“I don’t think she wants to fix things.”
Killian laughs roughly. “Since when does Ian drink coffee, Alex?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Last weekend,” Killian says. “Remember how Grace got Ian coffee?”
I try not to think about that, actually. Just seeing her hand that cup of coffee to Ian made everything inside of me tense up. “Yeah, so what?”
“So, Ian doesn’t drink coffee, you idiot. You do.”
It takes a moment for that to sink in. “Grace bought me coffee?” I ask him to clarify.
“Seems that way since she wasn’t drinking it for herself.”
Did that mean she liked me? It’s just a coffee, not anything more serious. Or was it her subtle way of trying to tell me she wanted something serious? Like maybe to date me. God, now my head hurts just thinking about all the ways to interpret that. How did a freaking cup of coffee become this confusing?
“I think you’re being melodramatic,” Killian adds on before turning to look back at the game. “Just ask her out like a normal, sane person.”
“Coffee doesn’t mean she likes me. She gave it to Ian.”
“Because you had two girls thrusting their boobs in your face when she came over,” he rolls his eyes. “What was she supposed to do? Stake her claim to a guy she’s not even sure likes her as a person? Let alone likes her, likes her?”
“She still could have given it to me.”
“Maybe she would have if you’d sent the two girls packing.”
“You had someone come over and talk to you!” I don’t know why I think pointing that out is going to make a difference, because it doesn’t.
Killian shrugs his shoulders, jostling his helmet a little in the process. “Lila walked in between her. And she knows I hate being confrontational.”
Yeah, from the guy who kicked her last boyfriend’s ass, but doesn’t think he does confrontational.
“With females,” Killian corrects himself after looking at my face. “I don’t like being dicks to females.”
“Grace could have blocked them.”
“Then that would have been staking a claim on you in a very public place.”
I throw my hands up in the air. “What’s so wrong with that?”
“Dude,” Killian laughs. “You can’t even tell her how you feel, but yet she’s the one who needs to go first? You’ve got this all wrong. Girls always want the guy to act first. Chivalry or some shit.”
I pause to think about that. Grace was a little girly, so she probably believed that it was my duty to sweep her off her feet or whatever girls think I should be doing. It’s not like I could just do what I did in high school. Instead of being rationale, I’d heard that Bobby Johnson was going to ask her out so I asked her out first.
Maybe I’m a bit territorial.
A bit of an asshole.
But she was mine, dammit. And Bobby Johnson wasn’t going to stand in my way.
“You’re still looking like you want to puke or murder someone,” Killian says calmly as the bell blows. “Just don’t puke on the field.”
“I’m not going to puke,” I scowl. I push my mouth guard into my mouth, making a show of it so he’d know I wasn’t going to continue this conversation.
Coach Stephens gives his usual play-by-play scenario he wants done before tapping the side of my helmet for me to get my ass on the field. I push the mouth guard a little out with my tongue before calling out the play and biting down.
The whistle blows and I reach between the center’s legs for the ball. After that it’s all a whirlwind of motion.
I stay on my feet far longer than I thought I would, shoving against another player as he tries to go for my waist and take me down. The whole time the play is going, it feels like I’ve lived fifty lifetimes in a manner of seconds. The clock stops, a rewind gets shown, and the crowd cheers.
Somewhere out there Grace Hart is screaming my name.
God, that feels good.
After the game, we hit the showers and put on our street clothes, ready to head to the Union for some food. My whole body hurts, feeling like one giant bruise as I lumber my way out of the locker room. Killian stretches beside me before scratching his chest.
“I could sleep for years,” he yawns. “I think I left all my energy on the field. And you,” he points at me. “What was with you during third quarter? You practically tried to bury that guy in the dirt.”
“Bobby Johnson,” is all I say.
“Who the fuck is Bobby Johnson?” Killian snorts. “Was that the guy?”
“I have no idea. I just pretended he was some prick to get my energy out.”
“Well, it worked,” he laughs. “That guy is going to be walking funny for a week.” We round the corner, pushing our way out of the athletic building and outside. “I’m freezing my balls off.”
I’m sure he is. It’s almost cold enough for snow. I’m too pumped from the game still, though. Adrenaline is still coursing through my veins and making everything hyperaware. Most athletes get a high after a game, or they’re like Killian and crash hard. There seems to be no inbetween. By the time my adrenaline wears out, I’ll be as unconscious as Killian wants to be, though.
“Oh look, girls,” Killian points over towards a table while slinging his arm over my shoulders. “Let’s go say hi.”
Lila is the first to break away from the table, hopping up on her feet to plant a kiss on her boyfriend’s cheek. “You did great, babe!” She points her finger at me. “You were amazing out there, Alex!”
“Hey,” Killian puffs out his chest. “I’m your boyfriend, remember? Don’t I get more praise?”
“Of course, sweetie,” she snorts and gives him another quick kiss before sitting down at the table. “We snagged some food for you guys before the crowd hit. It might be a little cold, but you’re welcome regardless.”
Taking my chances, I flop down into the booth seat next to Grace and tilt my head back, feeling the fatigue start to set in.
“You okay?” her small voice asks from beside me.
“Give me a second,” I grunt and shut my eyes. It might look like I’m trying to take a nap, but I’m trying to get rid of the picture of her in jeans and a cute little jersey with a big 1 on the front out of my head. God, she looks gorgeous in a football jersey.
She’d look gorgeous wearing my jersey.
I count to ten at least four times before I open my eyes again.
“I thought you were going to sleep,” she laughs before shoving a plate of wedge french fries in front of me. “Here, I got you these.”
Grace got me food? I’m dumbstruck.
“But don’t let your ego get too big, I told the lady behind the counter that I was getting them for you because I really wanted a lot and she always skims me on them.” Grace reaches forward to prove her point by shoving an entire potato wedge in her mouth, completely unladylike. And I don’t even care.
I want to kiss her.
Badly.
“Why is there a salad?” Killian asks across from me, scowling down at it.
“Uh, because you’re an athlete and going ham on a tray of lasagna is frowned upon?” Lila snorts.
“Why can’t you be like Grace?” Killian sighs. “She’s letting Alex eat fries.”
“She’s not Alex’s personal nutrition expert,” his girlfriend counters.
“But you’re not my personal nutrition expert,” Killian huffs.
Lila glares.
Killian gives in and eats the salad.
I toss my arm behind Grace’s head on the back of the booth. “I guess I should be thanking you for getting me fries, then.”
Grace shrugs her shoulders. “That’s what friends are for, right?”
I wheeze out a cough and bob my head since I about choked when she said the word friends. “Right.” I shift to look down at her. “How did you like the game?”
Her entire face lights up. “Oh my God, it was so much fun. Did you
know they serve burgers and nacho fries?”
I can’t help but chuckle at her enthusiasm.
“It’s been forever since I’ve been to a game,” she rattles on. “I forgot how exhilarating it is. You’re so good, I completely forgot how good. I mean I know you’re really, really good. But that was next level kind of good I haven’t seen.” Grace’s whole face turns beet red. “I’m sorry I’m babbling.”
Kiss her now, the little voice inside my head says but I tell him to take a hike.
“Grace cheered for everyone,” Lila adds in. “She even started trash talking.”
“You trash talked?” I grin down at her.
Grace shrugs her shoulders.
“It was classic,” Lila laughs. “She was so angry when the other team would hit one of you. She even threw her popcorn on the ground.”
“It was good popcorn, too,” Grace sighs. “I got caught up in the moment.”
“I bet,” I say.
“You really did play an awesome game,” she murmurs quietly.
“Thanks.” I test the waters, brushing my fingers down so they’re touching the ends of her hair and wiggle it’s softness between my fingers.
Her eyes lift to mine, a small tremor going through her and I know she can feel me touching her. But right now, with everything she just said, with everything that I’m feeling, I don’t know how to not step over the line we drew.
Chapter Sixteen
Grace
Someone help me. The butterflies are back in my stomach.
He touched my hair.
That sounds sleazy in my head.
But ohmygosh, Alex Hunter had his hand in my hair last night and I wanted to grab his annoying, arrogant face and kiss him. Badly.
I push open Lila’s door and flop down on her bed next to her. It’s an ungodly hour. Closer to four in the morning than anything, but I can’t sleep. It’s been eight hours since Alex and Killian left to hit the hay and I haven’t slept since.
Sure, I’ve tossed and turned until my back protested and my eyes swam with tired-tears, but I couldn’t turn off the part of my brain that told me if I’d just kissed him, that everything would be okay. That it would all work out in the end.
“Lila!” I huff, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her awake. “Wake up!”
“What is it?” she groans from beneath the comforter. “Are you okay? Is the apartment on fire?”
“No.”
“No to which of those things? Because one of them is urgent and one of them can wait until the sun comes up.”
“I can’t wait, I can’t sleep.”
“So now I can’t sleep?” she yawns. “What the hell?”
“I want to kiss him,” I pinch my face up as I say it. “Like, right now.”
“Who?”
“Alex!” I complain loudly. “Keep up, would you?”
“What time is it?” she says while flinging her arm out for her phone. “Grace! It’s not even four in the morning, what is the matter with you?”
“I just told you! I want to kiss Alex.”
“So go do it and let me sleep.”
“I can’t. I’m going crazy.”
“Okay,” Lila sighs and sits up in her bed. “It’s Sunday. I can sleep all day if I deal with you now. You will let me sleep if I deal with this now, right?”
“Of course,” I bob my head enthusiastically. “I promise. Girl Scouts honor.” I hold up three fingers to prove my point.
Lila sits up straighter in her bed. “Okay, what is it I can help you with?”
“I like him.”
“I know.”
“What do you mean you know?” I gape. “I just figured it out for myself!”
She laughs throatily. “Grace, literally everyone but you and Alex knows. You two are so caught up in trying not to like each other that it’s perfectly obvious to anyone with eyeballs that you like each other. Just tell him. Quit waiting for him to make a move.”
“Well I don’t want to make the first move.”
“You broke up with him, remember? It’s not like he did anything but act like a dick, which I guess in some guy universe you deserve, but other than that did nothing to you. So really, this is all on you to fix.”
“I don’t want to fix it.”
Lila flaps her arms up and down. “You just said you liked him!”
“But I don’t know what to do about that!”
“Kiss him? Punch him? Kick him in the shin or pull his hair? I don’t know. That’s all on you.”
“But I’m scared,” I sigh. “What if he doesn’t feel the same way?”
“Trust me, he does.”
“But how do you know?” I insist.
“Oh my God, I can’t with you.” Lila shoves the covers off and grabs my arm, hauling me off her bed and out her door. I think she’s going to stop and deposit me by my own bedroom door but she keeps walking. Marching straight outside and over to Killian’s door where she proceeds to bang her fist on the wood like a little mad woman.
Killian opens the door a few minutes later, eyes still tired as he yawns and stares down at Lila in confusion. “What’s going on?”
“Here, you deal with her, I need some sleep,” Lila says before pushing me towards Killian and backing away into our apartment.
“Wait, what?” Killian blanches. “What just happened?”
“Come on,” I grab Killian’s forearm and drag him into his living room. “I need to talk to someone and your girlfriend is obviously a traitor.”
“Don’t you have any, I don’t know, other girl friends that you could be talking to at the asscrack of dawn?” Killian grumbles before flopping down onto his couch. He covers his mouth with his hand as he yawns. “What do you need?”
I open my mouth to say something and then close it swiftly. It’s one thing to tell Lila my feelings, but something completely else to tell one of Alex’s best friends. What if he tells Alex? What if he doesn’t tell Alex? What if he doesn’t know how Alex feels?
“Woah there,” Killian frowns and tugs me down onto the cushion beside him. “You look like you’re about to get sick. You don’t have the flu from game food, do you?”
“No.”
“Then what is it?”
“If I tell you something, it has to stay between us, okay?”
Killian wrinkles his nose. “God, you don’t like me or something, right? Cause if this is some weird shit, or if Lila is testing my commitment, then trust me I’m not going to cheat on my girlfriend. No offense.”
I gape. “Are you serious? God I don’t like you! I like Alex,” I enunciate. And then I bury my face in my hands. “Oh my God, I can’t believe I just said that out loud.”
“Phew, well that’s a relief,” Killian says. “So what’s the big deal?”
“I like Alex. Didn’t you just hear me tell you that?”
“It’s not like he’s a serial killer or something, Grace. He’s a guy. One you happen to have dated before. So you like him, so what?”
I squirm next to him. “What if he doesn’t like me back? Or what if he starts dating some pretty coed with an IQ of forty, but he thinks the sun shines out her asshole?”
“I’m not following the whole sunshine out the asshole thing. So you’re worried he won’t like you back?”
“Yeah.” I sigh heavily. “I need guy advice. How do you tell a girl you like her?”
“You tell her.”
“But you didn’t tell Lila right away,” I point out.
“That’s because I thought I was doing what was best for her. Letting her go out on those stupid dates. And you know what my problem became? I stopped giving a shit about what she wanted because I knew what she needed.”
He stops talking and I slap his arm. “You can’t just leave me there on a cliff hanger! What did she need?”
“Me.” Killian says it so simply, like it should have been the most obvious reasoning in the world. “She needed me and she got me. She didn’t need some string of dates that w
ere going nowhere fast, she needed me to man up and accept my feelings and outright call bullshit on her dating game.”
“What made you decide she was worth it?”
A wry grin touches Killian’s face. “Alex did. Told me to quit being a jealous motherfucker and go after her. If I wanted her, and I did, then why was I being all complicated about it? He had a point, so I went and got her.”
“Alex gave you dating advice?” I gape. “Seriously?”
Killian levels me with a look. “Of course he did. He actually knows what he’s talking about when he’s not trying to screw everything in a skirt.”
“But Alex doesn’t date to be able to give good dating advice.”
That makes him laugh. “Grace, he dated you for two, almost three years. At what point do you think the man doesn’t know how to date? Just because he chooses not to for his own messed up reasons doesn’t mean he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”
“So you’re saying Alex would be upfront and just come right out and ask a girl out if he liked her?”
“Probably.”
I sink down in my seat, feeling deflated all of a sudden. “So he doesn’t like me then.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I like him, like him, Killian. As in I want to go on dates and be cuddly and mushy with him.” I sigh. “But you’re right, it’s not in Alex’s nature to not just come out and say what he feels. He barely wants to be my friend, let alone give the thought of being my boyfriend a shot. Thanks,” I pat his leg. “I needed to hear that. Someone finally gave me sound advice.”
“Grace,” Killian frowns. “That’s not what I meant.”
“No, it’s okay,” I nod and straighten my back out. Like puffing out my chest will somehow stop the aching feeling inside of it. “Someone had to tell it to me straight. God knows Lila won’t since she doesn’t want me to fall all over myself. You’re a good friend.”
“Grace, that’s not–”
“I mean, it’s stupid isn’t it?” I give Killian a wobbly smile without actually looking at him. “I broke up with him and now I want him back. And it took a freaking football game to make that decision. God, even that sounds so stupid. Please don’t say anything to him about this.”
The Wrong Girl_Hanson University_Book Two Page 11
