Page 106 of The Game We Played

I growl. “I am not an idiot.”

Not anymore, at least. I made mistakes with Alaia. Trusted her when I know better than to trust anyone. Thought I loved her when I know love is a fucking mirage. My parents taught me those lessons at a young age. I forgot them for a while, but I remember now.

“Yes, you are,” Nolan says.

I point at him. “You’re the leader on the field. Off the field, you’re a teammate. Nothing more.”

“I’m your friend, which is why I’m trying to help you.”

“Help me! Sell your bullshit to someone else. You’re not helping me. You’re reveling in my misery while feeling all superior because your relationship is working out.”

“We’re not discussing Terri.”

“You refuse to discuss your relationship, but you want to stick your nose in mine. This isn’t what friends do.”

Gage squeezes my shoulder. “This is exactly what friends do when they realize theirfriendis being a fool and on the verge of losing the best thing to ever happen to him.”

“I am not losing my first-string position. I’ve worked my ass off this summer.”

Gage sighs. “Not talking about football and you know it.”

“I’m not discussing Alaia with you.” I don’t give the first shit how I sound like a broken record.

“What did she do?” Corbin asks.

I rear back. “Where do you get off asking? You never discuss Siena with us.”

He shrugs. “Don’t need to. You snoop and find out everything anyway.”

“There you have it. Snoop and figure everything out about my fake relationship with Alaia.”

Gage crosses his arms over his chest. “You can say your relationship is fake as often as you want. We know the truth.”

Suddenly, I’ve had it. I am done with this conversation.

“You don’t know shit. Do you know she contacted my agent and asked him for the video?” I don’t need to tell them what video. They know. “Do you know she paid Sam for the video for her big break?”

Nolan leans over until he’s up in my face. “Wrong.”

I shove him away. “I saw what I saw.”

“And what did you see?” he asks.

I wave away his question. “Alaia admitted she has the video.”

He lifts an eyebrow. “Did she explain how she got the video?”

“She told me a bunch of lies.”

“Lies?” Brock grunts.

“Yes, lies.”

“You know what?” Gage taps his chin. “I think we should leave things as they are. He doesn’t deserve her.”

“No, he doesn’t. But she deserves him,” Corbin claims.

I growl. “Alaia doesn’t deserve anything. She’s made her bed. She can lie in it.”