Page 44 of Play It Off

“Pretty sure Everleigh spoke to Dollar and told him they could only be friends.” Coop grabs his bag and shuts his locker, turning to face me. “But that was a while ago. I thought we already discussed this.”

“Maybe we did.” I shrug. He’s probably right, but I don’t remember. I’m too wrapped up in my own shit to worry about anyone else, save for Sienna.

If I’m not thinking about football or school, I’m thinking about her. I pushed her away by calling her a distraction, and she still is. Maybe an even bigger one now.

Sienna’s beautiful face floats through my thoughts at this very moment, and I mentally shove the image away.

“No one is coming clean with their feelings around here, except for Ever with Frank. But when it comes to her and Nico? Forget it. They’re doing a little dance around each other, and neither of them is willing to take the lead,” Coop continues.

Huh. Coop nailed it.

“Nico has never been one to want a committed relationship,” I remind him, thinking of myself. Thinking of all of us, with the exception of Dollar.

“Yeah same. But from everything I see, Everleigh is a good girl. Sweet and quiet and patient with all of our asses, which says a lot. She doesn’t complain about living with us, either, and she has ample reason to complain because we’re annoying as fuck. Plus she’s been making us meals every night.”

“I thought you gave her reduced rent for the meals,” I point out.

“We do, but lately she’s making them every night when our original agreement was for three. She even got on Frank about that when we first talked about it, but now she’s just ... taking care of us all the time.” Coop rubs his cheek, the sound like sandpaper thanks to his stubble-covered face. “Nico would be an idiot to let that girl slip out of his hands. She’s practically perfect.”

I wonder if he would say the same thing about me and Sienna. Probably not. If he found out, he’d want to kick my ass.

“You sound like you have a crush on her too.” I’m teasing him, and I hope he realizes it.

“Nah. She’s great. Pretty. Smart. But I’m not interested in her like that. She’s not the girl for me.” Coop shakes his head. “We out of here or what?”

“Let’s go.” I grab my duffel, and we start to exit the locker room. “Who is the girl for you, my friend?”

“No one. I’m too scary.” He glances back at me and gives me a fierce scowl as he pushes open the door.

I laugh. “Oh, come on. You’re the nicest guy I know.”

“No one sticks around long enough to find that out. The girls I try to talk to are legit scared of me. Maybe someday I’ll find someone.” His tone is wistful, and it hits me.

Coop definitely wants to find someone. He might even have a particular someone in mind. But he sounds so damn defeated, I have a feeling he’s given up.

That’s kind of sad.

Nico drives all of us back to their house, and just as promised, Ever is in the backyard already setting up the yoga mats. Music is playing from a tiny pink speaker that’s sitting on the table on the patio, and the breeze ruffles the fronds of the two massive palm trees that are in the yard, giving off a peaceful vibe. Helps that we can hear the sound of the surf crashing onto the sand from the nearby ocean.

No wonder we all enjoy this. It’s the definition of tranquility.

“Hey, guys!” Everleigh’s face brightens when she spots us. She enjoys these yoga sessions, that’s for sure. “How was practice?”

“Rough,” Coop grumbles.

“I’m gonna go shower,” Nico calls from the sliding glass door, where he’s currently standing with half his body hanging out.

“Why are you wasting your time? You’re just gonna work up a sweat doing this,” I remind him.

“I stink enough already.” He glares at me and I almost laugh. This guy wants to smell good for his pretty little yoga instructor.

“I don’t think Everleigh cares. Do you?” I ask her.

She shakes her head, the single braid she has whipping with the movement. “Nope.”

“You’re an asshole,” Nico mutters as he steps out onto the patio and shuts the sliding glass door.

I’m grinning. It feels good to take the heat off me and aim it at someone else. After my little encounter a couple of years ago with Sienna, Nico lived for giving me endless grief because he saw us at the bar together. Saw us leave the bar together too. I’ve never given himtoo many details, but I have a feeling Sienna might’ve filled him in on what happened.

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