Page 86 of The Wrong Play

I dropped into my stance as the coach barked out another play, and I didn’t deign to answer them until I’d caught another pass.

“She’s not ignoring me,” I said. “She just…didn’t want to spend the night tonight.”

Both of them nodded, like that was the same thing.

“She slept over last night, though,” Matty said slowly.

Parker scoffed, shaking his head. Because he understood. Matty hadn’t been infected yet. He hadn’t gotten that hit of feeling what it was like to hold the person you were obsessed with in your arms.

He wasn’t understanding that I might not be able to sleep until I was snuggling with my Riley-girl again.

Which would be a problem. Because I needed my beauty sleep.

I might have been killing it tonight, but that was only because of my raw talent. My head was filled with her.

The way her breath hitched when I touched her. The way she looked at me like she wanted to run—but couldn’t bring herself to do it. The way she fit against me, like she belonged there.

I ran the next route at full speed, snatching the ball from the air before my feet even hit the turf. My blood was already buzzing, my pulse thrumming in time with the need crawling up my spine.

I had to be with her tonight.

Practice finally wrapped, and I didn’t even wait for the huddle to break before I was yanking off my helmet and turning to Matty.

“I need you to help me with something.”

Matty groaned. “Fucking hell, not again.”

I ignored him, slinging my helmet under my arm and wiping the sweat off my forehead. “She’s probably at the library right now.”

Parker rolled his eyes. “And how would you know that?”

I grinned, thinking of the tracking app on her phone. “Not telling.”

Matty barked out a sound that was a cross between a dying cow and a moose. “You’re a psycho, Thatcher.”

I shrugged. “So? Are you helping me or not?”

“Why can’tIhelp?” Parker said, practically pouting.

I gave him a thumbs up because that was the energy I was looking for. “Because I need someone single for my plan,” I told him, nodding my head at Matty.

Matty sighed dramatically, like this was such a hardship for him, fulfilling his best friendship duties. “Fine. I haven’t recovered from the last time I helped you. But what’s the plan?”

I was already walking off the field, eager to get back to my locker so I could find out where Riley was right now. “We’re gonna make sure I see Riley tonight. Whether she likes it or not.”

Matty snorted. “Yeah, because that doesn’t sound like stalking.”

I just smirked.

It wasn’t stalking if shewantedme there.

Even if she didn’t know it yet.

Sneaking into Riley’s room required two things: precision and a sucker.

Fortunately, I had Matty, and a very precise, three-step plan. One that definitely showcased my big brain.

Step one:Get him to entertain her creepy-ass roommate.

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