Page 51 of Play It Off

“You’d be surprised at all the details I know. About you. And her.” He smirks, the sight of it striking alarm inside me.

I’ve told him a few things, but I rarely go into detail. I know he and Sienna are close—friendship close. She might’ve told him something about our recent encounter, which means the secret I share with Sienna might not be so secret anymore.

“You haven’t said anything to Coop, have you?” I can hear the edge of panic in my voice, and I swallow hard, trying to calm myself. “I don’t need him knowing anything in regard to me and his sister.”

“What exactly happened between you two, anyway? She’s hinted at stuff but has never come out and said anything concrete.” Nico frowns. “I take that back. I do know the two of you went at each other in her dorm her freshman year, but you were interrupted.”

Relief fills me, and I take another sip of my beer. If that’s all Nico knows, then that’s not a big deal. Though I don’t want Coop to know about it. “Never mention that again.”

Nico chuckles. “Bad memory?”

Great memoryis what I want to say, but I don’t. We’ve made even better memories since then. My fingers remember the silky feeling of her soft skin, and my lips recall the taste of her plump, sweet mouth, and that is just ... not good.

Not good at all.

“You don’t need to deny your feelings, Gavin. Allowing them to build up inside of you is bound to push you to your breaking point,” Nico says.

Too late. I’m already at my breaking point.

“Dinner is served.” Coop drops the tray full of food in the middle of the table, settling into the space he just vacated right beside Nico, who reaches for a burrito at the same time Coop does.

I’m the one who wanted to go out to eat. I’m the one who declared he was starving, but my appetite has fled thanks to what I’m currently witnessing. I grab my burrito almost reluctantly, unwrapping the foil about halfway down, and stare at the top—it looks like it could burst, it’s so full. I glance up to see Nico and Coop already eating, our table silent, and my gaze shifts to Sienna. How she reaches across the table at that exact moment to lightly tap the guy’s hand with her fingers, and my silent rage rises inside me, settling in my throat. Leaving me in a choke hold.

I drop the burrito back in the plastic basket it came in, disgusted. She touched him and I hate it.

Hate it.

Coop and Nico start talking between taking bites, and eventually I join in on the conversation, needing the distraction. I start eating, polish off half my burrito, and wrap the foil back around it so I can save it for later. I finish off my beer, too, tempted to grab another, and I check the line to see there’s only a couple of people in it.

“Want another beer?” I ask my friends as I stand. “My treat.”

“Sure,” they both say.

I head over to stand in line, keeping a glower on my face on purpose so no one approaches me. I’m not in the mood for idle chitchat, and I definitely don’t want a woman trying to flirt with me either. I’d rather be alone, wallowing in my misery.

Something I’m really fucking good at.

Of course, Sienna chooses the moment I’m not at the table to bring her new friend over to meet her brother and Nico. I blatantly stare them down as I watch them chat, grateful the line moves fast so I can order our beers. Within two minutes, I’m headed back to our table clutching our drinks, walking carefully so I don’t spill as I hold them in a triangle formation. Sienna and the dude are still standing by our table talking with Coop while Nico watches it all unfold, an amused expression on his face.

Looks like he’s enjoying every second of it, too, the jackass.

His gaze cuts to mine, and he’s grinning, calling out my name as I approach the table. Sienna’s head jerks up, her expression turning almost defiant as she watches me settle the three glasses of beer on our table.

“Gav,” she mutters, her lips barely moving.

“Sienna,” I throw back at her, equally hostile. I sort of hate it when she calls me by my nickname.

Nico has the nerve to crack up at our little exchange.

“Gav, this is Ryland Hartwig. We went to high school with him,” Coop says, indicating the guy Sienna is with.

“Hey.” Ryland thrusts his hand toward me, and I have no choice but to take it. “Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.” I give his hand a firm squeeze before I let go. “High school, huh?”

“We were on the wrestling team together,” Coop adds. “Though I quit after my freshman year.”

I eye Ryland up and down, not impressed. He doesn’t seem big enough to be on the wrestling team, but then again, the short, stocky guys tend to do pretty well competing in the sport, so what do I know?

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