Page 21 of How to Score Off Field

She doesn’t even have the decency to look guilty. “That’s one hundred percent what I’m doing.”

“At least you’re not sugarcoating it.”

“When have I ever?”

“Never. That’s why I love you.”

She pulls a face. “Stop. Don’t make me gag.”

“Too mushy?”

“Way too mushy. I’m not drunk enough for that nonsense.”

CHAPTER7

DREW

DATING PRO TIP FROM MY BROTHER: JUST DON’T.

I can’t keepmy eyes off Tess Donahue.

I’m trying, trust me—but it’s not working.

And I’m trying not to be a creeper. It’s not like I’m openly staring, but dude, I haven’t seen her in years, and now that I have seen her, the juxtaposed thoughts I have about her in my mind are freaking me out.

Also, I’ve had a few beers, so that doesn’t help dial the thoughts down in my brain.

Grady slaps me on the back, laughing at something stupid. His laughter is loud and obnoxious, mostly because he’s approaching drunk. But what else is new? I love Grady, but he can’t tip them back as hard as he thinks he can without the blood alcohol level rising quicker than it does for someone my height and weight.

He’s not a big dude, not by any stretch, so he cannot drink like one.

He laughs again, snorting.

“You should go over there and talk to her, dude. She keeps looking over here,” he’s telling me none-too-quietly and in front of other people.

I’m lost. “Who are we talkin’ ’bout?”

“Lizzy.”

Lizzy who? “I have no fuckin’ idea who you’re talking about.”

No offense to Lizzy. I’m sure she’s a nice girl.

Grady rolls his eyes. “I thought the point of you comin’ home was to let loose a little. You’ve been hidin’ in a corner all damn night. Don’t try denyin’ it.”

So what if I am? I don’t feel comfortable being the center of attention in crowds, and lucky for me, most people have left me alone. No one is hanging on me the way they do at school. Girls aren’t trying to grab my junk or grabbing my ass or vying for my attention, hoping I’ll take them home.

That always gets on my nerves.

My twin, on the other hand? He used to eat that shit up.

The funny thing is, now that he has a serious girlfriend, it doesn’t seem to stop the chicks from hitting on him even though you’d have to live under a rock if you didn’t know he was seeing someone.

SportsCenterplastered the story and Daisy’s pretty face all over the evening news.

And I’m not getting that desperation here.

No one here cares that I play football because literally everyone here plays football.

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