Penn State with him.
And we’d have long and successful college football careers... together.
In his mind, there was no other option.
“Hey, you okay?” He grabbed my shoulder, eyes hard on my face.
“Yeah, I’m good.” The lie rolled off my tongue. “Come on, we have a game to win.”
We won forty-six to twelve in the end. Our offense was fast, our defense impenetrable. And in Coach’s words, ‘we outplayed them like a dream’. But the win was bittersweet.
After we’d left the field and gone back to the locker room, I’d picked up a voicemail from Dad saying they wouldn’t be able to attend the game. He’d left it ten minutes after kick-off. So while my teammates were all pumped about seeing their friends and family who were waiting outside to congratulate us, all I wanted was some air.
It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate people coming out to support us, I did, but it was a painful reminder I didn’t have the people I wanted most waiting for me in the gathered crowd.
“Good game, Cam,” Khloe sauntered over to me as I waited for the rest of the guys.
“Thanks,” I grunted, kicking at the dirt with my sneaker.
She moved closer and her tits brushed my arm. “Are you heading to Bell’s?”
“I’m not sure what the guys want to do yet.” Or if I even wanted to celebrate.
My eyes scanned the parking lot to where Asher and some of the other guys were signing autographs and taking photos with fans, while Jase and his dad talked to Coach.
“Well, maybe we could—” Her voice trailed off as I spotted Hailee across the lot, walking with Felicity to her ugly fucking car.
What was she doing here?
She hated football, almost as much as she hated Jason. And after the pep rally, I never thought she’d step foot in the place again. That was kind of the point. Yet, here she was. Taunting me. Making me wish things were different.
“So, what do you think?” Khloe’s hand laid on my arm, and I glared down at her, frowning.
“What?”
“I said maybe we can hang out sometime, just the two of us?” Code for: she wanted to fuck me.
“Listen, Khloe, I’m not…” Hailee’s eyes found me, narrowing with contempt, hate radiating from her, even from all the way across the parking lot. Or maybe it wasn’t hate at all, maybe it was jealousy.
Slinging my arm around Khloe’s arm, I gauged Hailee’s face for a reaction. Her lips parted as her breath hitched. Bingo. Dipping my head to Khloe’s ear, I whispered, “I think you’d have better luck with Mackey. That kid is going places and I know he thinks you’re hot.”
Unlike me, who didn’t do sloppy seconds, most of the guys shared girls around.
“Yeah?” She smiled up at me, but I still had my eyes fixed on Hailee.
She watched for another second before shaking her head a little and climbing in her friend’s car. I’d wanted to get a rise out of her, to engage her after a week of us ignoring one another. It was supposed to make me feel better, to give me that tingle of excitement I felt whenever we interacted. But this time, all I felt was the bitter sting of dejection and a boatload of regret.
“Hey, man,” Asher came over. “Was that Hailee I just saw climbing in Felicity’s butt-ugly car?”
“Hailee? She was here? At a football game?” Khloe glanced over her shoulder with a sneer. “Wow, she’s got bigger balls than I—”
“I think I see Mackey over there,” I said, cutting her off.
“Yeah?” Hope sparkled in her eyes.
“Yeah, see.” I pointed over to where he stood with the rest of the guys. “You should go say hi.”
“O-okay. See ya.” She walked away with a bounce in her step and Asher said, “What the hell was that about?”
Shrugging, I kicked the dirt again, “I told her Mackey was into her.”
“He’s into anything with a pussy.”
“Lucky for her then.”
“You okay, man? Your parents never made it?”
Giving him a little shake of my head, I mumbled, “No.”
“Shit, bro, I’m sorry. Listen, you want to come back to the house and hang out? Mom’s making lasagna.” Despite his parents being out of town a lot, whenever they were back, Mrs. Bennet insisted on having quality family time.
“Nah, I should probably get home and make sure everything is okay.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yeah but tell your mom and dad I said hi.”
Asher clapped me on the back before making his way over to his Jeep.
“Yo, Chase,” it was Jase’s voice. “Are you coming