I hold the EpiPen against her outer thigh, pressing down until I hear the click.
She cries out.
“Good girl,” I soothe. “You’re going to be okay.”
Everett’s voice breaks as he talks to the operator.
I keep my eyes locked on Tinsley’s chest, listening to her breathing.
After a long minute, the wheeze eases slightly and her colour shifts from grey back to pink.
“The adrenaline is working,” I say, “but she’ll still need to go to hospital for observation.”
Everett sinks to the floor opposite us, hands in his hair. “I’ve given her mango gelato before,” he murmurs, his eyes drifting from me to his sister. “They didn’t have the brand I usually buy. I just assumed a different one would be the same.”
“She’ll be okay,” I reassure him.
“Thanks to you.”
Less than eight minutes later, the ambulance arrives, and Everett goes with her to the hospital. Once they’re gone, I busy myself cleaning up the kitchen, the high of adrenaline seeping out of my body and leaving me drained.
Classes start on Wednesday,and by Friday I’m swamped with coursework and training, especially since I wasn’t prepared for any of my classes. I’m in a foul mood, horny as fuck, and still distracted by thoughts of a green-eyed, masked pixie. Unfortunately, that’s not a great combo when we have our first game against Macquarie University tonight.
“You really need to get laid,” Everett grumbles as I drive us back to campus.
“Fuck off,” I mutter, drumming my fingers on the steering wheel.
After finishing class at two, we went home to chill before the game, only I couldn’t relax. While my housemate was trying to unwind with a movie on the couch, I was consumed by my masked woman and stress-cleaning to the point I think I freaked him out.
This is getting beyond ridiculous. All I did was fucking kiss her, but now it’s like no other female exists in the world. Maybe Everett’s right. Maybe I do just need to get laid, then I can move on from this mind-fuck. But the thought of sticking my dick in some random woman doesn’t get me remotely excited. That’s all I need getting around campus: Blake Logan has performance issues. Fuck my life.
I’m still grouchy as fuck when we push through the door to the change rooms and the sounds of seventeen men shit-talking and preparing for the game assaults our ears. I know I need to pull myself out of this funk and get my head in the game, but I’m spiralling into a dangerous obsession.
Noah Bentley, our captain and centre-back, arches abrow when he sees me and pulls me away from our prying teammates to check-in.
“What’s up with you, dude? You’re wound up tighter than Doyle’s girlfriend.”
I bite back my snarky reply and run a hand through my hair. “I’m sure Jess would love that analogy.”
He shrugs, grinning. “I don’t know how he puts up with her constant nagging and neediness.”
My brow arches. “Don’t think we haven’t noticed how you and Kincaid have been totally loved up and hanging out of each other’s pockets every second you’re not in class or on the pitch.”
His smile turns soft at the mention of his boyfriend—our ex-teammate who graduated last year—and a pang of jealousy coils in my chest. I swallow it down because a relationship is out of the cards for me—I’ll never risk turning into my father.
The thought sobers me up pretty quickly.
“Seriously, Blake,” Noah says, his tone serious. “What’s going on?”
I contemplate telling him, but this is my problem, and I need to get over it. There’s no use working myself up over a random stranger when there’s no future other than a single night of scorching hot sex. I don’t do repeat performances. I don’t let anyone get close enough to discover the skeletons in my closet and the defective man I might be. No fucking chance.
Sighing, I shake my head. “Nothing, man. I’m good. Just feeling a little overwhelmed and underprepared with my course load. I’ll get it under control.”
His brow furrows as he studies me, but my carefullyconstructed mask has slipped into place. I’m not giving anything away. Time to forget about the kiss of a lifetime and move on.
I clap him on the back. “Thanks for checking in, but I’m fine. Let’s go win this game.”
And we do.
