Page 112 of Pick Me

“Caress yourself? Oh, talk dirty to me, Pyro.”

“Enough,” Tanner said, slamming his hand down on the counter, making us both jump. Wow, that was more emotion than we usually got from him. “I am not in the mood to listen to any more of your bickering. We all get it. You hate each other, but can you please just do it a little more quietly?”

My shoulders fell as I studied my friend without the distraction of Thea for a second. Last night, I thought he looked tired, but today, the weight of the world was on his shoulders. He’d been the face of the Covey U Wildcats since he joined. Even when he was failing out of his classes, he saved himself by convincing Aster to tutor him. He was the most determined guy I’d ever had the privilege of playing with, and I finally saw the strain all over his face. All the hard work was catching up to him, and it was more than he could handle.

“Sorry,” Thea quipped, pursing her lips together.

“Yeah, sorry. Your sister’s not that bad. She might talk a lot, but overall, she’s a pretty nice girl.” I flicked my gaze to Thea’s. Her shoulders relaxed, and she had the hint of a smile on her face.

“I suppose Jackson isn’t too bad either. It’s not his fault he lacks charm—he once tried to flirt with someone by complimenting their Wi-Fi signal.”

“Aw, are you telling me that didn’t work? Maybe you can help me learn more for next time.”

“I think you need it.”

“Wait, are you guys getting along?”

I looked at Thea, wondering if I had the same telepathy abilities as she and Tanner had and started sending her messages.

He asked. We should tell him. It’s the perfect opportunity.

“No. He’s still an asshole, but I’ll put up with for him tonight.” Her fingers curled around her crossed arms, and she stuck her nose up in mock-annoyance. Thea was doing her best to give the game away. The only thing stopping Tanner from noticing was how distracted he was with Aster.

“Tonight?” I asked in confusion. “Why do I have to put up with you tonight?”

“Because I’m your date for the dinner. Don’t you remember?”

“We never agreed to that.” Then I looked at Tanner, and I could see it in his eyes without him saying a word. He wasn’t averse to begging, and I knew he would ask me to bring her again, like he did every single time we had a group football event she wasn’t invited to.

“It’s only a few hours,” Tanner said.

I raised my hand. “You’re lucky you’re going through things with your girl, otherwise we’d be having a stern conversation about boundaries right now.”

We really wouldn’t. For the first time in my college career, I was happy Thea was my date, which made me start to wonder how much better our time would have been spent at all these events if I had given into my feelings for her sooner.

“I know, and I’m lucky to have you as a friend,” Tanner said, and I nodded in agreement. “I have no doubts you’ll be the face of the Covey Wildcats once I’m gone.”

My brows knitted together, and I looked at him with intrigue. “You think so? I’m not a cute quarterback with a manbun. I don’t think I’ll have the same appeal.”

“But you’re determined and focused,” Thea added, her mask slipping a little. Was she looking at me with a twinkle in her eyes. Could her brother see? Keeping a secret with Thea was next to impossible.

Tanner was equally confused by her outburst, and she raised her hands. “What? I might not like the guy, but I call it like I see it.”

“Yeah, well, maybe I’ve found something worth fighting for.”

Tanner slapped me on the back, knocking me out of the moment I was having with Thea. “That’s the spirit. You’re going to get a great spot in the draft next year, I can feel it.”

The draft… Sure, that was what I was focused on.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Thea

“Have I mentioned how hot you look tonight?” I asked, because honestly, no other word did him justice. Jackson in a suit shouldn’t have been anything new—I’d seen him dressed up before—but tonight felt different. Tonight, he felt like he was mine, and I could finally give him the attention and praise he deserved. Maybe it was just me, but his jawline looked sharper than ever, and I had to physically stop myself from running my tongue along it.

Jackson’s grin was wide as he held his jacket open and did a little spin for me, adding a hip shake in. It was cute and kind of hot. Not that I’d let him know that.

He buttoned his jacket up and winked. If this were a couple of weeks ago, I’d want to smack that smile right off his face. Now, I just wanted to kiss him senseless. What was wrong with me?! “You’re not just saying that? I’ve gained a little weight in the offseason, and it’s made it feel pretty tight.”

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