Page 22 of Matched By My Rival
“Who’s the girl?”
“What?”
“You were totally mooning over your phone tonight. Someone’s got you on the hook.”
I shook my head, but I could feel my face giving me away even as I lied. “It was just a friend.”
“Uh-huh.” He stared at me hard, and when I didn’t offer anything more, he shrugged. “Keep your secrets then. But she must be pretty amazing to make you grin like such a dope.”
Johnston fell into step with us as we left the study center, crossing the parking lot in the direction of the athletic dorms. “Have you met Reed? He’s always got a dopey grin on his face.”
“Fuck you,” I said with a laugh. “My smile is my best feature. Gotta flaunt it.”
They both snorted with skepticism. Fuckers. I bet BiCurious would appreciate my smile. Appreciate a lot of things these guys would never understand.
“Keep telling yourself that,” Hinkel said with a smirk.
“Yeah, maybe just don’t look in the mirror while you do it.”
I shoved Johnston, and he barely budged. Fucking linebackers. He shoved me back, and I tipped into the bushes. They both cackled into the night.
* * *
SIMON
I drove the work truck to the two-story behemoth we were tackling for House Pledge so Cooper could ride over with Trace. Since they were both in town this weekend, I was off the hook as site foreman for the day.
I glanced out the window as I came to a stop, spotting Parker milling around with the other volunteers. He’d returned, even after I’d made him wallow in the mud. With a smile on his face, because not even getting thrown into a shit job and ridiculed could get under his skin. Parker has always been that way. Hell, he’d grinned at me right after I punched him. Who the hell did that?
That got me thinking about something HotPan had said. I’d maybe been a little insensitive about the idea of expectations. Hadn’t I stepped up as foreman—anddealt with Parker—because I’d promised Cooper he could count on me?
Linc, who rode along with me, dived out his door the moment we pulled to a stop. I took my time, pulling out my phone to send a text off to my new chat buddy.
In all fairness, I do know what it means to have expectations weigh on you.
He was quick to respond:Yeah?
I don’t care what people think, in general, but sometimes we owe people.
HotPan22:Like family?
BiCuriousStud:Maybe. Or friends. People who have your back and now you need to have theirs.
HotPan22:Ah, so you’re loyal.
BiCuriousStud:When someone earns it.
HotPan22:And have I?
BiCuriousStud:Not yet
HotPan22:Oh brutal truth!
BiCuriousStud:But I’m hoping you will. I think you will.
I repocketed my phone, feeling myself flush as Cooper’s voice drifted through the cracked window. “Gather round everyone! We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
I got out, surveying the lawn. Parker put away his phone and stepped forward, as if eager for more punishment. Or maybe he was just eager to get his assignment from someone who wasn’t me. I noticed Darnell hadn’t come with him this time. He’d probably only come along the week before to ensure I didn’t bloody Parker when he dared to show his face. Darnell had told me last year when I’d suggested he could come with me to one of these jobs that he didn’t go to college to do construction work. He went to college to getoutof the life of manual labor his father lived.
