I look over to see him in the corner with a trainer and a doctor and welcome the distraction from my own thoughts and confusion.
“It’s tight? Sore?” The trainer rotates Chase’s right shoulder slowly, and he winces. “Does it feel like something’s torn?”
“It’s fine,” he grunts, shaking his arm out. “This happened before. I’ll be good. I’m fine.”
Head Coach Watson crosses his arms, leaning against the wall and studying Chase. “All right, Kennedy, you’ll start. But I’m pulling your ass out if it gets worse.”
Chase glares across the room and shoots a look at Matt McKenzie. “You’d love that, wouldn’t you, Junior?”
I turn to Dylan, who’s stretching his calves a few feet away from me. “Chase is hurt?” I ask.
“Shh.” Dylan holds up a hand quickly. “He won’t really admit it yet.”
I glance over at McKenzie. He’s promising, but he’s young. Never started in the NFL and never played more than a few minutes at a time.
Something tells me this is gonna be a defense-heavy game. Which means my ass needs to come through for this team.
I gotta shake it off. I gotta let it go. Telling Wyatt about whatever the fuck is going on between Kendall and me would only make this game tougher for both of us. Besides, I’m basically out of time now.
“Smoke!” Coach Nelson walks up to me. “I need you sharp today. Turn everything up as high as possible.”
“Yes, Coach.” I nod and take a swig of Gatorade, knowing damn well it’s time to get completely and totally into game-day mode.
I’ll worry about my mess of a personal life when we’re at the bar tonight. For right now, it’s time to win this game. For my team. And for my girl.
Twenty-one
Kendall
“I don’t even know how to feel,” I say to Melody, sipping a drink and admiring the sunset from the roof of the Atlantic. “My brother lost, so I should be kind of sad about that, I guess. But the Riders won, which makes me happy.”
She flips a strand of shiny pink hair. “Well, who did you want to win while you were watching the game today? Who were you rooting for, in your soul?”
I smile at the question and bite my lip, knowing full well what the answer is.
I met Melody, Jessica, and Frankie at the bar early, mostly because Melody wanted to see the sunset, and I wanted to be at least a drink or two in before Andre and my brother get here.
“Where’s Whitney?” Jessica asks.
“Home with Chase,” Melody says softly, her expression darkening. “He’ll be fine, but today hit him really hard.”
My heart tugs as I remember Chase getting slammed on a sack about ten minutes into the game and totally wrecking his shoulder. “That was awful. He’ll be okay, though, right?”
Melody nods. “Oh yeah. But Whit called me after the game and said the trainers and doctors are saying Chase could be out the entire rest of the season. Torn rotator cuff. It was already messed up, apparently, and the tackle was like the nail in the coffin.”
“The rest of the season?” Frankie’s eyes widen. “So that means McKenzie is gonna be taking over as starting quarterback.”
“Look at the bright side,” Melody says.
“There is one?” Frankie asks.
“Who doesn’t love a good underdog story?”
Frankie raises her brows. “A team that wants to win the Super Bowl.”
“Fair enough.” Melody tips her head in concession.
“So, on a more fun note…” Jessica nudges my shoulder playfully. “You and Smoke still just friends?”
I look back and forth between the girls and wipe at the condensation on the side of my glass. “Are you guys mind readers or something?”
Melody shakes her shoulders excitedly. “Spill. Now.”
“To be honest…” I swallow and think for a second about what to say. What is actually happening between Andre and me? It couldn’t have been just sex, but we never even talked about a relationship. Not to mention the whole Wyatt deal… “I don’t know what’s going on between us. But it’s…something.”
I hate how true that is. It bugs me not to have a clear, definitive explanation, but I also think I secretly love the thrill of riding the Andre Smoke roller coaster.
“Does your brother know?” Frankie asks, once again practically reading my thoughts.
“Oh yeah!” Melody reaches over and touches my arm, her eyes brightening. “I totally forgot they’re like BFFs, right?”
I laugh and push a flyway strand of hair out of my face. “Not sure they’d use that exact terminology, but yeah, basically.”
“So I’m gonna guess Older Brother does not know.” Jessica arches a brow and sips her drink. “Tonight should be a blast.”
As if perfectly on cue, I turn to see broad shoulders, dark eyes, and that flawless, chiseled face as Andre walks in the entrance to the rooftop. He’s wearing a navy blue polo and khaki pants, looking like he just stepped out of a Ralph Lauren ad.
As soon as my eyes finish their tour, I notice who’s standing next to him. Oh boy. Here we go.
“Little sis!” Wyatt stretches his arms wide as soon as he sees me, rushing toward the table.
“Hey, you.” I stand up and meet him for his brotherly bear hug. “It’s a shame you lost so bad today,” I tease him.
As he embraces me and ruffles my hair—just to irritate me—I meet Andre’s eyes for half a second.
He looks…like typical Andre. Chill. Relaxed. Completely unfazed. His comfort puts me a little more at ease.
“Hey, Riders lost their starting quarterback and still came through. Lucky-ass break, if you ask me. How the hell are you?” Wyatt smacks my arm lightly as we pull away, his sandy-blond hair longer than I remember and his blue eyes sparking with their classic Wyatt light.
“I’m…” I find those golden-brown eyes again, a curl of chills and a little bit of thrill from the secrecy zipping down my spine. “I’m really great, actually.” I force myself to tear my gaze from Andre.
“Thanks to me.” Andre steps forward, giving a cocky nod and holding up his hands proudly.
I draw back in surprise, and my heart rate spikes. What is he doing? He’s not about to just casually tell Wyatt right here in this bar. Is he?
I pull in a breath, but words don’t come out.
“Because I so generously offered up my house,” Andre clarifies slowly, and I swear he gives me an almost undetectable wink.
Oh right. His house.
“Oh my gosh, duh,” I say, relief washing over me as I smile brightly at my brother. “It’s an incredible project, and we’re just about getting to the end. I think we’ve got a serious shot at being finalists in Mansion in a Month, and I couldn’t have done it without the absolutely perfect”—man—“house.”
“That’s so hype, Ken.” Wyatt takes a swig of beer and remains, thankfully, oblivious. “I know you guys are gonna crush it.” He turns to Andre, bumping his arm and pointing at me. “She’s, like, an insane perfectionist. Everything has to be just exactly right without a single flaw, or Kendall won’t let it fly.”
Andre wets his bottom lip and gives it a little bite, angling his head toward me, making my knees practically buckle. “Yeah, I’ve gathered that.”
I smile a little nervously.
“Well, my house is looking absolutely sick, so whatever she’s doing is working.” Andre shoots me a look that makes me feel calm.
“Never thought I’d hear you of all people caring about a house,” Wyatt remarks, turning to me and giving an eye roll. “Trust me, Smoke’s just in it for the resale value.”
My heart sinks a little, but I remind myself that Wyatt has no idea what’s going on between us or with the house. Andre loves the house. More than he knows. At least I think…
“Well, well, well…” Andre extends his arm to greet a beaming Matt McKenzie. “If it isn’t our new starting QB.”
“What’s good, boys?” Matt squares his shoulders, th
e cockiness of his first real NFL win charging through his expression.
“Wyatt Collins. Nice to meet you, man.” My brother reaches out to fist-bump Matt.
“Damn, we got Vikings out here tonight?” Matt jokes. “Let’s fucking party.”
He walks over to the table where a bunch of other Riders players have crowded around, drinking and laughing and celebrating.
“I feel bad for Chase,” I say, turning back to Wyatt and Andre and attempting to steer the conversation away from all the many various ways Andre has been…helping me.
“For sure.” Wyatt sips his beer. “Brutal tackle. But hey, you sign up to play ball, you run that risk every day. He’ll recover, and backup didn’t actually look too bad.”
Andre chuckles and shakes his head, watching Matt slam a shot of something clear and undoubtedly awful. “He’s got a ways to go.”
I elbow Andre in the most friendly and platonic way possible while still taking note of his rock of a bicep against my arm. “Think you guys can still make it to the Super Bowl without Kennedy?”
Andre angles his chin down, giving me a get real arch of his brow. “Of fucking course we can. We have me.”
I smile and force an eye roll, trying to hide the rush of attraction that swirls through me.
“Come on, little sis.” Wyatt ruffles my hair again. “Let’s grab another drink.”
“All right.” I follow him to the bar.
“You seem awfully cheery, considering you just watched your big bro lose a game,” Wyatt says with a smile, wrapping a protective arm around my shoulders.
“Things are really good.” I nod and turn to face him as we reach the bar. “The Esplanade House project has been a challenge but a blast, and of course I’m always happy to watch you lose.” I stick my tongue out playfully.
“Glad to see you and Smoke have been getting alone so well, though.”
I swallow hard, but try to channel my inner Andre and stay as chill as possible.
Wyatt orders us drinks and continues. “I was a little concerned at first just because he’s so weird about houses, and they’re, like, your entire life.”
“Well.” I lift a shoulder. “You remember how hard the tornado was for him as a kid. He doesn’t really understand the concept of home.”
Wyatt draws back and raises his brows. “Wow, doing some emotional digging there, huh, sissy?”
Shit.
I flick my hand dismissively. “No. I mean, you know I like to get to know all my clients so I can make their house absolutely perfect for them. Andre’s no different.”
Except that I’m sleeping with him.
“Fair enough.” Wyatt shrugs and takes a swig of beer, then setting it on the bar. “You know, when I asked him to keep an eye on you, I definitely never thought you guys would actually get close. It’s really—”
“When you what?” I blink at him, processing the words. Shock, anger, and confusion burn in my chest.
“Don’t be mad, Ken. I was worried about you all by yourself down here. South Florida is world-famous for its sleazy hookup culture, and I was afraid you were going down a not-so-great path.”
I open my mouth, but words get stuck in my throat.
“Look.” Wyatt sets a comforting but slightly condescending hand on my shoulder. “Smoke is my best friend. When he got traded down here, I asked him to just, you know, look out for you. Make sure you weren’t getting into trouble.”
“I don’t need a bodyguard, Wyatt.” The words come out snappier than I intended, but I don’t really care. “Why wouldn’t he tell me that?”
I thought he wanted me to renovate his house. I thought he wanted to spend time with me. But it was all some obligation to my brother?
“It’s no big deal, Ken. I was wrong. I can see now that you’re fucking killing it down here, and everything’s all good. And look, now you guys are friends, so everybody wins.”
“Yeah, okay.” I look away, taking a minute to process this news.
“What’s the problem?” Wyatt furrows his brow.
I glance back across the crowded rooftop, instinctively brushing off my shirt and straightening my back. “I just thought…” I stammer quietly. “He and I…”
Thankfully, I will myself to shut up.
“Oh no.” Wyatt draws out the words, giving me a sympathetic look, and tips his head to the side. “Kendall…you don’t have a thing for him, do you?”
I clench my jaw tightly and fix my hair, then start twisting a ring around my middle finger, which is when I notice a pesky chip in one of my nails. I take in a sharp breath. “Wyatt, come on. I—”
“Ken, no.” He holds his hand to his forehead and drops his head back dramatically. “I know you had a little crush when we were kids, but please don’t tell me you’re actually into him. Like, now?”
I purse my lips and ask the question that’s burning so bright at the front of my mind I can’t ignore it for another second. “Why would it be such a bad thing if I did?”
“Look.” Wyatt sighs deeply in that typical, big brother, I’m only a few years older than you, but I know everything sort of way. “You know how Smoke is about houses? Like, the whole attitude of ‘it’s a place to sleep, but I don’t want any attachment to it’?”
I frown and nod slowly. “Yeah. But The Esplanade House is different. He really likes it.”
“It doesn’t matter. In Smoke’s world, nothing is permanent. Ever. And he sees women the same way he sees houses. No roots, no attachment. No permanence.” He shakes his head and puffs out a breath. “Don’t catch feels for him.”
What if it’s way too late?
Nerves and fear twist in my gut as I look over at Andre. I rack my brain, feeling my breaths getting more and more shallow.
He’s never had a serious or real girlfriend, at least not that I know of. He doesn’t like to stay in one place for very long, or with one person, evidently. Why would I be any different? After all, this happened only because my brother told him to keep an eye on me.
“I have to go,” I whisper, shutting my eyes and setting my untouched drink on the bar.
I push through the crowds of people, emotion squeezing my throat.
I don’t know if I wanted to show Andre that a house can be his home, or if I wanted to show him that I could be his home. Either way, Wyatt knows him better than anyone in the world, and he’s completely right.
I don’t know what I was thinking.
Twenty-two
Andre
“I mean…I don’t even know, you guys.” Matt McKenzie shakes his head proudly. “It was just like, I had to turn it on, so I turned it on.”
Dylan cracks up. “McKenzie, you’re decent, but we all know the defense carried our asses in that game.” He shoves me.
“Thoughts on that, Smoke?” Leo Sterling nods at me.
I lift a shoulder. “No comment.”
I look back toward the bar, scanning the crowd for Kendall and Wyatt. Their matching blond hair shouldn’t be hard to find, but I can’t seem to spot them.
Maybe she’s telling him about us. I can’t decide if it would be better for him to hear it from me or from her. Either way, he’s gonna find out, because every second I spend with her, I get more invested and certain and weirdly deep in my feels.
“Four and O baby, that’s what’s up!” Leo pumps his fist.
“Sucks about Kennedy’s shoulder, though,” Elliot says. “Heard he’s out for the season, probably.”
I angle my beer bottle toward Matt. “Hear that, McKenzie? Better keep your cool and carry us the rest of the season, because my ass did not come all the way down here to not get a ring.”
The guys holler and click their drinks together.
“Hey, man.” Wyatt’s hand hits my back, and I turn around to see a concerned expression on his face.
“What’s up?” I glance next to him and behind him, but he’s alone. “Where’s Kendall?”
He runs a hand through his hair and takes a slow breath.
“She…left.”
I draw back in surprise and feel a bit of worry slam into my head. “What? Why? Is she all right?”
“Yeah, she’s fine.” He gestures for me to step back from the table and the other guys, and we walk a few feet away. “I think my whole having-you-look-out-for-her plan kinda backfired.”
I shake my head in confusion. I’m his best friend. He has to think at least somewhat highly of me, right? Why wouldn’t he want us together, if it’s something real and not just sex? “What are you talking about, bro?”
“Ah.” He pinches the bridge of his nose. “I don’t wanna, like, call my sister out. But I think she might…” He cringes, like whatever he’s about to say next is not something I want to hear. “Have a little crush on you.”
I practically choke on my laugh. “Yeah, there might be a little more to it than…”
“Anyway, I basically told her to drop it and not to get her hopes up. I mean, this is you we’re dealing with. Andre Smoke.”
“Wait, you told her to—” I roll my eyes. “Wyatt, what the fuck?”
He shrugs and backs up defensively. “What? Kendall is always wanting everything to be perfect, and I don’t want her dreaming up some fantasy that you’re this ‘perfect’ guy and blah, blah, blah like when she was a kid.”
I half jokingly smack his hands down. “Get rid of those air quotes. Dude, this is not how I wanted this to go down. At all. But…I like Kendall. A lot. Whatever crush she has on me, I have on her, too.”
Wyatt’s jaw practically falls to the floor, and he draws back, laughing slowly in complete shock. “Well, I’ll be damned. Seriously?”
“Yes,” I say quickly, looking around the rooftop. “Now where is she?”
“Parking lot, I think. She’s probably waiting for an Uber down there.”
I knock back the rest of my beer and set the bottle down. “I gotta fix this.”
“Homeboy, we are not even close to done talking about what happens if you hurt my sister. I know how you are with chicks.” Wyatt’s eyes flash me a warning.
Rough Ride Page 14
