Page 20 of Mr. Charming

A big body walks by me and sits next to me.

Snickers from the row behind me have the hair on my neck rising.

“What are you doing?” I whisper to Tweetie.

His elbow falls onto my armrest. I elbow him back, and I’m not sure if it’s Henry or someone else who laughs when Tweetie’s arm falls off.

“Believe me, I don’t want to sit here either.”

I lean forward, looking past him to a few seats down the row that are unoccupied.

“Kick my ass or tell me off later, but I’m not gonna let you be ogled in a room full of athletes,” he admits, and I can tell from the tic of his jaw that he wishes he hadn’t.

“I can handle myself,” I whisper.

“Deal with it, Tedi.”

I turn in my chair and glare at him, but his gaze remains forward, pretending we’re not having a conversation. “You know what your problem is?”

“I’m sure you’re gonna tell me.”

His calmness drives me crazy, and he knows it. That’s why he’s doing it.

“We’re not a thing,” I seethe through my teeth. “Let them ogle me because it doesn’t matter, we’re not a couple.” I wave my finger between us.

“I’m doing it for your own good.”

I scoff.

Henry leans in, his head between us. “You’re worried about us, but you’re giving yourselves away.”

Tweetie doesn’t turn around, but when I look at Henry, I see some curious expressions on the other players’ faces as they pointedly stare at us.

I huff and straighten in my seat. “Why do you have to be so… you?”

Tweetie chuckles. “I’m sitting in a chair. You’re the one who has such a problem with it.”

“Well…”

“What, Tedi?” He crosses his arms, not glancing at me at all.

“I’m not sure my boyfriend would appreciate it.” I almost gasp and cover my mouth. Where did that lie come from? But somehow, I manage to remain calm, at least on the outside.

Tweetie’s head whips in my direction, his eyes dark and pissed off.

I open my mouth to say something, but the words don’t come.

“Sorry, guys.” Coach Buford jogs down the steps and taps me on the shoulder, nodding his head for me to join him. “We have our new social media manager with us today.”

I’m frozen, staring at Tweetie as his jaw locks and his chest rises, but he faces forward again. Then all the tension disappears, and he raises his hands, clapping and smiling at me. What the fuck?

“Come on up here, Tedi,” Coach Buford says.

The entire time Coach Buford tells them about me and my objective for the Falcons, all I can think about is how I promised Tweetie I’d never lie to him. I kept that promise until right now. But does it really count when we’re not a couple anymore?

Somehow, it feels like it does.

And it’s not as though he ever has to meet my fake boyfriend.

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