One Good Play

by Meredith St. James

  I didn't wait for any of them to catch up, but they did anyway. Again, I wondered if I should have made up an excuse to get out of lunch. All I could do was growl at my teammates trying to talk to me. I'd always been a little standoffish with them, supporting them on the field but keeping my distance off of it. That was just a side-effect of growing up in a reasonably small town where the football team was barely big enough to form an actual team. At that moment, though, I was taking it to a whole different level.

  The worst part was that I could hear them talking about it. They were keeping their voices low, but my ears had perked at the first mention of Wren's name. They were making guesses about what had transpired the night before. The only one noticeably silent was Travis. I was starting to have a sinking suspicion that he didn't need to gossip like a schoolgirl. If Wren had gotten a ride home from someone, my money was on him.

  "Carter!" My steps faltered at the sound of Rose's voice.

  She elbowed her way through my teammates to get to me. A few of them grumbled but for the most part, they were quick to get out of her way.

  I slung an arm around my sister's slim shoulders. They seemed more frail than usual, and I made a mental note to mention it to Mom the next time I talked to her. Hopefully, she wasn't letting the stress of college get to her too much.

  "What are you up to?" I asked, trying my best to sound casual for her despite the bad attitude I couldn't shake.

  She shrugged me off with a pointed look behind us at the other guys. "Don't embarrass me," she said under her breath.

  "Whatever." I scuffed my foot against the curb as we paused at a crosswalk.

  Rose punched me lightly in the bicep. "What's your problem?"

  "Nothing," I muttered.

  One of the players behind us snorted. My head jerked around so I could stare daggers at him. The sophomore mumbled a half-assed apology.

  "Well, whatever it is you better get the heck over it. My roommate is coming to meet us for lunch. I can't believe we've already made it this far into the semester without the two of you meeting."

  That explained the ambush.

  "I'm not really in the mood to meet your little roommate today, Rose."

  "Good," she cackled, "Then maybe you won't be in the mood to hit on her, either."

  "When have I ever hit on any of your friends?"

  She let out a weighty sigh and gave me a serious look. "You'll want to hit on this one."

  I knew from Rose's near-constant ramblings that the two of them weren't the closest of friends, but Rose did genuinely seem to like her roommate. Which was saying a lot, since my sister usually preferred the company of girls whose IQs were even smaller than their nearly invisible waistlines. From what Rose had told me about her roommate, it didn't sound like she fit that mold.

  I still couldn't imagine hitting on someone that was living with my sister, though. Especially not after what had just happened the night before. I wasn't much in the mood for putting the moves on anyone.

  Rose started to drop back with the group, probably hoping she could find someone to hit on once she was further out from under my watchful eye. Travis caught up with me, taking her spot.

  "There's something you should know about your sister's roommate."

  Apparently, our single game of beer pong had somehow confused Travis into thinking we were friends. I would have preferred him to just keep his distance. Seeing him just made me think of Wren sneaking off on me, and that pissed me off.

  "What?" I snapped, my irritation clear. We were finally in sight of the doors to The Hub—the glorified college cafeteria.

  "Her roommate is—"

  "Wren?" I was surprised to see the familiar redhead leaning against the wall right outside The Hub.

  Rose burst through the crowd and launched herself at the woman excitedly. It felt like things were moving in slow motion as Rose started yapping in Wren's ear a mile a minute. Wren wasn't looking at my sister, though. She was looking right at me, her eyes weary.

  "You live with my sister?"

  Wren brushed past Rose towards me, my sister falling into an unusual silence as she did. I planted my feet where I was, forcing Wren to be the one to come to me for once.

  "I do." The slow nod she offered looked like it pained her.

  "And you knew?" Her head tilted. "That Rose was my sister, you knew?"

  She'd obviously known she was living with my sister and had intentionally not mentioned it. It wasn't like I'd never been to Rose's dorm room, her roommate had always just been mysteriously missing when I had. But from the times I'd been there, I knew there was no hiding my relationship to Rose. There were family pictures covering the shared living room. Wren would have had to have been blind not to have realized the connection from the start.

  "Yes."

  My palms were sweating. "Why didn't you say anything?"

  "Tutoring you had nothing to do with my living arrangements."

  Under any other circumstances, I might have been embarrassed by the way the other guys got quiet when she said she'd been tutoring me. It was something I'd worry about later. At that moment, I was too distracted by the feeling that I had been made a fool of.

  "Uh, hello?" Rose drew the attention back to herself. "What is happening?"

  Travis pressed forward like a superhero preparing for their big reveal moment. "I'll catch you up," he announced.

  He not-so-gently guided Rose inside. Ordinarily, I wouldn't have put up with him manhandling her that way. Obviously, it wasn't turning out to be an ordinary day. The rest of the group parted to go around us on either side.

  Nothing was going to stop a large group of football players from eating. Especially not my personal drama.

  "Why didn't you stay?" I asked once the others were inside and out of earshot.

  "I had something I needed to take care of."

  "You still could have woken me up. I would have given you a ride home."

  "I didn't need you to," she said, her shoulders rising defensively.

  I studied her, probably more closely than I ever had. I'd thought my eyes looked tired, but hers looked like she hadn't had a good night's sleep in weeks. I was surprised it was the first time I'd noticed. It gave her a vulnerable quality that I hadn't been prepared for.

  I wanted to fight with her, to argue our way through the mess. But something told me she couldn't handle it. I didn't want to push her when she looked so fragile.

  Instead, I rested my hand against Wren's lower back and guided her the last few feet to The Hub. "Let's go eat."

  14

  Wren

  Carter's eyes stayed on me as I dodged famished athletes and ravenous stoners. I counted myself lucky that I was financially well-off, and didn't have to regularly rely on the cafeteria for sustenance. The food was all basic but heaped on my tray in giant, steaming piles. It was no wonder the place was crawling with stoners and athletes.

  "Go to the far left to pay. That's Rachel, and she never charges anyone for their drink," Carter told me in a subdued voice. He nudged me lightly towards the girl's direction.

  It warmed me to know he was willing to share his tricks with me. I didn't have to worry about saving two dollars on a water bottle, not like some students. He didn't exactly know that, though. I'd been careful about not being flashy with my money. Maybe more so since I knew he was a scholarship student.

  "Hey!" Recognition lit in Rachel's eyes when I got close. "Have you talked to Matty? I think we finally figured out the glitch in the caves!"

  Rachel was practically bouncing on her toes. I'd befriended the game design major by chance after she'd overheard me talking about Matty's game. In the course of a week, she had become nearly as obsessed with Helltomb as Matty and I were.

  "Are you serious? I just talked to Matty early last night and he didn't mention it."

  Rachel's face turned crimson. "We actually didn't get it worked out until this morning."

  I tried to fight back my grin. "How early this morning?" />
  "Around three or four." She shifted on her feet like she was embarrassed.

  She snuck a nervous glance over my shoulder. I'd almost forgotten Carter was still waiting patiently in line behind me.

  "I expect to hear all about it later." I wagged my finger at her, warning her of what was to come.

  I finished paying and moved to the side so that Carter could do the same. He was all manners as he thanked Rachel profusely. I had to remind myself there was no reason to be jealous of him acting like a gentleman.

  "So, I take it you and Rachel know each other," Carter said as we walked side-by-side to the extra-long table in the back corner of The Hub.

  "I don't know her super well, but she's been helping Matty with his game."

  Carter asked, "Helltomb, right?"

  I nodded, surprised he'd remembered something that most people would have considered an insignificant detail. Carter had shown up for tutoring to find Matty and I huddled around his laptop on more than one occasion. Other than that, I'd only ever mentioned the game in passing.

  "Is Matty..." Carter hesitated. "Are you all just friends?"

  "Yeah, of course. Why would you even ask that?"

  Instead of answering me, he asked, "What about you and Travis?"

  "Are you trying to pick a fight with me right now?" I thought I'd gotten lucky when he'd dropped the issue outside. Apparently, I'd been counting my chickens before they'd hatched—or something like that.

  "No," he said, the word sounding forced.

  The conversation didn't get any further than that because we'd gotten to the table. More than a dozen sets of eyes were on us as we moved in opposite directions. There was only one open seat on each side—putting us directly across from each other. I took the one between Travis and Rose, letting Carter take the one between two of his teammates that I didn't recognize.

  Travis' arm automatically moved to hang casually along the back of my chair. I knew it was just a habit of his. Carter hadn't gotten that memo. I could practically feel the heat coming off of his glare.

  I should never have agreed to meet Rose for lunch. I'd known how awkward it was bound to be, and I'd been right. Half of the guys seemed to be holding their breath waiting for some sort of explosion or dinner show. The other half were just...gross. I'd never seen so many open mouth chewers in one place before.

  "So, new girl," one of the gawkers loudly addressed me, "Does the carpet match the drapes?"

  The question got zero points for originality.

  I was considering stabbing the jerk with my plastic fork when Carter slammed his hands down on the table and stood. The guy who'd spoken looked like he was in serious danger of wetting himself.

  "What the fuck did you just say?" Carter barked out.

  Nervously, I watched the other guy attempt to stutter out some semblance of an answer. And he wasn't doing a very good job of it. Carter tensed up, and I started to worry that he might do something stupid. I'd never seen him lose his temper like that before.

  "Carter," I said, pulling his attention to me. "It's fine, it's not your job to defend me." I kept my eyes fixated on him, imploring him to sit back down.

  Instead, he kicked the chair from behind him and stalked off, leaving his food tray abandoned on the table. That had gone well. I jumped up after him, forced to jog to keep up as I weaved in between tables.

  "Carter, please wait!" I called out. I cringed realizing how much added attention that had drawn to us.

  It wasn't until we'd made it to the front lobby that he finally turned on me. "What, Wren? What could you possibly have to say right now? You made it clear when we met that you weren't interested. I should have just taken the fucking hint."

  I kept my voice low, hoping it might have a calming effect. "I came to lunch today even though I knew you'd be here. What more do you want from me?"

  I'd regretted the words almost as soon as I'd said them.

  "Even though you knew I'd be here? Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

  I tampered down my natural instinct to get defensive. It wasn't Carter I was mad at—it was me. I knew better. I'd spent years perfecting the art of not getting too attached to any place or person. And in the span of one night, I'd jeopardized all of that for Carter Scott.

  Even at that moment, as he could barely look me in the eyes, I longed to reach out for him. He was magnetic. Carter wasn't the kind of guy you slept with and then moved on from. Sex with him had made me feel things. Things I'd deemed off-limits.

  "I don't know what to say," I admitted.

  He didn't acknowledge me, his feet carrying him closer to the exit. I knew I could walk away at that moment and he probably wouldn't waste any more time chasing after me. I'd hurt his feelings—though that really hadn't been my intention.

  "Carter, please stop," I pleaded as he pushed through the outside doors. I hated the whiny quality my voice had taken on.

  "We don't have to talk about it."

  I threw my hands up in exasperation, though he couldn't see it since he was walking ahead of me. "Obviously, we do need to talk about it."

  He spun on me, catching me off guard. I nearly stumbled in my effort to not run into him. His shoulders were stiff, his posture entirely unwelcoming.

  "If you wanted to talk about things we could have done that this morning. In my bed. Where I would have found you if you were a normal person."

  I felt like a frog had crawled into my throat. "It's not like you've stayed and gotten breakfast with every girl you've ever slept with."

  Carter crossed his arms over his chest. I tried not to stare at the way it made his muscles bunch, accentuating them. His face was smug. "Actually, yes I have."

  "There are rumors," I protested.

  He shook his head emphatically. "You literally had sex with me, let me fall asleep thinking everything was good, and then snuck out before I ever woke up. But please, do keep lecturing me about some rumors you heard but never bothered to ask me about."

  I shifted back on my heels. It felt like I'd been slapped, though he hadn't needed to raise a hand. Of course, I'd known there was no merit to the rumors. The guy could barely hold a conversation when we'd met. He wasn't some Casanova bent on devastating the female population. I'd clung to the rumors because as long as I'd let myself believe that Carter was a playboy then I could keep fooling myself into believing there was no danger in me liking him.

  "I thought you slept with me because you actually fucking liked me. What a joke," he spit out.

  "I do like you." I nearly choked on my own words as they stuck in my throat.

  His lips turned down. "You have a funny way of showing it."

  "I didn't want to do this with you. You just keep pushing things further. Why can't you just accept the way things are instead of forcing it to be something else?"

  "You're the one that followed me out here," he reminded me. "Come to think of it, you're the one that's been pushing things this whole time. I was perfectly fine on my own before you came along."

  I wrapped my arms around myself protectively. I'd hoped whatever was happening between us could just exist without us having to talk about it. Carter didn't realize what he was asking from me by pushing the issue. I was silent as I warred with myself.

  Carter surprised me by reaching for me. His arms wrapped around me, encompassing me in a tight hug. Just when I'd started to melt into him, he pulled away. He brushed his hands over my arms but then put distance back between us. He rubbed at his temples like his head was aching.

  "I'm not gonna keep going in circles with you. We slept together. If that means something to you, then you're gonna have to be the one to come to me this time." Solemnly, he said, "The ball's in your court now,"

  I laughed nervously before blurting out, "I think that's the wrong kind of sports analogy for a football player."

  He didn't share my laugh as he quietly told me, "I'll see you around, Wren."

  I tried to protest, to come up with any good reason for him to
stay. It was too late, he was gone before I could even get the words out. For once, it was me left not knowing what to say.

  15

  Carter

  "How did I let you talk me into this?" I groaned.

  Travis elbowed a branch out of his way as he shimmied his way back into the center of the shrubbery. "I think your desperation played a large part." He eyed the bottom half of my face, causing me to self-consciously itch at my grown out facial hair. I hadn't bothered to shave in a few days.

  "Stop staring at me like that. I know I need to shave, dude. Lay off."

  "Are you sure we can't get Matty in on this?" he asked, effectively changing the subject. "I have his number. We could just text him..." Travis pulled his phone out from the pocket of his muddy jeans.

  "No!" I smacked it out of his hand.

  He narrowed his eyes at the thin, silver device laying face down in the dirt. "That felt a little unnecessary."

  "Sorry," I muttered. I picked it up and used my shirt to wipe it off for him before handing it back.

  There was no way in hell I wanted to invite Matty into the mess—literally or figuratively. For one, I was already struggling with being trapped in a small space with Travis. Secondly, Matty was Wren's friend. It was obvious whose side of things he'd be on. The only reason Travis had gotten involved was that he liked being in the middle of the drama. Literally, that's what he had told me.

  An entire week had passed without any word from Wren. I'd been avoiding the places I normally saw her, thinking I was giving her space to decide what she wanted to do. After a week's worth of silence, though, I had started to believe my plan was flawed. I'd really bought into that absence makes the heart grow fonder bullshit. Besides that, for once my introversion had started making me feel lonely.

  Travis had confronted me about the weird, mopey vibes he was apparently getting from both Wren and me. I'd somehow managed to tell him everything. Misery loves company, after all. Except, instead of commiserating with me, he'd launched a full-scale stakeout. Which was why I found myself stalking the object of my affection from within a shrubbery circle outside her dorm building. Literally, we were hiding out in the bushes. And on an important game day, no less.