Page 58 of How to Lose at Love

“Meaning what, he likes his family?”

“No. I mean, he has to want kids at some point. I want all the babies.”

Ryann cradles her stomach as if she were already pregnant, rocking back and forth in the chair.

Shit.

She’s thinking of that crap already, at this age? How the hell is anyone supposed to know if they want kids or not? We’re twenty-one, what if my balls get smashed while I’m playing and are rendered useless?

Suddenly, she busts out laughing. “Oh my God, you should see your face, it’s so pale.” More laughing. “Did you think I was serious?” An eye roll. “We’re twenty, for crying out loud. I’m not thinking about kids.”

“I knew that.” I scoff, face going from blanched to bright red.

“You’re an asshole, do you know that?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m the asshole here.” She laughs again. Clears her throat. “Since you’re obviously having a hard time coming up with some terms of endearment, let me think on it for a second.”

She spins some more, clearly needing to be busy in order to think.

“Knock-knock, is everyone decent?” My brother shoves through the doorway without waiting for a reply, barging in and standing in front of my guest like a warrior returned from battle. “Hi.”

She glances slowly up at him. “Hi?”

“I’m Drake.” He nods in my direction. “His brother.”

“I can see the resemblance.”

“I have a twin.”

Ryann’s brows shoot up the same way everyone’s do when they find out Drake and Drew are identical. “You’re a twin?”

“It’s my stupid human trick.” The giant lummox won’t leave. “What are y’all up to?”

“Oh, you know, hammering out terms so we can fake date or whatever it is he wants me to help him with.”

Drake’s eyes get wide and he turns toward me. “Say what now?”

“It was Eli’s idea.”

“Should she be tellin’ everyone?”

“Rule number one,” I tell her, “this is a secret.”

She pulls her fingers across her mouth like she’s zipping them closed. “Got it. My lips are sealed.”

“You blabbed to the first person who asked what we were doing hanging out together!”

Fuck, am I going to be able to trust her?

“I mean…I’m gonna have to tell my best friend at the very least.”

“That’s not how we keep secrets.”

“Oh, come on, she isn’t going to believe we’re actually dating.”

My brother snorts. “Weren’t you just dating that twat Lorenz? Why wouldn’t people believe you have a type, and that type is football players?”

I hold my hand up. “Do not get her started on what her type is.”

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