Friends with Benefits - Nicole Blanchard Page 0,20
anyone else. It had taken me years to get used to it. Which was funny because he said the same thing about us Florida natives. He still gave me a hard time for each y’all. I gave him a hard time whenever he shouted, “Yeah, buuudddy,” for no reason at all.
I fell silent for several reps. “No reason; just been busy.”
“You’re a terrible liar, dude.” He said liar like “li-uh.” “You’re still trippin’ over that sexy-ass neighbor of yours.” He switched to lat raises, shaking his head. “You’re hopeless. Why don’t you just put the moves on her?”
“I’m not having this discussion.” Again.
And especially not now.
“We’re gonna keep having it until you give it up. The girl has a boyfriend.”
“No, she doesn’t,” I said before I could think better of it. I winced, even as the words passed my lips. I wished I was a better liar.
His eyes widened. “Dude!”
“Don’t read into it,” I warned.
“C’mon, bro. This is the last chance you’re ever gonna get with this girl. You better hop on that before she’s locked down again.”
“I can’t do that. She’s really broken up and shit. She doesn’t need me being a douche about it.”
“If you say she needs a friend, I’m gonna slug you one.”
I focused on my reps for a few. “She does just need a friend.”
“That’s it; I’m gonna hit you. Someone has to knock some sense into you.”
“Not every chick is DTF, man. Even if it was like that, I’m not that kinda guy anymore.”
“We’re all that kinda guy. You’re just stuck on this chick. I don’t know what you see in her that’s got you so twisted.”
“I’m not twisted up about her.”
“You’re so twisted, you might as well be a fuckin’ pretzel. I wish you two would just fuck and get it over with. Then maybe you’d be my wingman again.”
“I’m still your wingman,” I said indignantly.
He scoffed. “You haven’t been my wingman since you laid eyes on that girl.”
“Whatever, man.”
“I’m telling you,” he said as we moved to the benches, “if you’d get her into bed, you’d get her outta your system. Yeah, buddy!”
I was avoiding her.
Call me a dick, but it was best for both of us, especially considering the conversation I’d had with Alex. Spending more time with Ember would only be a bad idea; she had enough on her plate to deal with as it was. Besides, I doubted getting her into bed would get her out of my system.
My phone chimed with a notification as I got on the elevator after a brutal practice. I was sore from my shoulders to my toes, but my throwing arm especially had taken a beating since I had resolved to throw myself into ball to forget all the things I wanted to do to Ember. I unlocked the screen and found an email from my mother. It had been a couple of days, but they didn’t often check their email, and Ember had a few more days before she was in desperate straits without a sitter to watch the girls for her shifts.
Tripp,
I’d love to watch the girls for Ember. Does she have a set schedule, or is she on rotating shifts? Why don’t you bring them by for dinner tomorrow if they’re available, and we’ll discuss the details?
Thank you for thinking of me!
Love, Mom
Shit.
It’s not that I didn’t want to see her. In fact, she occupied most of my thoughts—and even my dreams—at this point. I couldn’t seem to get her out of my head. It didn’t matter how hard I pushed myself at practice or how many books I tried to bury myself in; the only thing I was able to focus on was Ember.
I blamed Alex for all his shit talking.
All I could think about was getting her outta her clothes and into bed once and for all.
The way her hair had felt, silky and fine against my bare chest, haunted me. I couldn’t keep the imprint of her body from haunting my senses like a ghost. I’d wake up in the middle of the night and be disappointed she wasn’t there beside me.
They’d let us out of practice and training early today since it was a holiday weekend, and Coach Taylor was going to get reamed if he didn’t spend it with his wife. I’d tried to convince them to let me stay and lock up, but no dice.
My plan was to stop by, extend the invitation from my parents, and then get the hell out of there.