Page 5 of Set Play

Her pretty eyes roll skyward, but her smile widens slightly before it falls entirely. “Flattery will get you absolutely nowhere, Big Shot.” She lightly shoves my chest, just enough to drive in her point. Gesturing between us, she continues, “This isn’t happening. It can’t. Ever.”

She refuses to look at me, which bothers me more than her actual words. My hands itch to force her to look me in the eyes and say it again, but the parking lot isn’t big enough.

Her steps slow as we come to a dark Camry, and my heart, which had dropped at her declaration, free falls to the ground.

I want to ask her why. I want to know how she can walk away from our chemistry. I want to ask her to give this a chance.

But we just met and I won’t be another guy who doesn’t listen. I may not like it, but I can accept rejection. So rather than pushing it, I let my arm fall from her shoulders and step back.

“It was lovely meeting you, Chispita. I’m glad I could help deal with the pendejo that was harassing you. I hope one day we meet again. And who knows, maybe then, it won’t be fake.”

With clear intent, I slowly move to kiss her cheek; however, just before I make contact, Élise shifts causing my lips to meet hers. I step in to make the best of it, especially if it is the last kiss I get from her, but a flash interrupts. Again.

No, wait…this time there’s multiple flashes.

Mierda.2

1. Y mi mama? Que en paz descanse = And my mama? May she rest in peace.

2. Mierda = shit

Chapter 4

Élise

Reporters surround us, but rather than pulling away from me, Mateo uses his body to shield me from their cameras.

Merde. I shouldn’t have turned my head. I don’t know why I did.

Uh, maybe because he’s hot and probably the best kisser you’ve ever experienced?

I ignore my inner voice, reminding myself of the reasons I have to hate the man in front of me. A task made infinitely easier as the possibility that Henri won’t hear of this gets smaller and smaller with each camera flash.

Wincing inwardly, I try to think of something that will not piss Henri off even more. He definitely won’t buy “it’s not what it looks like,” when he sees all these pictures.

Not with how much the two of them hate one another.

He’s been locked in a nasty rivalry with Mateo since their junior years of university. In the six years since, they have been nothing but absolutely horrendous toward one another.

To some extent, I understand it; Henri is a goalkeeper while Mateo is a midfielder, meaning they are in direct opposition in their jobs.

But that doesn’t justify the horrible things the two of them say about and to one another.

Honestly?

Witnessing Henri go through this kind of shit with the press has me constantly thanking whatever deity watches over us all that fate intervened in my life before I pursued the same path.

Once upon a time, I thought that I wanted to be a professional athlete, but a spinal injury at fourteen stole that option from me. Back then, I thought it was the end of life as I knew it, but now, I see it for the blessing it was.

I couldn’t have dealt with being in the spotlight the way Henri does, which is why he works so hard to keep me out of it. That thought brings my mind back to the man in front of me and the main reason I have to hate him.

He dragged me, an innocent girl, into the spotlight of their rivalry just to get under my brother’s skin. I’d never even met the asshole at that point!

I may not know the specifics of what was said; I’ve never actually read any of the articles about their rivalry. But Henri made me promise to never look it up, saying he didn’t want me slipping back into the dark mentality I had been in for years after my injury. The concern in his voice had been enough for me to know it was really bad.

Memories slam into me, followed by a wave of sadness as I realize that the man I met tonight was a lie.

I force myself to step back from Mateo’s warmth. His stormy eyes flicker with resignation as he dips his chin. Another flash and his expression shifts to pure annoyance as he takes in the crowd around us.