“I might have stretched the truth just a little. Coach won’t be here, but he knows about it. He says it’s good team-building. He would have found out if I had bailed, and he needs to know I’m a team player.”
“Do you not already show him that when you’re out on the field?”
“Loosen up.” He throws his arm over my shoulders. “Don’t take a drink from anyone but me.”
“You lied to me.” I ignore his statement about a drink. I’m not stupid, and I’m also not drinking. I’d rather have my wits about me. Besides, I’m sure Cooper will have a few, and one of us needs to make sure we get home safely.
“No, I added elements to the story to convince you to come with me. Come on, Reese. I don’t want to be known as the guy on the team who doesn’t socialize.”
“You don’t need me here to do that.”
“I would feel guilty all night long. How am I supposed to have fun when I’m worrying about you?”
“It’s not your job to worry about me,” I say the words, but I don’t mean them. I like that I know I have him to lean on, no matter what’s going on in my life.
“That’s what I do. What kind of best friend would I be if I didn’t?”
Right. Best friend. He’s more than that to me, but he’s never led me to believe we could ever be more. No, that’s just my traitorous heart falling for him when he’s off-limits. I think I was maybe thirteen when I first felt… something. Something other than friendship with my best friend. We were at the Valentine’s Day dance, and I was sitting on the bleachers, just taking it all in. My friends Janie and Beth were with me. Anyway, Janie and Beth were both asked to dance, so I was sitting alone. Cooper and a few of his friends were close by, and I tried to sink into myself. I should have known better. Coop noticed and left his friends standing mid-conversation and came to me.
He held his hand out for me, and I could feel my face heat with embarrassment. Not wanting to make a scene, I took it. He led me out onto the gym floor and put his arms around me. By this point, we’d hugged hundreds of times, but this time, it felt… different.
That was the moment that my heart began to wish he was more than just my best friend. That also triggered the rumors that we were more than just friends. It’s a battle we’ve fought since the day we met, but at thirteen, girls are cruel and full of jealousy. Coop has that tall, dark, and handsome thing going for him. He attracts female attention wherever he goes. However, I’m the only one who gets it unconditionally.
Hence the yearning from my heart. No matter how many times I try to stop it.
“There he is!” a loud voice calls out. “Our freshman running back. Get your ass over here, Reeves,” the very large, very loud guy orders.
Cooper, with his arm still around my shoulders, guides us to the group. At first glance it’s obvious they’re all football players. Tall, large, built guys surround the entire right side of the huge fire. When I say huge, I mean huge. It has to be at least fifteen feet wide.
“’Sup, rookie.” The large guy who called us over holds his fist out for Cooper.
“He’s hardly a rookie,” another one adds. He too offers Cooper his fist in greeting.
“This your girl?” the big one asks.
“This is my best friend, Reese. Reese, this is Levi.” He points to the big one. He’s by far the tallest guy here. “And this is Dustin.”
“Hi.” I wave awkwardly.
“Just friends, huh?” Levi asks, raking his eyes over my body. I can’t help the blush that I feel creeping across my cheeks at his attention.
“Yep. Since we were kids,” Cooper offers.
“What are you drinking?” Levi asks me.
“Oh, uh, nothing for me. Thank you.”
“Come on. You have to have a drink. We’re celebrating the upcoming season. We’re going all the way, baby.” He cheers, holding his red Solo cup up in the air.
“Does your coach know about the alcohol?” I ask Cooper.
“It’s the last hoo-rah of the season where he’s not going to scold our asses for drinking,” Dustin answers.
I nod. Pulling my gaze from the football players, I take in my surroundings. The fire is huge, and this field is full of college students, who, from the looks of it, are already well on their way to being two red Solo cups past being drunk. I’ve never been much of a drinker. I don’t like not having control or knowing who I might end up with, or worse, where I might end up the next morning. And who likes to wake up with a pounding headache and their mouth tasting like ass? No, I’ve never tasted ass and have no plans to. However, I could only imagine that the morning-after bender breath is the equivalent.
“Hey, Cooper.” A voice that sounds like a toddler purrs as she stops to stand in front of us. “I was hoping you would be here.” She sticks out her tits and twirls her hair on her finger.
Did I forget to mention that I’m still standing next to him and that his arm is still around my shoulders? We’re freshmen, new on campus by only two weeks. She has no idea who or what I am to him. And she doesn’t care. None of them do.
“I’ll be right back,” I tell him, removing his arm from my shoulders and stepping away.
“Where are you going?” he calls after me.
“Just over here.” I point to Levi and with more confidence than I feel make my way over to him. “Hey.” I wave awkwardly, and he grins.
“Hey.” He reaches into a cooler in the back of the truck he’s leaning against, pulls out a bottle of water, and offers it to me.
“Thank you.”
“No problem.” He winks. “So, your boy found someone else?”
“He’s not mine. We’re seriously just best friends. We’ve been neighbors since we were eight. He’s more of a brother,” I say in explanation. I leave out the part that I love him more than just a brother. Nobody wants or needs to hear that. Besides, that’s something I plan to take with me to the grave.
“Hop up here and have a seat.” He pats the tailgate next to him.
“Short girl problems,” I say, looking at the tall truck and the high tailgate.
He throws his head back and laughs, and before I know it, his hands are on my waist, causing me to squeal loudly in surprise, and he’s setting me on the tailgate. He picks up his cup and leans his elbow on the tailgate, his body facing me. He’s wearing a shit-eating grin. “Much better.”
“How tall are you?” I blurt the question. I’m sitting on the tailgate of this tall truck and we’re still almost eye to eye.
“Six six.”
I nod before saying again, “Thanks for the water.”
“You’re welcome. So, you’re a freshman too, right? I think I would have remembered seeing you around campus.”
“Yes. You?”
“Sophomore.” He’s looking out over the fire but then turns to face me. “You sure there’s nothing going on with the two of you? Coop’s giving me the death glare even through the fire. I can see the warning in his gaze.”
I don’t bother to look. I’ve seen that look on Cooper’s face many times. “He’s just protective. Trust me.” My gut twists just a little. I wish I was wrong, but that’s just not the case.