Page 3 of Hate the Game
I shoved him away without any real force. “Honestly? She seems dumb enough to let you get away with it. I don’t think we have to take her seriously as a journalist so maybe it’d be fine to dip the company pen.”
One of the other guys from the team walked by. “You’re talking about that Savannah? A bunch of the guys already have a bet going about who gets her first. Second, third, and fourth are all up for grabs. After that, she’ll just be considered team equipment so no bets then.”
I scowled at him and nodded to the door like we hadn’t just been having the same shitty conversation about Savannah Lane. “This is the junior and senior lounge. Out.”
When he didn’t move fast enough Cole stood up and cracked his knuckles. “Give me a reason.”
That hurried him along.
I turned my mind away from Savannah and counted her out. She’d just be another warm body clinging to the sidelines. If I noticed her at all, it’d only be in passing. If I had to answer a few stupid questions to keep her happy, that was fine, too. Just as long as she stayed out of my way.
***Savannah***
The first week of practice was an act of godlike patience for me. Watching the team that hurt my brothers practice some of the same plays they’d used during the Texas game made me want to cut someone. Instead, I sat in the bleachers and did my best to look pretty and stupid. I’d even gone so far as to buy a copy ofFootball for Dummies. I made sure it was next to me and plainly visible.
With my eyes hidden behind giant sunglasses I was able to watch whoever I wanted without pretending to be confused. I studied The Apex Three. I watched Jax lead the team with the same cold focus that his dad coached with. I watched Cole batter whoever got in his way and Ryder terrify people out of his way. One look at the face of the giant Defensive End and I understood why people fled when they saw him coming. He was beyond intense.
I took notes on my phone that I transcribed into a document at night. I watched them while pretending to work on my tan, even going so far as to lower the straps on my sundress and kick off my boots so I could stretch my legs out and tan my feet andtoes, too. I saw them look twice at me more than a few times, but every time I attempted to get closer to ask any questions they ignored me and vanished.
I wasn’t getting close enough, but I wasn’t sure about making the next move to get closer. It was stupid. I had full access to my main three targets. I just had to leave my door open so they’d see that it was me living across from them. I was struggling with taking that last step, though.
I had this one bit of privacy where I could be myself and revealing that I was so close to them would mean extending my act. It was exhausting to play dumb for so many hours a day. Of course, the program through Varsity Ledger was a full transfer for one semester. I was enrolled as a student at USC and that meant I had to take classes while also trying to destroy The Apex Three. My dumb act was forced to carry into class, too, and it was killing me to have to look stupid in an academic setting.
Another issue I was having was that in my “free” time, I was going out with different footballers. The team didn’t seem to have an issue with my curves and I’d been invited out almost every night to one event or another. In an effort to keep up my act I went out all the time and I was just tired. I’d never gone out so much in my life. I missed my bed and reading.
The only thing that kept me going was knowing I was working towards USC’s Great Reckoning. After being ignored at another practice and going out to a bowling alley with several guys from the team I was done. I damn near crawled home and locked myself in my room with a headache that didn’t know how to quit and the worst taste in my mouth from drinking dirt cheap bowling alley beer.
I’d just stretched out on the floor when my phone rang. The shrill sound pierced my brain until I grabbed it to shut off the ringer and accidentally answered. I barely bit back a groan when I saw it was my dad.
“Savannah Lane Ford? What’s this I hear about you transferring out of Texas? This is a Texas family, young lady, and it has been for decades. What’s this all about?” Sam Ford was a massive man, football hero to all of Texas, and cared more about optics than he did his own children.
“Hello to you, too, Dad. It’s been a few months. Things are going well for you?”
He groaned. “Don’t start that shit, Savannah. I’m busy and you know it. I don’t have time for your games. Tell me why you transferred.”
“Busy with what? What are you up to these days?” I knew the truth. Sam Ford had been off the field for a long time and he’d worked a few table top shows for another decade or so. He still did some correspondent work but mostly he slept with women my age and demanded things from the people around him.
“Goddammit, Vannah. You have your mother’s attitude and it’s not cute.” He knew he’d landed a low blow but didn’t bother apologizing. “Come back to Texas.Now.”
He hung up on me but before I could even put the phone down it rang again. Even though my head was throbbing even harder when I saw it was my brother, Hayes, I answered.
“Whatever you do, don’t answer Sam’s call.” Hayes interpreted my silence correctly. “Damn. He got to you already, huh?”
I groaned. “Yep. I tried to reject it and accidentally answered it. I have the headache to end all headaches and he wanted to lecture about how we’re a Texas family. As if we even count as a family most days.”
“Hey, now.” He’d instantly lowered his voice. “We count as a family. You, me, Cash, and Weston. We’re a family, Vannah. Don’t forget it, either.”
I felt like crying out of nowhere. “I miss y’all.”
He grumbled something that sounded a lot like he missed me, too. “Come on, Vannah. Don’t cry. If you’re unhappy there andneed to escape, you can come live with us. We’d never tell Sam you came back. He could keep believing you were in LA and going against his wishes. Not that I don’t fully believe you’re capable of staying there and getting the job done.”
I pulled myself up and leaned against the side of my bed. “Thank you. I’m staying, though. I came here with a purpose and I’m not leaving until I get the job done. These guys are assholes, Hayes. I’ve been following them around for two weeks and they just ignore me.”
“They ignore you? How? You’re the most annoying person in the world when you want something.”
I hugged my knees to my chest and blew out a deep sigh. “The one thing I didn’t tell y’all about my plan is that I’m playing the part of stupid airhead with bigger boobs than brains.”
He gagged. “Don’t talk about your boobs to me, Savannah Lane.”
