Page 17 of One Bet

Why?

Ten minutes for that? Where was the friendship?

Because I’m not that kind of girl. I wouldn’t even know what would turn him on.

Just try. I ignored the fact he’d never been so pushy before because I had asked for his help.

And it took a few minutes of staring at the phone and trying to remember what I’d read online before I finally typed and hit send quickly so I wouldn’t chicken out. Even though it was only to Alex, it felt deeply personal and naughtier than I was used to. Just laying here touching myself while I think about you.

The little dots blinked again. Really?

Alex and I were friends….had been friends, would hopefully always be friends, but I wasn’t giving him that kind of information, or maybe he meant really like it was a poor attempt at sexting. Too much?

I chewed my nail, but the text came back quickly. Hell no. Tell me more.

Alex! And it was then that I looked at the top of the screen and saw Keaton’s name instead of Alex’s.

Damn. I must’ve switched over after I asked Alex for help and not switched back. A quick look through the texts confirmed my stupidity. My skin caught fire and I couldn’t breathe. The three dots flashed. Then stopped. Then flashed again.

Not Alex.

Not the revelation he probably thought, although the absolute confirmation made my stomach churn. Oh shit, I tossed the phone on the bed and pulled a pillow over my face. If it ever pinged again, I didn’t want to know. But it did, and I couldn’t not look.

Please don’t tell me if it’s not true.

My heart leaped and I wanted to be flirty and cool. There had to be something I could say that wouldn’t give me away as a phony. I thought and thought before I came up with... Wouldn’t you like to know? My finger hovered for a while before I hit send.

The reply came immediately. Fuck yes. I would love to know.

Keaton Shaw made everything so easy, this was just another thing I added to the list of things to like about him.

12

Keaton

I watched the talent on the field and my stomach clenched, no way would I stay relevant in a league that had this caliber of up-and-coming rookies. But even with my sad realization, something about this place, this stadium comforted me, here I was a hero, a superstar. Once upon a time, I’d worn the red and black uniform, thrown the winning pass, brought home a championship.

Coach Rollins nodded to me as he watched his players finishing up a scrimmage. The clock wound down and the horn sounded before he took off his headset and held out his hand to me. “Keaton Shaw.”

Some things never changed. Not the bruising grip of his handshake, the booming vibrancy of his voice, the command to the team to huddle up and have a talk after practice.

After they all hashed out the problems they needed to work on, the strengths they had, and the changes that would be made, Rollins motioned for everyone to look at me.

“You all know Keaton Shaw. Best quarterback Glouster’s ever seen.” His ringing endorsement didn’t include my pro stats, thank goodness. My glory days ended the minute I signed that contract, and I really didn’t need the playback of my less-than-stellar performance. Performances.

For the next several minutes, they worshipped me with praise and hand slaps, high fives, and fist bumps. “It takes a team.”

I’d expected the coach to agree, but he looked at the guys. “A team with good leadership and instincts. Keaton had that, on and off the field.”

On the field, maybe. Off the field…not so much. Not always.

He sent the team to the showers, then motioned for me to walk beside him to his office. When we entered, he handed me a beer and I sat across from him. “What’s the doctor say?”

I hadn’t told anyone, not even my mom, but I wanted to tell Rollins. He would understand. Still, saying the words made my temple throb. “Another concussion and I could end up…” I shook my head. “In a wheelchair, bed-ridden, dead.”

“Who knows?”

“You. Me. Olivia.”