Page 48 of When Nothing Else Matters

I smile and nod, watching Kylie head toward her friends as Joel joins my side, raising his eyebrows.

“I’m going home with Kylie,” I say, raising my eyebrows as my lips pull up in a half smile.

“Ha, you’re funny,” he says sarcastically, elbowing me in the ribs.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask, despite knowing he can see right through my charade.

“Well, for one, you won’t admit it, but you’re hung up on Summer,” he says and I scoff, but he ignores me. “And another thing…cut the crap. You forget I know you.AndI briefly dated your sister. I know who Kylie is. They were best friends.”

“Dude, you can’t call it ‘dating.’ You and Lucy were kids!” I exclaim.

Joel wraps an arm around my shoulder, smirking. “And yet it still pisses you off.”

I shove him away, but the truth is, I love Joel like a brother, so while dating my sister would be weird, if anyone was going to do it… Actually, no, none of my friends may go there. Luckily, I know he’s joking.

“On that note, I’m off.”

“Okay, I’ll meet you at home in thirty.” He winks like a douche.Smart-ass. I give him the finger and walk away.

Across the room, I meet Luke’s eye, and he holds up a fresh beer to ask if I want another. We both know he’s not really asking me about the drink. I shake my head and grin. He rolls his eyes in response, but as he turns away, I see his smile. He would never say it outright, but I know he would prefer to see the player Dylan over the committed one. Too bad I can’t say the same. I can’t explain why I feel the need to make him believe I’m going home with Kylie, for reasons other than a lift home, but it’s a “no questions asked” escape and I’m taking it. I’ll tell the truth later. Maybe.

Kylie is leaning against the hood of a classic Ford Mustang convertible as I approach. Damn, she’s hot. Her position on the car has her dress rising slightly, showing off her long, toned legs. My eyes scan up from her stilettos, taking her all in, until I reach her face. She smirks when our eyes meet. Little Kylie Jenkins… Well, she’s not so little anymore, and yet will always be the little girl in pretty pink dresses to me. Growing up, she was my sister’s best friend. They were inseparable but have since drifted apart. We don’t advertise it, but we know each other well, and she’s doing me a solid here.

“You owe me big time. I could have hooked up for real,” she says, but it’s obvious she doesn’t mean it. Ignoring her comment, I walk closer. She smiles and stands, planting a kiss on my cheek.

“Thanks for that? How did you know Luke was on my back?”

“Why are you thanking me? Maybe I actually want to take you home,” she says as she runs her fingers through my hair.

I smile big at that. If that were true, I think it would have happened years ago. She’s a great catch, but…

“Have you changed teams since we last spoke? Because I’m up for it if—”

She slaps my arm and moves to jump in the car. She hasn’t come out publicly, so most guys at college still try their luck with her, but those that know her well have known the truth for years. And it’s not changing any time soon.

“Should I move into acting or stick to modeling?” she asks, peering at me over the open door while batting her eyelashes.

“Acting seems to be your calling.” I laugh, and then look at her seriously and add “thank you.”

I love my boys, but they don’t get it. They don’t understand that I’m not interested in one-night stands like they are. Letting them believe I’m out hooking up when I’m not is a shit thing to do, but sadly, it will keep them quiet for a while.

“Come on; jump in. Are you heading home?”

“Yes, home, thanks,” I say as I pull out my cell and check for anything from Summer. It’s a little concerning that two people called me out for having feelings for her. Joel, I get, he sees everything, but Luke? Do I act like I have feelings for her? Because I’ve been working really hard to suppress that. Seeing her with other guys wasn’t great, but surely that’s just because my head’s messed up since she came to the game.Right?I rub my hands down my face in frustration. God, I thought I was past this. I thought I was doing fine as her friend. I shake my head to rid my thoughts and jump in the passenger seat next to Kylie, waving to a few of my teammates hanging around outside.

As we drive past a few parked cars, I notice Summer standing next to a black Escalade, staring straight at me. I recognize the car, and another pang of jealousy hits me. The jealous feeling doesn’t surprise me, because I’m obviously not over her. What does surprise me is that Summer has the same jealous look aimed at me.

Chapter Twenty

Summer

Thesecondweenterthe bar, I secure myself a drink and a dance partner. My goal is to forget the last few hours and focus on the present. At some point between our movie night midweek and this moment, something changed between Dylan and me, and I’m not entirely sure how to deal with it. Jumping into his arms had been an impulsive decision and one I hadn’t given a second thought at the time. But as soon as he looked into my eyes and stared at me like I hung the moon, I knew something was different. I was different. I suddenly had the strongest pull toward him, more specifically, toward his lips. I’ve never wanted to kiss someone so badly in my entire life. And that scared the hell out of me, which is probably why I did what I did next.

For the rest of the night, I avoid Dylan at all costs, only allowing myself glances out of the corner of my eyes. I’m not naive. I know Dylan feels something for me. It’s not his feelings I’m concerned about. It’s mine. I spent my childhood and early teens being told over and over again that I’m not good enough. That no man will ever want me.

Keeping Dylan in the friend zone is the safest option for my heart and his. Developing feelings is out of the question. My dad may have been wrong about guys not wanting me. I’m definitely wanted. I’ve proven that many times over. Most of the guys even come back for more. But none have ever come close to showing me that there’s something out there worth opening myself up for.Until now.

I’m not even sure I trust myself enough to follow my instincts. If I’ve learned anything from my family, it’s that loving someone unconditionally, or otherwise, is giving them the power to completely destroy you. I’ve experienced that firsthand, and I’m not prepared to go through it again.

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