Page 45 of End Game

Emma and Sullivan have hit it off, wandering away from his crowd of hangers-on to talk at a quiet table in the corner.

“Maybe I can call you sometime,” Trey says. “Can I get your number?”

Exhaling slowly, I look him over again. He’s cute. He smells nice. He’s reasonably charming. I’d love an orgasm that originates from an actual dick and not a silicone vibrator, a hard body pressing up against me in all the best ways. I’ve missed sex. It’s been a lonely few months. Waking up wanting this morning, I’m only more aware of what I can’t have.

Trey’s not my forever, but he might be fun for a few nights.

“Sure.”

When he pulls out his phone, I rattle off my phone number. My phone buzzes with a text—he must have messaged me his number.

“I should get back to my friends,” I say after an awkward pause. “I’ll see you around.”

He grins at me, his eyes flicking over my body again. “Yeah, for sure.”

Chapter 15

Diana

It’s been five days. Trey hasn’t texted me since I responded to his first “hey” message at the bar. I’m trying not to think about it.

Barrett is acting weird, too, ever since our impromptu sleepover. I’ve been hanging around with the defensive girls at dinner—breakfast is usually grabbed on the run to class and lunch is on my own, since my schedule doesn’t align with Johanna and the minions, nor with Barrett’s—and I’ve barely seen him all week aside from in passing. I haven’t even told him about Trey… not that there’s anything to tell. I met a guy, I gave him my number, and he hasn’t used it.

On Saturdays, I have to be on my own. Barrett is busy all morning prepping for his games. I don’t want to distract him. I hit the gym for a quick run on the treadmill and take myself to breakfast at the ASC.

Mason and Sam are eating with a bunch of their respective teammates. I’ve never seen the two friend groups interact before, softball players mixing with track and field. Awkwardly, I head over in their direction.

“You exist!” Mason crows. She jumps out of her seat and throws her arms around me. “We haven’t seen you in forever and a half!”

She practically pushes me into a chair.

“It’s been a little busy lately.”

“It’s that third week. It gets me every semester,” Sam says. “Right when you think you can handle it—bam! Your world blows up.”

“Tell me about it.” I tuck into my breakfast.

The girls introduce me around the table. Tamar and Aleesha are Sam’s teammates, and I’ve already met Fred, Bryce, and Mateo a few times in passing. Fred is in one of my dietetics classes and now that I’m putting a face to the name, Tamar is almost definitely in my new nutrition counseling study group. Huh. What a small world.

“The game starts at four, so we’re going to start tailgating around noon,” Sam says. “My sorority has a tent where you can come hang out.”

“Thank you. That would be… thanks.”

She shoots me a smile. “Any time. You’re one of us now.”

“It’s nice to be part of the group.”

“The only thing better than going to the game would be if the guys could hang out with us,” Mason says. “But that would kind of defeat the purpose. Even when they’re not playing in a specific game, they’re down on the field with the rest of the team.”

“I like watching them play,” I admit. “I grew up going to as many of Barrett’s games as I could. It’s definitely easier now that he’s playing on Saturdays instead of Friday nights.” And being in the same time zone doesn’t hurt. “My parents are going to try to come in for a few of his games.”

“That’ll be nice, having some family there,” Sam says. “I know they’re not—you’re not—”

“No, we’re not related,” I say dryly.

“He’s mentioned he considers your parents part of his family. He really likes them,” she tries to backpedal. “And since his parents are kind of… well…”

“Not supportive,” Mason says delicately.