“We can arrange that.” I picked up her hands and stared at the red skin where the tie had been. “Let’s get you ice, just in case this hurts.”
“It’s totally fine.” She tore her hands from mine, a shield coming up on her eyes. She was so expressive. Each emotion she wore like a book. Her happiness was all smiles and light eyes, competitive was narrowed eyes that darkened with each look, and lust well… I’d grown accustomed to that. This though? She was unsure. Nervous.
It was my fault. Her simple touch to my face made me act like an idiot. She had no idea about my past issues, and it wasn’t her fault. None of it was on her at all. If anything, she helped bring me back to life. My stomach soured, hating the fact my micro-action upset her even a little bit.
Fix this.
“Come on, Mallinson.” I stood, held out a hand and waited for her to take it. “I think we need a snack.”
“Wait.” She gulped; eyes wide as she remained on the bed. “What if Lo is back? We can’t go out there.”
Did I want my sister giving me shit about this? Right after we talked through our issues? No. I didn’t. Things were great now, and she’d warned me about getting involved with Mack, but I had to remove that look from Mack’s eyes right now because the thought of her pushing me away or hurting caused a terrible pang in my chest. “Cyberstalking,” I blurted out.
“I’m sorry, what?” She tilted her cute head, her lips pursed.
“Socials. Lo posts every day, numerous times. Let’s see where she’s at tonight.”
Proud of my choice, I found my phone and quickly pulled up her feed. Her and Luca had a fun date planned andboom.They were at the football house. “Not coming back here tonight.”
I showed her the phone, and she arched a brow. “Well done, Romano.”
“I’m not just a pretty face, despite what people say. I use my brain.” I tapped my temple a few times. It was easier to make fun of yourself.
“No one thinks you’rejusta pretty face, Dean. You’re the coach on the field, the leader of the entire team. Everyone knows the success is largely in part of your quick thinking and split-second decisions that affect the game. Your looks are simply a bonus.” She rolled her eyes as she stood—not taking my hand—and stretched her arms over her head. “Didn’t realize you needed an ego stroke, big guy, especially after I told you I had the best orgasms of my life.”
She snapped the bodysuit back as she pulled out an oversized shirt and slipped it on. Her comments rooted me to the spot, my heart racing for a different reason than seeing her naked. Did she view me that way? My frown was set, my face twisting in hesitation. I wanted to ask her to explain more, butthat would make me look stupid, needy even. Swallowing, I took a small breath when she met my gaze.
“Dean,” she said softly, her eyes narrowing as she chewed the side of her lip. “Do you think people assume you’re just… pretty?”
“No,” I scoffed, my skin feeling too tight for my body. “I mean, sometimes. It’s not a big deal. Callum hinted at it once. I should’ve… I made a bad joke.”
“Self-deprecating humor has a time and a place, but after hanging with you a lot the last few weeks, I can tell something is bothering you. Lo has been worried too, but she’s never shared, if you’re concerned. D-do you want to talk about it?” She reached a hand out but then pulled back.
I wanted her touch.
I was supposed to comfort her, remove that uncertain look on her face, and here she was, trying to comfort me. Man, I sucked at this. Jessica made me forget how to be a good partner, good lover, goodanything.Pressing my lips tight together, I took a deep breath. “I’m not sure.”
She laughed, the sound wonderful and fixing the worry wedged in my gut. “That, I understand completely. Well, maybe we can talk about it, or maybe we can have a snack to soak up all the leftover tequila.”
“Yeah?” Hope burst through me. She accepted mymaybeanswer? Most people would dig deeper, demand to talk now. Everyone always wanted a piece of me, but she didn’t, and fuck. I ran a hand over my chest, the pang in there growing. This girl, with her hair still wet from the rain and makeup smeared on her eyes, was really getting to me.
“We all have our own hangups, but truthfully, we never really understand how others view us, so we have to focus on how we see ourselves. Because at the end of the day, we spendthe most time with our inner thoughts.” She winked and left her room.
What did I do? I followed because what else could I do? This damn girl, who happened to be my sister’s best friend, who also put her sport first and was just as dedicated, had pulled me in. Five weeks with her was gonna change my life, that was for damn certain. It was a good thing we planned to walk away because it was clear, things with her could get serious, and I refused to do that ever again.
CHAPTER
FIFTEEN
Mack
Something haunted Dean. Between Lo complaining that he shut her out and the tension between them, something was off. They had handshakes and routines, and those were forgotten since she started dating Luca, and that was her worry. But it was clear to me that this wasn’t a Luca thing. I couldn’t pinpoint why I knew that. Maybe it was the fact I’d crushed on him hard for three years, and he acted differently now? Or maybe it was the dark look and insecurity on his face tonight.
I knew what it was like to have self-doubt. I’d lived that most of my life. I was too athletic, too tall, too focused, too much of a tomboy, too silly for dreaming of playing on the USWST. People were haters. They loved being cruel to those different than them. I had a great group of friends and teammates who were my chosen family. My parents were fine, but since they were best friends with Coach Emily, they weren’t exactly my go-tos for advice. Having real friends you couldtrust, who built you up when you were down, made all the difference in the world.
Friends I’m lying to about Dean…
I swallowed down the thought and busied myself with making a snack. Those feelings would be ignored for the time being and revisited… never. This fling was short, and once it was over, I’d share as a fun anecdote. They didn’t need to know now and tell me how much of an idiot I was being. They’d warn me to be careful, to not get hurt, and I’d agree and do it anyway. This fling with Dean was just like this Summer Playbook—a summer fling that ended in August. It’d be one last adventure before the final year of college took over.
