Reagan leads us toward a Knights table and her friend, Liam Shaw, pulls her into a hug, spinning her as she squeals. Jordan rolls his eyes, but I think it’s sweet.
“Liam! Put me down.” She finally gets the giant guy to set her back on her feet. She tenses for just a moment, and I immediately turn to see what, no, who she is looking at.
A few tables over sits Drew—the boy of my best friend’s current dreams. He’s not alone, either. There are about four girls currently fawning over him and he seems to be eating up all the attention, until he realizes Reagan is here. She has already turned away, pretending not to care, talking football with Liam’s teammates, but I’m still watching him. He stops and stares at her for just a second too long and that’s how I know he likes her. These other girls he entertains—I don’t get it. If he simply told Reagan how he felt, she’d reciprocate in a heartbeat.
I hear Jordan scoff behind me, and I realize that he also just witnessed what I saw with his sister and teammate. “That’s never happening.” He’s talking about Drew and Reagan, and I have to laugh at him because I think it may be inevitable.
“You can’t control her dating life forever.”
“Watch me.” He’s completely serious, and I smack him in the chest.
After all the football guys chat with Reagan, the three of us go in search of a table when I hear an unmistakable voice call out
“Kenz!” I freeze—and so does the boy beside me.
Trey is waving us over to his empty table. It looks like he just got here and he’s alone which is not like him. He’s always surrounded by his teammates and a few adoring fans. I wait for Jordan to step in, say something, take us somewhere else, but he stands frozen. Hesitantly, I head to the table and reach him first. “Hey, Trey. What are you doing here?”
He blushes and it’s probably the cutest thing I’ve ever seen him do. “Um, well I may have asked Liv what you were up to tonight and she said the Knights game. I know that the crowd always comes here after games, so I was hoping to run into you.” I know Reagan and Jordan are behind me because I hear Rea squeal.
“Oh.” It’s all I can manage because my mind is completely goo, again, thanks to Trey.
CHAPTER
FOUR
JORDAN
I’ve been looking forward to Friday night all week because she’ll be at my house for the weekend. No matter what I do, I can’t stop thinking about Mackenzie. It’s uncharted territory for me—ball is my whole life. But maybe—just maybe—there’s room for something… no, scratch that, someone else.
Things started off great. The game was the perfect excuse to feel things out and talk to her by “explaining” football. I took every opportunity to brush my arm against hers or let my hand rest on her leg for a second. Electricity ran between us, and by the way her breathing hitched and her cheeks blushed, I know she felt it too.
I’d hoped to go straight home, get my sister to watch a movie, and inevitably fall asleep. Then I would get to talk—really talk—to Mack. We spent all summer talking, and since school started, I’ve missed it. Between classes, workouts, and extra basketball prep, we haven’t seen each other much and barely text. The gossip mill runs rampant between our two rival schools, and I’ve heard plenty about Trey pursuing Mack. The thought makes my blood boil, and I talked myself into believing it wasn’t true. Trey’s never been the boyfriend type.Now I’m proven wrong, and it’s killing me to watch freaking Trey Spencer flirt with her right in front of me.
Obliging my twin sister, I came to Trudy’s for ice cream and to congratulate Liam on his game. I’m overprotective of my sister, but these football guys are basically her brothers at this point. We grew up together, and even if they liked her, they’d never make a move. I’m not so sure about my teammate Drew, though. I saw the way he was looking at my sister, even Mack noticed.
All my plans for a quick ice-cream have gone out the window. My need to get Mack alone morphs into getting her away from Trey as soon as possible. Just as I think that my sister sits down at his booth. Great. Guess we’re sitting here. Before I can stop it, Trey pulls Mack to his side. My Mack. I burn with jealousy, but I take a seat next to my sister, directly across from Trey. He wears a smug smile I hate. I used to think we were boys, but that ends tonight if he doesn’t back off my girl.
No. She’s not my girl. My fists clench under the table as I count to ten, slowly trying to calm down. I’ve never reacted this way to a girl, and I hate who I’m becoming. I don’t get jealous, especially not of a hockey bro.
Reagan can’t help herself and jumps right in. “So, Trey, you must really like my bestie if you came all the way here when you could see her at school every day.” As much as I hate the visual of them together at school, I would love to know just how much Trey sees her.
He gives that cocky laugh that makes my teeth grind, he looks over at Mack and I tense. She’s blushing. For him. That’s supposed to be for me.
“I don’t think I could ever get enough of Kenzie. Lunch and walks to class don’t give much time for us to be alone and really get to know each other, you know?” He says this and then winks at Mack before grinning at my sister.
“Aw, you’re sweet! J, isn’t it nice that he’s taking care of my bestfriend?” My sister, ever the wordsmith. I see Trey’s shoulders shake with laughter and my blood is boiling.
“Yeah. It’s super sweet.” The words come out harsher than I intend as my eyes glance at Mackenzie, then narrow on Trey. He looks back at me without a care in the world. He’s obviously into her.
“I think I need to go to the bathroom.” Mack randomly blurts out and runs from the table. Someone from the football squad calls Reagan’s name and she goes over to them, leaving me with my newest enemy. I mean, my old friend. Frenemy? Is that still a thing?
“So, Mills, how’s ball treating you so far this year? Y’all going to win state?”
“Spencer, cut the crap. You don’t care about my basketball team, just like I couldn’t care less about hockey.”
His answering cruel laugh grates on my last nerve. “You’re right. Let’s just cut to the chase here. Do you have a thing for Kenz? I know she’s your sister’s best friend, so I wasn’t sure if you were just friends or if it was more?”
Something inside me shatters. I was ready to stake a claim on Mack, but he had to throw my sister’s name in there. Can I really date the one girl that hasn’t tried to use my sister for her own gain? I need more time. Time to feel it out and time to slowly get my sister used to the idea.
