Page 51 of End Game

Diana runs her hands through her hair, detangling the waves. “Laundry, lunch, a little bit of homework before the team meeting, then we get on the bus for the airport at three.”

“I’m sorry you’re missing the pilates class.”

She gives me a half-smile. “I’ll be there next week.”

“Yeah, but I won’t.”

Her smile drops. “Oh, yeah.”

This is how the season goes. I have a game, then she has one; mine is home, hers is away. She comes back Tuesday night and then has a home game on Thursday; I leave Friday morning for my away game. If we play our cards right, I might be able to see her on Wednesday for a bit, in between my study group for forensic accounting, the team film review, and her psychology department dinner. Or maybe Thursday after her game we can meet up for a late dinner or something.

The only saving grace is that we’re finally physically in the same place. We aren’t playing phone tag from opposite sides of the country; now, we have the same home base. Plus, my season ends at the end of the semester; this will end in a few short months.

Tightening my grip on my towel, I attempt to maneuver into my shorts, and succeed in nearly flashing my best friend. Diana swallows loudly, so loud I can hear it from across the room.

“I’ll be right back,” she announces loudly, and escapes into the bathroom.

Quickly, I pull on clothes and run my towel over my hair. When I hear the shower turn on, I select one of my smallest t-shirts for her to change into, should she decide to need it. It’ll still be almost a dress on her.

When she emerges from the bathroom with my spare towel wrapped around her torso, her hair wet and loose around her shoulders, my pulse ricochets up three beats. Her pretty purple toes flex into the carpet. My stomach twists.

“I’ll let you get changed,” I announce. “I’ll be downstairs.”

Taking the stairs two at a time, I arrive on the ground floor to find Mack folding the blanket that covered her last night. She looks up and smiles shyly at me.

“Thanks for letting me stay here last night,” she says.

“Any time.” I can’t speak for all of my roommates, but I totally don’t mind if she crashes on our couch—especially if it means Diana has to bunk in with me.

Mack is family. She’s Miles’s sister, she’s a freshman, and she’s a fellow athlete. From the little I’ve overheard from Miles, her roommate is a raging bitch, so if she wants to hang out here, I’m not going to complain. She’s quiet. She doesn’t bring guys back to crash on the couch with her. She hangs out, she reads, and she gives Miles shit, which is something he needs sometimes. Yeah, it could be a lot worse.

“Did you have fun last night?”

She makes a face. “I don’t think I like parties very much.”

“Why? What happened?”

“There’s too many people,” she says, and I laugh. “I don’t know what to do with my hands. I don’t like beer very much. I can’t relax.”

“It takes some getting used to,” I admit. “The party scene isn’t for everyone. There’s no shame if it’s not your cup of tea. Wes doesn’t party, either, and Tucker will go out, but he doesn’t drink. You have to find what you’re comfortable with.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

“You’re only eighteen. You have plenty of time to decide what you do and don’t like. There’s no need to force yourself to be someone that you’re not,” I remind her. “Don’t put yourself in a box for the sake of everyone around you. Be who you want to be, whatever you are or aren’t interested in. Own that.”

Mack nods her head, biting her lip. “I’ll think about it.”

There are footsteps on the stairs and then Diana appears at the landing. My heart skips a beat. She’s wearing the shirt I left for her with my hoodie from yesterday over it, her wet hair tied back in a braid. She looks absolutely fucking gorgeous.

“We’re going to grab something to eat,” I announce to the room at large. I look at Mack, who is standing awkwardly at the end of the couch. “Would you like to join us?”

She swallows. “You want me to come with you guys?”

“The two prettiest girls on campus on my arm on Sunday morning? Hell, yeah,” I say with an exaggerated wink, and like I expect, Mack goes pink.

Diana laughs. “You’re incorrigible.”

“You love me.”