The Playmaker (A Big Play Novel Book 1) (16 page)

#30:

A Different Play

Colt

I walk into the cafeteria tense and agitated. I haven’t been able to shake the feeling since driving away from North Point Mall without Tori in my truck. I have no idea how she got home, and it was a huge relief to see her at school the next day. I’ve texted her a couple of times and tried to smile at her when we pass in the hall, but she’s set on ignoring me.

I want to make it right, to get things back to how they were, but what’s the point? Our
relationship
only works if it’s kept a secret—I don’t tell anyone how I’m helping her with Mack, and she doesn’t tell anyone she’s helping me with school.

It’s worked great so far…until she started getting all cute and irresistible.

I sigh.

She’s always been that way. I’ve just been too blinded by her quirkiness to notice.

It’s for the best. What I said was true; she doesn’t fit, and I’m just trying to protect her from getting hurt. It’s better that she knows now than gets caught up kissing Mack and falling even harder for him.

The taste of her lips flashes through my brain and I hunch my shoulders, burying my hands in my pockets as I head for my table. I stop short when I notice Tori squished between Mack and Finn. She’s grinning up at Mack while he squeezes her to his side.

I can’t hear what he’s saying, but she laughs and shakes her head, looking as comfortable as I’d be.

What the hell is happening right now?

She brushes a curl off her cheek and says something that makes Tyler slap the table and raise both hands with a
whoop
! Finn cracks up laughing, and I turn for the door.

My insides feel like molten lava as I stalk down the quiet corridors.

Well, she obviously fits okay…which means my big speech to protect her was frickin’ worthless! I reach my locker and slap the cold metal, spinning around and smashing my back against it.

She’s done it.

She’s won over Mack….and he’s going to kiss her, then let her go.

Or worse, he’s going to realize how great she is and fall in love with her.

Tipping my head up, I stare at the ceiling and hate myself for helping her in the first place. I should have just left it alone…kept to the status quo.

Clenching my jaw, I smash my fist against the metal and wish like hell I’d played it differently.

#31:

Left With A Choice

Tori

The Raiders won!

So far, they’re having the perfect season, and I’m surprised by how much I want to see them go all the way. Jumping over the fence, I land carefully on the cold grass and hike across to the bonfire. The game was fun. Even though I was sitting next to some family I didn’t even know, I got absorbed in the plays and ended up cheering like a madman.

I was so pumped at the final whistle, I headed to the bonfire without even stopping to think about it.

Now I can’t believe I’m yet again attending one of these things on my own. It doesn’t feel quite so scary this time around, though. I’m still nervous, but it’s not the nauseous, babble-inducing anxiety I’m usually hit with.

Part of me doesn’t even know why I’m here, but if I stop to think about it…if I go all analytical on the thing…I have to admit that I’m here to see Colt. I’ve missed him this week. I just want to casually bump into him and maybe clear the air. After a week of avoiding his subtle smiles, I can’t do it anymore. Seeing him on the field tonight only reignited my desires, and as much as he doesn’t think I can fit, I want to show him that I can.

Maybe tonight I’ll get the chance to tell him the truth…or maybe tonight’s about proving that his accusations at the mall were wrong.

I worry my lip and bury my hands in my jacket pockets, making little fists as I walk.

My ankle twists over a lump, but not bad enough to make me fall. I shake out the sting and keep moving until I reach the edge of the party. It’s well underway already, thanks to me taking a wrong turn on the way out of Trentham and adding thirty minutes to my trip. Why I didn’t give up then, I’m not sure.

Colt really has one over on me.

I scan the crowd and spot him to my right. He’s chatting with Tyler and three cheerleaders. They look like they’re having fun, all sipping beers and laughing. I want to approach them and join in, but I’m worried Colt will get all awkward and embarrassed having me there.

Michelle, one of Layla’s knockout friends, laughs and falls toward him. His smile is broad as he supports her against his chest, gliding his hand down her back as they laugh together. Tyler then makes some joke I can’t hear, sending them all into a second round of hysterics.

Colt’s hand stays on her back and she looks up at him with a flirty smile. He meets her gaze and oh, God…please don’t kiss. Don’t kiss, don’t kiss, don’t kiss!

I swallow and wonder if my heart’s about to explode.

I should look away, but I can’t.

I have to go.

I have to get out of here!

“Hey, Raiders!” someone shouts behind me. I flinch and look over my shoulder as one of the massive linemen lumbers past me with his arms in the air. “Raiders rule!” His second shout rouses a loud chorus of whoops and cheers from the partygoers.

His antics draw all eyes and I glance up to see Colt staring straight at me.

Oh crap, I’ve been spotted. There’s no way I can slip away now without looking like a total moron.

I came here to prove to Colt that I can fit. So I guess I better get on with it.

I spin toward the keg. I don’t like beer, but I may as well have one in my hand. It’s about blending in, right?

Snatching a red cup off the stack, I hand it to the guy serving and give him a brief smile. He grins back and hands over the cup, his eyes wandering my body as he does.

I let out a nervous chuckle and step away from him, sipping my beer and trying not to make a face. I spot Finn and Mack chatting by the edge of the fire. I should go join them. I’m sure they won’t mind, but…scary!

Finn’s not so bad, but even though Mack thinks it’s cool I watch Monday Night Football, he still intimidates me. Maybe I should wait until they invite me over.

I loiter on the sidelines, berating myself for doing the one thing I promised I wouldn’t this year.

I need Amy. I need Colt.

I’m not sure I can do this on my own.

I sip my beer and shuffle my feet, feeling like a five-year-old about to enter an executive board meeting.

Screw it. I should go.

No! I have to stay. I have to make this work.

I have to—

“Hey, Tori.”

I jerk and spin, nearly spilling beer all over myself. Jumping out of the way, I manage to only spill a little on my boots.

“Sorry.” Colt gives me a sheepish grin.

“That’s okay.” I smile, an awkward one that feels tight and unnatural.

“So, is Amy here?” He glances behind me.

“No, I… Mack told me I should come.”

Why did I say that? I mean, he did, but why am I telling Colt?

My
coach
nods and looks at his quarterback. “Awesome. I’m really glad it’s working out the way you want it to.”

Dammit. He sounds genuine. My heart’s not going to explode anymore; it’s going to crack and slowly fall to pieces. I can feel it already starting.

I’m such an idiot.

Colt glances across the grass and spots Michelle looking at him. She beckons him over with her long pointer finger. I look down at my dark blue nail polish and the crowd of rings on my fingers, then back up at Michelle. There’s nothing garish or over the top about her. She’s dressed in pale denim shorts…like short-shorts, and a loose white t-shirt with a massive scoop neck. Her only jewelry is a thin gold chain with a heart and gold stud earrings. Her main features are her luscious locks of blond hair and eyes so bright and alluring you could mistake them for emeralds. She’s tall, too, with legs like Kendall Jenner and a body to match.

She’s beautiful and cool without even trying.

Just the kind of girl Colt wants.

My eyes smart and I grip my cup until the plastic starts to crinkle.

Colt points at the keg. “I should probably go. I’m getting a round of beers.”

“Sure.” I nod.

“Do you…want one?” He looks at my cup. “A refill?”

“No, I’m good. I can…” My eyes drift to Mack. “I’m sure Mack will take care of me.”

“Yeah, I’m sure he will.”

Oh, man, I’m so going to cry if he doesn’t leave. I’ve got to get him out of here before complete humiliation sets in. “So, um, have a good night. I’ll probably see you around…or maybe at the party tomorrow.” I force another grin.

“Oh, yeah, the party. You’re going? Mack invited you?”

“Uh-huh. Yeah, I’ll go with him. Maybe I’ll see you there.”

“For sure. I’ll…I’ll be there. Although you probably don’t need me to keep an eye on you anymore. You seem to be doing okay on your own.”

“You know it.” My laugh is so plastic right now. “So, I’ll see you at the party, then.”

“You bet.” Colt pats my shoulder and moves past me. I watch him walk to the keg and try not to vomit when Michelle skips over to him. She wraps her arms around his waist and says something over his shoulder.

He laughs and crouches down to pour her a drink.

A waterfall of blond hair slips off her shoulder and hides whatever she’s doing to him.

Is she kissing him?

Is he kissing her back?

I blink and bite my lip so hard it hurts. Against everything within me, I resist the urge to run and force my legs to walk to Mack.

“Hey, Pix.” He grins. “Finn and I were just talking about the game. Now, what did you think of that final play?”

I step as close to him as I dare. He doesn’t seem to notice and starts talking before I can answer for myself. I listen while checking out Colt and Michelle.

They’re moving past me now, and I avert my gaze before Colt can sense me staring.

As soon as they pass, I turn to watch Michelle lean into him again. Colt steadies her with his strong hand and I know I’m right. They do look good together, and Michelle is just the kind of girl Colt wants.

So I’m left with a choice.

I either cling to the small part of me that’s left or I let go of everything and become exactly what he wants.

The main purpose of
Operation Fall for Tori
was to get Colt’s attention. Well, I did that…and I thought it’d be enough. It’s obviously not, so it’s time to tack on a final phase. Tomorrow night, I’ll make my last play. And if it doesn’t work, at least I’ll know I did everything in my power to win the guy I’ve always wished for.

#32:

The Party Evasion

Colt

The alarm starts beeping, piercing my groggy head and making me groan.

I squint at the clock.

“Aw, shit.” I moan, flicking back the covers and forcing myself to sit upright.

I feel like crap.

My tongue’s dry and I have the worst taste in my mouth. All I want to do is pull the covers back over my head and forget about daylight, but I’ve got practice and nothing can get me out of that.

I shuffle to the bathroom, images of last night taunting me while I pee and then brush my teeth.

Michelle’s advances were kind of hard to resist, and every time I looked across the fire and watched Mack and Tori laughing together, I gave in. Her kisses were hot and heavy, pulling me away from thoughts of Tori and seeing me through the night. We drank. We laughed. We made out, and I snuck in the door around one.

The second the wood clicked shut behind me, thoughts of Tori slammed into me from all sides.

Even inebriated, I couldn’t stop thinking about her.

I wasn’t sure I could stomach going to the party and having to repeat it all again tonight.

Thankfully, Michelle’s out of town with her parents this weekend, which is why she wanted to make the most of the bonfire. Like Layla, she’s into free love and a good time. That’s one of the reasons I let myself get carried away last night—no strings attached.

Pulling on my sweats, I check that I’ve got everything before heading down to the kitchen and seeking out some Tylenol. Coach will have my ass if I’m not on form at practice. He knows we go out to party on a Friday, although I’m sure he doesn’t know Tyler’s uncle provides the beer, and he’ll tolerate it as long as we don’t bring the aftermath to the field. Saturdays are always a light session. We do a short workout, then review the game from the night before, but he expects us to be on point with our analysis and what we need to work on for the next game.

Tonight’s party, though? That’s another story. We can sleep all Sunday away if we want to, which means the liquor will flow and the antics will get crazy. I’m usually up for that kind of thing, but the idea of watching Tori get into it makes me want to hurl.

She doesn’t belong in that setting.

But what the hell can I do about it?

She wants Mack. She got him. He’ll be there to watch her back, and all I can do is stand by and let him do it.

I take the long way to practice…delaying the inevitable.

I should want to lose myself in the sweat and pain of practice. Exercise might help me shake this off. But Mack’s going to be there. I saw him walking Tori to her car last night. They disappeared into the shadows and I don’t know what happened, but Mack came back with a grin so I grabbed Michelle and we made out until the party was over.

Licking my lips, I step out of the car and slam the door behind me. Finn’s getting out of his dad’s truck.

Jones Building
is plastered on the side of the door. Finn grabs his bag out of the back and swings it over the side.

“Hey, kissy face.” He smiles. “How those swollen lips this morning?”

“Shut up.” I grimace and shake my head.

He laughs and lightly punches my arm. “You were going for it like her mouth was the only source of oxygen left on the planet. You must have got some, my friend.”

“Whatever. Like I’m gonna tell you.” I wave my hand through the air, trying to shut him up…grateful that I hadn’t taken things further than a hot make-out session.

“She going to be at the party tonight?”

“No, thank God.”

Finn snickers. “You looked like you were having fun. I thought you’d be up for a repeat.”

I make a face and he stops to give me a serious look. Sliding the shades off his face, he narrows his eyes at me.

“Don’t.” I raise my finger at him. “Whatever you’re gonna say, I’ve already thought it.”

“I was going to say you should just call and tell her that you like her.”

“I’m not telling Michelle that.” I scowl.

“I’m not talking about Michelle, stupid.”

I knew he wasn’t, but I was hoping for an easy deflect. I shake my head, my teeth slamming together.

“Why you so afraid?”

“I’m not afraid. Okay? She wants Mack. He obviously likes her. I can’t get in the way of that now. I just have to back the hell off.” I squint in the sunlight, gripping my bag until my knuckles are white.

“‘Sup, Casanova.” Tyler runs forward and slaps me on the back with a laugh. “So, you and Michelle last night. That was hot. She put out, right? You’ve got to let me have her next time.”

“Ty, seriously. Can you please stop talking about these girls like they’re play things?” Finn growls. “No wonder you don’t have a girlfriend.”

“Pfft. I don’t want a girlfriend. I want to have me some fun with hot girls and no strings attached.” Tyler swings his arm around me. “Just like our boy, Colt, got last night. And just like I’m gonna get at the party tonight.”

Mack shows up behind Tyler with a “Hell, yeah!”

They pound fists. My upper lip curls and my fingers start quivering as I resist the urge to make a fist.

Finn grips my shoulder and gives it a squeeze, reining me in.

Mack and Tyler don’t notice my snarling expression. They’re too busy sharing high-fives with Darius and Will as they walk onto the field.

“You know, you don’t have to go to that party tonight.” Finn looks across the field. “In fact, maybe it’d be better if you didn’t. Coach says no fighting, and he sure as hell won’t tolerate anything between his players.”

I huff and shake my head. “I don’t want to go anyway. Will you just…keep an eye on her for me?”

Finn’s dark eyes assess me, making me feel short and transparent. “Mack’s not going to hurt her or force her to do anything she doesn’t want to.”

“I know, I just… Nothing’s stoppin’ him from giving her the night of her life and then treating it like nothing the next day. You know what he’s like. The guy won’t commit to anyone.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. But the thing is, you don’t need me to go to that party. You need me to hang out and listen to you bitch and moan about your stupid ass and how you trained this girl to get the attention of the hottest guy in school.”

I growl in my throat.

He laughs and pushes me toward the locker room. “Come on, man. We can stuff our faces at Briggs, then go back to my house so I can whoop your ass on Madden. My team is going to wipe the floor with you, man.”

“In your dreams,” I mutter, feeling better already. With the weight of the impending party off my shoulders, I find it a little easier to run onto the field and give practice the best I’ve got.

A night not thinking about girls is exactly what I need.

Tori’s not mine and she never will be.

It’s time to let go and forget about her.