Page 35 of Changing the Play

Yeah?

Me

Would you wear my jersey to the gamethis weekend?

“Read” pops up almost immediately, but he doesn’t respond. Then the chat bubbles show up and go away. For a solid five minutes, he doesn’t say anything despite all the typing he’s doing.

Finally, a message comes through.

Darcy

Isn’t that usually a… couple thing?

Hmm. Maybe it is. But I’d really like to see him wearing my name and number in the stands.

Me

Is this you worried again about what other people think?

He sends me an eye roll emoji that has me laughing.

Darcy

I’ll grab it after our tutoring session on Thursday.

Darcy

Parker is never going to let me hear theend of this.

I’m finishing up reading a chapter in my book when Darcy knocks on the door. He’s been doing that a lot lately. Knocking, that is. Ever since he walked in on me half naked.

I close the book and let him in, my heart fluttering in my throat when he smiles at me. God, he’s gorgeous. “Hey.”

“Hey,” he replies.

I haven’t seen him in person since the coffee shop, and everything feels a little awkward for me. I’m not sure how to navigate my feelings for him. It was one thing to flirt harmlessly with him when I didn’t realize I was attracted to him. It’s something different entirely now that I know. I don’t want to make him uncomfortable or mess up the easy dynamic we have between us.

His friendship means a lot to me, and I wouldn’t want to risk losing it. Not even to explore the new feelings I have for him. I enjoy spending time with him. I enjoy listening to him talk and share his passions. Maybe that’s enough.

I already know it won’t be. I wanteverything.

“Can I come in?” Darcy asks, staring at me like I’ve lost my mind. To be fair, Ihavebeen standing in the doorway staring at him for who knows how long without actually speaking.

I step back, gesturing for him to come in. “Of course. I’m sorry.”

He gives me a questioning look as he walks past me, but I don’t have any answers for him. Hell, I hardly have any answers for myself.

All I know is that this study session may be the hardest one yet, and not because of the subject matter.

Darcy walks past me, and when he does, his scent washes over me, making my pulse speed up as I take a deep breath through my nose, trying to capture more of it. This is hopeless.I’mhopeless.

I follow him to the couch, sitting down beside him as he spreads everything out across the table. “So, what’s on the agenda for today?”

He leans forward and I watch, transfixed, as his glasses slide down his nose. He pushes them up with the back of his hand absentmindedly. It’s a move I’ve seen him do a hundred times, but this time, I have to look away, shifting as my cock swells against my zipper and my pulse races. Since when is someone pushing their glasses up a turn on? This is getting out of hand.

Darcy opens his notebook, turning it to face me as he tells me what our lesson will be today.

The only problem is that once he starts diving into things, I don’t hear a single damn word he says.

---