Page 137 of How to Lose at Love

“Sorry—guess I shouldn’t have said that.”

She gives her head a shake. “It’s fine.”

My eyes dart from her face to the TV, where I’ve got a tattoo competition going, a show I watch when I need something mindless that I don’t have to focus on or think about.

Ryann clears her throat. “When you got here, you said you wanted to talk?”

I toss the remote to the coffee table and prop my feet up, leaning back and putting my arm on the back of the sofa.

She fidgets, and I’m tempted to reach across the space and put my hand on hers so she’ll stop. The twitching and squirming are making me want to squirm, too.What is she doing?

“Yeah, I thought it would be a good idea to…you know, check in on you and everything. How are you holdin’ up? We haven’t talked much in the last few days.”

I feel like a dick about that, and I feel lonely not having seen her.

“I’m fine. My dad is driving me up a wall, but other than that, I suppose I’m getting used to the whispers and staring.”

“Why is he drivin’ you up a wall?”

Ryann hesitates, choosing her words. “He’s envisioning having a professional football player as a son-in-law. I think he’s already got his first grandson’s name picked out.”

If I had water in my mouth, I’d be spitting it onto the floor right now. “Say what?”

“I’m mostly kidding.” She coughs. “He got excited when he saw us on the news. He’s a huge fan of the Chicago Steam and of football itself. WatchesSportsCenterevery morning as if that’s all the news he needs.”

“What other news is there?” I tease, clearing my throat. “I remember my brother dated this woman for a few weeks whose friends drove him bonkers. She, uh, was constantly asking for tickets to the games, which was fine, but like—she wanted box seats and suite tickets, and it got so annoying Duke dumped her.”

Users.

So many users.

“I imagine it’s hard for him to find a genuine connection.”

“It was, but now he’s dating a schoolteacher, and she only watches the football games so she can eat cheese and sausage and bake.”

Posey is a riot. My younger brothers and I totally dig her, and the last thing on her mind is being in the spotlight; the only time she’s ever made a public appearance was at theSportsCenterAwards, and she hated every second of it.

“A schoolteacher? What grade?”

“Kindergarten.”

Ryann’s eyes go wide at this information. “Talk about opposites attract.”

“You sound surprised.”

“I am. I wouldn’t think a famous football player would be interested in someone as low-key as a schoolteacher.”

“I’m not surprised. That’s exactly the kind of home life we want—to spend it with someone normal who isn’t trying to be famous, isn’t fake, has a good head on their shoulders.” Shit, that doesn’t sound good. “Not to say there aren’t plenty of football wives and girlfriends in the limelight who have a good head on their shoulders, but when they cake on the makeup to sit in the freezing cold on a winter day, then spend time on the sideline posing for cameras, it makes you wonder.”

That didn’t come out right, either.

“It’s a good thing you’re not interested in a relationship. You don’t have to worry about any of those things.”

My head snaps up to her face.

Was that a dig? Or is she being serious? Because I don’t remember ever saying I don’t want a relationship—at least, someday—and kids, and a nice house, dogs and stuff.

Pretty sure this topic has come up on more than one occasion.

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