“You keep telling yourself that. You’re making the editor’s jobs really hard by saying it every time we’re cute.”
“We arenotcute,” I scoff.
I pull away, looking him over. He’s in that same slutty little outfit that had my mouth watering at the bar before the show. Shorts and a crop top.
I bite my nail in an attempt to ensure my mouth doesn’t drop open.
“So, the girls told me something interesting today,” I tell him as we start walking to the player lot.
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. They said that you were telling the guys that you knew it was me right away from the song?”
His face lights up with the biggest smile I’ve ever seen. “Oh yeah! I literally knew in the first three seconds. I’ve heard it enough times, you know?”
The woman is too stunned to speak. “I only remember playing it for you once when we were kids. How did you remember?”
His brows draw together as he looks down at me. “What do you mean? You had it on all the time. I’d see it playing on your iPod, or you’d write the lyrics on your arm when you were going through your emo phase.”
I blush at the memory.
“You may not have played it for me, but you played it, and I listened to it.”
My heart squeezes in my chest, but before I can respond, Eddy is pulling at Cooper’s arm.
“You guys are going straight home, right? The crew will be waiting for you there.”
Fantastic.
CHAPTER 26
COOPER
I’ve never sat through a more awkwardly silent ride than the drive home from the game with Amara.
Especially when all I want to do is ogle her in my jersey.
I get it now. I do. Seeing someone you care about so much with your name on their back feels like winning some kind of award.
Thankfully, the drive from the stadium to my place is short, and when we pull in, Amara sighs.
“They shouldn’t be filming much,” I assure her, unbuckling.
Her eyes meet mine, and my heart misses a beat. “Do you think we can be friends?” she asks softly.
I’m confused, but I think about it for a second. Normally, I would say, of course, we can be friends. We can be whatever you want.
But that wouldn’t be honest.
I suck at my bottom lip before meeting her eyes. “Amara, I would love nothing more than to tell you yes. But there’s actually nothing I want less,” I tell her, and her face drops.
“Oh—” despair drips from her voice.
“But that’s because I don’t want to be your friend. And I feel like you know that.”
“You’ve made it clear?—”
Shit.
