Page 2 of The Way We Score

When he was alive, Dad passed his football legacy on to all of his sons, teaching us the game and opening doors for us where he could. Our oldest brother Jack took his place as the star quarterback for Texas.

He’s there now, but even three states away, he still manages to keep his youngest siblings back home in line.

Our second-oldest brother Zane, is being courted by all the big teams, while I’m gearing up for college. My little brother Hendrix is only a year older than Dylan, but he’s the most like Dad when it comes to the love of the game. He’s a cocky little shit, but he’s got a heart of gold, which he hides behind a swagger that sends panties flying.

Good thing he has me to give him a wake-up call when he needs it.

When Hendrix was a little boy, he’d sleep with his head on a football as a pillow. Now he’s a star on our high school team along with me, and I expect he’ll be joining me in Tuscaloosa in a few years as well.

He’s a damn good tight end. It’s a lot of fun to work the offensive line together. I make an opening, and he runs right through it for the touchdown.

Dylan’s back is against my side, and she’s turning pages twice as fast as I am. I’m about to pull her long brunette ponytail, when I hear the voice that warms my body from my stomach to my toes.

“It came!” Olivia “Liv” Bankston runs up the sidewalk holding a large, white envelope over her head.

Her strawberry blonde hair waves around her shoulders in soft waves, and she’s wearing a tennis dress in her signature color, cherry-red. You’d think it wouldn’t work with her hair and skin so fair, but she looks really hot all the time.

I fell in love with her freshman year, when she came back from drill-team camp four inches taller, curves in all the right places, and legs for days.

Okay, looking back, I fell in lust, I’ll admit it. We’d known each other since we were kids, but she’d never looked like that. A little while later, she noticed me, and well, the rest, as they say, is history.

We’ve been inseparable ever since, sharing everything, all our firsts, all our hopes, all our dreams and fears. Nobody but Liv saw me cry when we lost Mom and Dad. She held me in her arms, kissing my temple and soothing me with her cool hands and her warm body.

Nobody comforts me the way Liv can.

We’re the corny, stereotypical football player boyfriend and dance-line captain girlfriend. Hell, I see myself marrying this girl, and I feel fine.

She skids to a stop, dropping to her knees in front of us, and Dylan jumps up just as fast, leaning in to see what my girlfriend is holding.

“It’s the big envelope.” Liv’s hazel eyes are wide. “That’s a good sign, right?”

“That’s what they say.” Dylan is at her shoulder, her brown eyes blinking excitedly. “Open it!”

“What is it?”

“I hope it’s my invitation to audition, which essentially means I’m in. I got my college acceptance letter last week.”

I scoot forward so her slim body is in the cave of my arms as she tears the top off the envelope. I’m frowning, expecting to see the signature crimsonAlogo. Instead I’m confused to see purple and gold.

The pages are out, and she jumps up so fast, I barely have a chance to register the glossy photo of a girl with long blonde hair in a white one-piece leotard with a sparkling gold fleur de lis outlined in purple on the front.

“This is it!” she screams, jumping up and down, her face shining with tears. “It’s my invitation!”

Dylan is on her feet as well, jumping up and down beside her, holding her arm. Liv is three inches taller as she leans down to hug my sister.

“I have to submit a video audition no longer than one minute…” She’s reading the requirements, but I’m confused as hell.

“Switch leap, switch arabesque…” Dylan reads along with her. “I can help you with all of this. Pirouettes are easy.”

“Easy for you, Miss Balanchine.”

“I don’t think there was ever a Miss Balanchine.” Dylan’s nose wrinkles, and they laugh.

“This is for LSU.” My brow furrows, and I feel like a rug has been pulled out from under me. “Why are you auditioning to be a Golden Girl?”

Liv blinks wide eyes up at me. “Because I want to join the Mustangs’ professional cheerleading squad after college.”

“So be a Crimsonette.”

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