Page 4 of The Forever Play

“Of course.” I try to make my smile as broad and believable as possible.

There’s no way I’m calling him.

I just need some space right now. I can’t havememories of Zander skipping through my head while spending time with the man my parents think is a perfect fit for me.

Honestly. Why would they think that?

Russell is like my big bro. A cousin. I’ve never once been attracted to him.

I don’t want him to be anything more than my buddy.

“Have fun, family.” He leans down and kisses my cheek.

Gripping the stroller handles, I force my smile to stay in place as he pecks Zoey’s nose, then waves us off.

I can feel his eyes watching me the entire way down the street.

CHAPTER 2

ZANDER

I walk beside Wily as we head to the park, sensing the glances we get from every group of girls we pass. I don’t know which of us they’re eyeing up. I guess the five Football Frat guys all have different appeal. Wily with his blond waves and bright blue eyes always attracts attention, although it could also be the fact that he’s a giant and has the widest Colgate smile in the world. Girls love him. He’s a real charmer. I’ve never known the guy not to have at least three girls vying for his attention anywhere we go.

And then you’ve got Tyrell, another giant of a man. He’s Black and beautiful, according to the girl I sit next to in my health psych class. I guess she’s right. I just love that he’s intimidating as hell on the field. He’s our center and keeps the offensive line in check. And I need those guys. They’re my fortress.

“Wily.” Grady claps his hands, then opens them for a catch.

Wily passes the ball his way, then jogs after him as wehit the curb and walk diagonally toward the field at the edge of the playground. The sun is shining brightly, and we’ll all be sweating soon, but it’s good to get out in the fresh air. Last night’s game was brutal, and as much as I should be studying right now, I’m kinda liking this chill start to my day.

Carson grunts when Grady hurls the ball at him. It fires through the air like a bullet and hits Carson just as hard.

“Lil’ shit,” he complains, throwing the ball back and fighting a grin.

I watch him, repressing a smile as I take in his scarecrow hair and grumpy scowl. The guy likes to play it tough, but I bet there’s a marshmallow center underneath all that angst. He’s loyal. I know that much. I know he’d bleed for any of us. Shit, he’d probably kill for any of us, which is why we all keep such a close eye on him. The guy’s got an explosive temper… and it doesn’t help that he likes to put himself in situations where it’ll flare up in a second. The number of black eyes and hangovers he’s walked in the door with is too high to count.

Coach Jones benched him so many times last season, and it’s a pain in the ass. He’s the best wide receiver on the team, and I trust him to catch whatever I throw his way.

Lightly slapping his shoulder, I force his hungover ass toward the grass and try to get him running. He lopes along beside me as I pick up the pace and charge onto the field next to the playground.

A bunch of girls out jogging in their Lycra stop to admire us. Wily winks and grins, lifting his chin at them. The blonde blushes and giggles, reminding me of a girl Iused to know who did the exact same thing every time I winked at her. Damn, she was perfect. And she’s totally haunting me this morning.

I wish I could just forget about her and move on. I’ve really tried, but I think she’ll always be a part of me. My first love. My first time. My first heartbreak.

Trying to get over her tore me to shreds.

And then I went through the “just don’t think about her” phase, but I failed around every corner. I think I’m finally accepting that I can never fully shake her, so I’m just enjoying the occasional hookup and focusing on football.

That’s why I broke up with her in the first place, so I could throw my everything into this game I love so much. So I have to make it count. I need to make the pros. I need to make it big… or losing her was for nothing.

Shaking off my dark memories, I raise my hands, catching the ball Tyrell fires my way before launching a perfect spiral to Grady.

My closest friend in the house grabs it out of the air, diving around Carson, who is failing to tackle him. I laugh as he scores himself a “touchdown” and whoops before doing a backflip. Carson growls and shoves him off his feet, which I know Grady let him do because the guy has eyes like a hawk. That’s what makes him such a good running back. I swear he has a sixth sense, because he can always spot the gaps, avoid the tackles, and bounce around the defense like he’s got magic feet. It helps that he’s fearless. Seriously, I can’t fault the guy. He’s my best friend and probably will be for life.

Carson gathers up the ball and starts careening down the field, heading straight for me. Wily cuts across hispath, barreling into him and lifting him off his feet. He puts him in a quick fireman hold and spins him around while the girls on the sidelines laugh and Carson starts shouting, “Put me down, you fuckin’ turd waffle!”

“Turd waffle!” Wily laughs. “That’s a good one.”

“I mean it, you shit stick!”

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