Page 120 of The Cheerleader

“Bryan, I hear you’re not going to the McMahon cocktail party,” Liz says.

“Correct.” I slip a glance at Susie, but she’s smiling her usual smile, looking comfortable to have Liz do the dirty work of convincing me to go.

“We have some friends at McMahon who got tickets for us plus a few extras for our friends.” Liz smiles, and I can feel it coming; she’s going to force my hand. “No charge for you.”

“I’m no charity case.”

“No one said you were. But I have a bet with Eldy that you’ll show up in a suit and tie, and it’s worth more than the price of a ticket.”

“Eldy doesn’t think I’ll dress up? Smart guy.”

“Are you sure about that? Because I think you’ll do it,” Susie says.

“For you, Princess?”

She frowns, and I smirk. I’m a sick bastard for always wanting to spoil her smile, to rile her up and get her out of sorts. I tamp down on the place where that thought leads, the vision of her riled up in my bed, her face contorted with the pleasure I give her⁠—

“The way I see it, you owe me for all the tutoring.”

Shit. Liz laughs, and they exchange a look.

“I thought the tutoring was out of the kindness of your heart. Were you lying to me, Susie?” I like saying her name, scolding her, making her squirm.

The smile that slides into place on her face this time is sly because she knows she’s won. Maybe there was never any question.

“I’ll go on one condition,” I say.

She puffs out an exaggerated breath as Liz laughs like a maniac.

“Okay. What’s your condition?”

The buzz that’s always there around the three of us gets louder, deeper, more intense, like someone turned up the volume on our nerve endings, twisted them a notch to make them unbearably taut. I shove my hands into my pockets to stop me from reaching out and touching her.

Then I step close and lower my voice. “You tell me why you want me there.” I stare at each of them in turn. But I’m mostly watching Susie and all her emotions flood to the surface, and feeling my own churn inside me like the rumble of an earthquake about to happen. I tamp down again, squeezing my hands into fists inside my pockets as I wait for one of them to respond—because I know Susie will.

“I want to see you get drunk for once, to let loose and have some fun,” she says.

Liz squeezes her hand, nodding in agreement. “We both think you work too hard and we want to be your fairy princesses granting you this one night of reprieve.”

The season’s over, and I can afford to go to a party, but can I afford to go to this one where Liz might think it’s about her? It’s not. It’s not about Susie either. Or it shouldn’t be. I’m not right for her.

What it should be about is a break from waiting for word about my prospects for the NFL draft. A break from the tension would be good.

“Maybe I should let loose. I’m getting tired of my own company every night. But I’m not getting drunk.”

Chapter Thirty-Two

Susie

Even though he agreed to come, I’m surprised to see Bryan at the McMahon cocktail party tonight. I’m surprised to see him dressed in a jacket and tie. I’m not surprised to see some girls trying to flirt with him while he stands in the corner with his arms folded across his chest. I don’t realize I’m staring until his eyes find mine, trapping me.

Liz turns to follow my gaze, and I snap my stare away and touch her shoulder as if to shield her, to protect her somehow.

She smiles and lifts her chin in Bryan’s direction when he acknowledges her. His expression is neutral, I notice, even from under my lashes, before I turn away again. We find a group of guys we know on our way to the bar to cash in our drink coupons.

Dane calls out, and Sherry turns to him as he waves her over.

“Go ahead, I’ll get you a drink,” I tell her.