Page 11 of Game Plan

A guy with a beard and shoulder-length hair added, “Make it two.”

“Noted. Anything else?” I surveyed the table. Only then did I notice Nichols and two other guys were missing. I relaxed a little. “Anyone else joining you?” I pointed to the vacant seats with my pen.

“Nah,” a redhead with broad shoulders said. “Nichols got a booty call, and Vlad and Madden went to some party. Can I get the check? I’m leaving too.”

“Bring me a lemonade, please,” Mason asked.

“Lemonade, QB? What are you? A middle schooler?” someone asked, and laughter echoed around the table.

“Mind your own business, guys. I’m done drinking water, and Mel won’t serve me a beer even if I beg her to—not that I want one, anyway.” He shook his head quickly. “Never mind.”

“Lemonade?” I repeated, just to make sure.

“Yep.”

“Bring me one too,” another guy said.

“Fine. Me too,” another chimed in.

“Make that next round a lemonade one,” the guy with sandy-blond hair said with a loud sigh.

I chuckled despite myself. “All right, guys.”

I could feel Mason’s eyes following my retreat, and a new sensation blossomed inside me. He looked kinda cute when he ordered a lemonade and rambled while justifying his choice to his teammates—not that he needed to, but still, he looked like the kid version of himself when he did so.

A stupid part of me, the one I’d tried to lock down when we used to spend all our free time together in high school, relished the sensations his stare awoke inside me. Yeah, that traitorous part loved that my body was still reactive to anything Mason Pierce related.

My mind knew better, though.

If Mason had his pick of girls back in high school, I could only imagine how his college years would be. The guy was insanely good-looking. Even I couldn’t deny the fact. And I had heard many times how girls around campus fancied him. Knowing his past reputation, I’d be the last girl on his radar, and I was determined to keep it that way. I had no idea if he’d returned to his old ways, and I had no intention of ever finding out.

No, Mason Pierce wouldn’t steal my heart another time. Been there, done that. I would do anything to protect it from being broken ever again.

5

I don’t wanna be your friend, I wanna be your person

“Okay, hear me out. Now that you and Jayden are broken up for good, I think you should start dating again.” Jules pushed my feet aside and sat next to me on my bed.

We were in my dorm room, which had two single beds, matching dressers and desks facing a series of ribbon windows, two shoe-sized closets, a small fridge, and a microwave. Like the rest of the building, the walls were painted a pastel blue, and the floors were covered in sand-beige linoleum. While the comforter and pillows on my bed featured an array of colors, Cassidy’s were all neutral tones like slate gray and black, matching her wardrobe. My roommate had pinned posters of rock bands on her side of the room, while my walls were mostly bare, just a few pictures from back home and some medals pinned to the cork bulletin board above my bed.

I ran a fingertip along the stitching on my comforter. “Too soon. We only ended things officially like two weeks ago.”

“Exactly. It’s already October, and you’ve been hiding here unless you’re working, in class, or you’re training. I gave you time, but tonight you’re coming out with us.”

“Hard pass. Did you forget I had a meet earlier? I’m drained. I have a date, but with my bed, a warm blanket, some take-out Thai food, and a book or a movie. I may even treat myself to a face mask or a pedicure…or both. I have this new blush-peach nail polish my mom sent over, along with dark chocolate, fluffy socks, and a stuffed turtle in some sort of post-breakup make you feel good package I’m dying to try. You’re welcome to stay.”

“Can’t. I told Shawn I’d join him.” She bit on her thumbnail.

“Are you guys still together?”

“Let’s just say it’s still complicated. I love him.” She exhaled. “He’s asking for a little more time to deal with his shit, so I’m trying to be a supportive girlfriend and give it to him. He even hinted at us spending the holidays at his parents’ house in Kentucky. We’ll see.”

“He loves you. That is pretty evident every time he looks at you. Perhaps he needs to work through some stuff that happened to him before you. Childhood unresolved issues often haunt people when they grow up. We all need to care more about our broken inner child. I know mine has required more love than usual in the last year.”

“That’s deep.”

We exchanged small smiles.