Nice Guys Don't Win (The Boys #2) - Micalea Smeltzer Page 0,69

the side of his head.

“I swear you have the apartment wired.”

“Nah, I’m just damn intuitive.” He chews on a handful of popcorn. “So, have you and Cole boned yet?”

I spit out the orange flavored soda I bought. “Teddy!”

He cackles merrily. “Give me a heads up beforehand. I do not need to catch Mom and Dad having sex.”

“First off, Cole and I … it’s not going to happen.” I swallow past the lump in my throat that’s shaped like the word lie. “Secondly, you have got to give us the key back.”

“Never. I need to escape when Jude invites his groupies over. Gotta be on my best behavior, remember?”

“What’s up with that?” I inquire. He keeps hinting that he’s in deep shit with his parents but never elaborates. “It has to be more than that video of you.”

From bits and pieces I’ve picked up, the school wide viral video of Teddy stripping at a party is sadly normal for him.

He sighs heavily, his eyes growing serious for a change. “I got drunk over the summer, stole a yacht—in my defense I thought it was my parents’ yacht.”

“Because that makes stealing a yacht justifiable.”

“Exactly! I thought I was borrowing it!” More popcorn ends up in his mouth. “Anyway, threw a party on it, the interior was completely trashed, and since I was wasted, I crashed it into the wharf. Cost over a million dollars in damages. My dad was not pleased to say the least. So, now, I have to be on my best behavior, or I’m cut off for good.”

“Sounds tragic,” I say sarcastically. It’s not like I grew up poor, but I definitely didn’t live a life where I could’ve stolen and crashed a yacht.

“It really truly is. I’m not taking all these business classes not to take it over.”

“Business, huh?” I’ve never talked to Teddy about what he’s studying. “What does your dad do?”

“Mostly just sit on his ass and bark orders at his minions.”

“That’s not what I—”

I’m interrupted by the start of the game and I forget all about Teddy’s woes as the guys come onto the court.

Immediately my eyes find Cole’s form and the sound of the announcers and stadium is lost to me as I watch him. He looks at ease out there, like he belongs. My dad says something to him, and he nods.

I grew up around basketball, and I’ve always been interested in the game as a whole. I mean, I even played for years.

But this is the first time when everything else has faded to the background and I’ve only been focused on one player.

My eyes follow Cole the entire game as he runs up and down the court. His body is a lithe machine. By the third quarter he’s drenched in sweat, but not even breathing heavily. He’s a sight to behold and if I wasn’t falling for him before I definitely would be now.

He sinks the ball into the net and my heart stutters with the realization of how much I want him.

It’s more than pure attraction.

It’s who he is as a whole.

For the rest of the game, my mind is lost, and when the final buzzer goes off, I blindly jump and cheer with my friends.

“Do you think they’re still selling popcorn?” Teddy asks as we walk up the stairs.

I eye him, arching a brow. “No.”

“Darn.” He wads up the empty bag and tosses it into the trash can when we get near one. Pulling out his phone, he says to the four of us, “Party at Cree’s house? You guys in?”

Mascen defers to Rory and she wrinkles her nose. “Not tonight.”

“Boo, you whore,” he mocks. “Kenna?”

“Nah, I have some homework to catch up on.”

Teddy clasps his hands beneath his chin, pouting at me. “You’re my last hope, Zoey. Let’s go.”

I’m not really in the mood to party, but the team did win, and I imagine Cole will want to celebrate.

“Fine, I’m in.”

“Yes!” He fist pumps the air and tosses his arm around my shoulder. “You guys are missing out,” he says to the other three.

“There will be more parties.” Mascen takes Rory’s hand. “We’re out.”

“We need to do another girl’s day soon.” Kenna squeezes my arm and then she’s following the other two.

Teddy and I walk together to the parking lot. I rode with him and it was my first time in his sleek sports car. I’ve never been a car girl, but this one is a literal dream. The dashboard looks like a spaceship, the leather is buttery