Coach Em was simplywrong.
“Seriously, we should hang again,” I said as Dean scooted away from the booth and held out a hand for me. I didn’t need help standing, but I wanted any reason to touch him.
“Wait. What?” Hattie stilled. “Did you ask us to hang outagain?”
“Um, maybe?” Suddenly, I felt silly.
“Shut the fuck up, yes, please. Whatever you want to do, Mack Mallinson.”
“First off, stop with both names. Pick one.” I giggled, relief coursing through me. “Here, give me your number. We can grab a drink sometime.”
“Be cool, be cool.Mack Mallinson has your number,” Heidi mumbled to herself, making the table laugh.
It was the perfect tension relief, and we waved before walking away. Dean put his hand on my lower back, hisbarehand on my skin as he stilled me. “You have fangirls.”
“I sure do!” I pursed my lips, shimmying a little. “I love this list. That was incredible, truly. I assumed they’d be all over you and mean girl it up, but I adored them. Ilovethis.”
Dean smirked. “Still feel like you could just kiss me?”
Swoop.
My stomach twirled.
“Romano, you are not flirting with me.” I brushed past him, holding my breath to not breathe in his cologne. His only response was a deep chuckle, which I also ignored as I marched toward my friends. I barely took two steps before Lo and Callum grabbed my arms. “What is this? What’s going on?”
Callum hummed. “It’s body shot time. You’re not backing out. We cleared it with the bartender. Lay on the bar, girlie. I chose rum.”
CHAPTER
EIGHT
Dean
“This is a terrible fucking idea.” Luca stood next to me, arms crossed over his large chest as he stared at my sister, Mack, and Callum as they drew a crowd around them at the bar. A nervous, almost palpable worry bubbled in my veins at seeing her up there. Was she nervous? Excited? Did I want her toneedme? A little, if I was being honest.
“Which part?”
“All of it. This damn list. Mack is uncomfortable but gives in to her dumbass friends.”
“Those dumbasses are your friends and girlfriend.”
“I stand by what I said.” He grunted as Lo clapped her hands and chanted. People swarmed them. Both the sports dudes and fangirls all circled them, enticed by the excitement. “I can’t keep this secret for you any longer, man. Lo is getting pissed, and I hate lying to her. I’ll never betray you, but its time.”
I ground my teeth together. “Lo approached me. We’ll chat soon.”
“I mean it. She’s worried and has to hide her concern from me, because if she brings it up, she’ll get pissed at you and me. Don’t shut her out, okay? She’d cut off her own leg if it helped you.”
“I fucking know.” The weighted stress returned just like that. The entire time I was with Mack, it disappeared. Even now, I watched her laugh and nervously cover her face as the bartender—some attractive dude with tattoos—held a bottle of rum in the air. People clapped and hollered as Callum leaned over and bit her stomach.
Fuck.
That bastard was too goddamn much.Is he licking her?
“What the fuck is he doing?”
“Annoying me,” Luca said.
I almost laughed. Luca was notoriously grumpy, but I couldn’t say I blamed him. Callum irritated me too, specifically right now as he waved his arms in the air, wanting the crowd to be louder. He did the same on the field, which was great because the stands ate it up. Here though? Everyone was wilding out watching him touch Mack.
