now leave me alone.

Me: Don’t be like that. I like hanging out with you.

Grace: We had pizza one time. Let it go.

Me: I’m not going to.

Grace: It’s your funeral.

I let out a soft chuckle and clicked my screen off. It was way too much fun tormenting her a little bit. Deciding I needed more sleep before I left to go get my Jeep, I burrowed down deep into my blankets and closed my eyes, a smile on my lips as I breathed in the scent on my pillow. Grace.I hauled in a deep breath, bathing in all that was her.

* * *

“You were so trashed last night,” Ryan said to me later that evening as we drove to pick up my Jeep from Brent’s. “Then you just disappeared. Where’d you go? How did you get home?”

“I called Grace.” I grinned at him. “She came and took me home.”

“Wow. Nice. How did that go?”

“Great.” I launched into telling him everything my fuzzy memory recalled, all about her being grounded and her blaming me for it.

“But you did tell Coach that she was seeing someone.”

“That was before I knew Noah was just her friend.” I sighed. “But it wasn’t me who told him about her going on a date with me. Why the hell would I do that? Coach hates guys even talking about Grace. There’s no fucking way I’d say anything to him about wanting to take her out.”

“Maybe it was Andy. He did stay after practice yesterday to talk to Coach,” Ryan offered.

Andy. That dick.

“That's messed up. I haven’t tried to sabotage him with Marissa.”

“You know how Andy is. In fact, you’re both that way. One of you should just concede—”

“I’m not going to lose,” I broke in. “No way. Not to Andy. Besides, last night with Grace was good.Reallygood.” My mind swiveled to the photos I had of her in my arms in my bed.

“I still think you’re nuts,” Ryan said, pulling into Brent’s driveway. “Nikki was pissed you disappeared.”

“I know. She texted me earlier,” I grumbled.

She’d basically yelled at me for leaving her hanging. But it wasn’t like we were there together. I didn’t know what the fuck her problem was. I just wanted to have fun. The way she was steering the boat the past few days, I’d be label her boyfriend and having dinner with her parents within the month. No fucking way. Been there. Done that.

“Thanks for the ride.”

“No problem.” Ryan gave me a fist bump and a grin before backing out of the driveway. I didn’t bother going inside Brent’s. Instead, I hopped in my Jeep and left. I wasn’t sure how it happened, but somehow I found myself parked in front of Grace’s house.

---