With a sigh I stand. “I totally suck at this.” I don’t bother to look at Asher, who is laughing under his breath.
“Well, she’s your teammate, Wes, you help her,” Asher says, playing into our game. It seems to work as Wesley sets down his beer, and I feel a wash of shame over it. He walks over, positioning himself behind me to help me line up the shot, and it’s like lightning when we touch, zapping away the guilt. I suck in a breath, and that’s when we hear Jake say, “Marissa, hey!”
Wes backs away from me and I let out the breath I was holding, like a deflating balloon. “Asher, you show her. I’ll be right back.”
Asher walks over to me and blows out a breath. “Tough luck, kid.” I roll my eyes and go to line up the shot again. “Ah, ah, ah,” Asher says. “Wait until he gets back.”
Marissa walks over to the pool table with Wes. Her heeled boots and full face of makeup make me feel underdressed even though we’re at a dive bar.
“Okay, here, let me show you.” Asher starts to move behind me.
“No, I’m good, I just remembered how to do it.” I smile.
“No.” He smiles back. “You didn’t.” He nods over at the two of them standing there. Marissa places a light kiss to Wesley’s mouth, and I want to snap the cue stick in half. “Go back into the stance,” he says.
I do, leaning down, pretending to be sloppy about it. I flinch at Asher’s touch when he comes behind me and places his hands on my arms. He slowly slides his hands down to my hands and leans over me, pressing his body flush to mine. I pretend he’s Wes. Especially when one of his hands moves to my waist.
“Now line up your body with the shot,” he says into my ear. The hand on my waist slides up my stomach as he moves me over slightly. His fingers graze my bare skin as my shirt rises with the movement.
“Can you not?” I say, regarding the hand that’s moving dangerously up my torso.
“I don’t want to touch you either. Now shut up and flex your fingers.”
I do it, and he positions the cue between them, drawing my dominant hand back toward the end of it, taking his sweet time.
“I think she gets it, Asher, just hit the fucking ball,” Wesley’s voice rings out from across the table.
I glance up to find him standing arms crossed and facing away from Marissa now, watching us. Asher huffs a laugh close to my ear at Wesley’s annoyance before putting his hand over mine and breaking the rack. The force of it sends out a loud crack as the balls scatter around the table.
We both stand straight now, and I hold the cue stick vertical,the end of it resting on the ground. “Nice break,” Asher says with a pat to my ass. I let the cue slide in between his legs before pushing the top end of it down toward the table. It comes up quick and hits him in the balls, not too hard, but hard enough. He lets out a painedhumphand gives me a glare.
“Thanks for showing me,” I say sweetly. “I think I got it now.” I drag the cue stick to another part of the table to line up my next shot.
Adrienne and I leave after that game and head back to our apartment.
When we’re in the back of the Uber she says, “What’s up with that blond kid? Are you seeing him?”
“Who?” I ask, staring down at my phone, thinking maybe Wes will text. Like if I stare at the screen long enough, I’ll get a message telling me to come over.
“The one showing you how to play pool, which I know you already know how to do.”
“Oh, Asher, no,” I say. “He’s not even a friend, more of a nuisance really.”
“Oh, my bad, from where I was standing it just looked like you two were together.”
That’s the plan, I think to myself.
My phone buzzes from an incoming message and I hold my breath. But it isn’t Wesley; it’s my friend Ty.
Party tomorrow night at Phi Delt.
Let me know if you can make it! XOXO
Chapter 6
The three-story, brick-structured Phi Delta frat house vibrates with each pulse of the music coming from the building. Annica and I stare up at the flashing lights from the windows as we walk up to the door.
“I can’t believethisis a frat house,” I say, eager to get in. “Why do the ones at Pembroke all look like the next gust of wind might blow them over, but the ones here look like a government building?”
