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It’s my eyes’ turn to roll. “Not modest, huh?”

He takes a step toward me, over the threshold for the first time, crowding me. Making me sweat with nerves as he approaches. “Don’t have to be. I’m good.” His voice is husky. Or maybe I’m imagining that. I don’t think so, though, as he takes another step toward me, and all I can do is stand there, looking at him like a precious relic that has me mesmerized. “I’m really, really good.”

“Calvin!” Shit. My brother. I quickly step back and look over my shoulder, relieved I can’t see him so he probably can’t see me. Oh God. What if he had walked in with us standing like that? With him a mere inch away from my body.

With my body responding to him. With my eyes locked on Jonah’s mouth as it moved.

“You need to go,” I say firmly, my stomach clenching as I look back over my shoulder to once again make sure Curtis isn’t coming, and then back at Jonah, who’s watching me with curiosity. “Now.”

He sighs and shakes his head slowly. “Come to practice tomorrow. We need you.”

“You were on your back for most of practice today. Why do you think you need me?” It’s an honest question. I showed him no talent whatsoever.

“It’s a feeling. In my gut.” He moves slowly toward me again, tilting his head up to look at me directly—making sure I feel it all over, and boy, do I. “I always trust my gut.”

All I can do is stare at him as he smiles and then waves before leaving my house.

Curtis yells my name again, and it finally jump-starts me into moving my ass toward the kitchen. But in my mind, I’m still there at the front door.

With him.

CHAPTER FIVE

jonah

I find myself holding my breath all day until it’s time for practice. I don’t know if what I said got through to Calvin, and I still have absolutely no idea why I seem to care so much. But there’s something . . .

Something in the way he looked at me that told me that no matter what the outcome, I was in the right place at that time. That he needed to hear he could come back.

And in the locker room after school, I realize I was right when I see Calvin walk in, bag slung over his massive shoulder as he walks to his locker. He opens up his gym bag and gathers his practice clothes in his beefy hands. My eyes aren’t the only ones on him.

Everyone watches him, and when my brother walks through those doors a minute later, I’m not the only one holding my breath anymore. Everyone goes quiet as they wait for Micah to say something, to kick him out or to yell. But all he does is offer a small smile in Calvin’s direction, and then in mine. Then he heads into his office.

“This is such horseshit,” Adler says, his annoyance seeping out of him, but Calvin doesn’t even flinch. Doesn’t acknowledge him at all before yanking his shirt off, and that’s my cue to look away because damn—the guy is my type.

Way too much my type. Big and burly with chest hair between his pecs. Not defined abs, but a solid belly with a thick trail from his belly button down into his jeans, leading to what I can only imagine is an impressive dick.

Nope. Nope. Nope.

I keep my eyes away from Mr. Left Tackle and hurry to get dressed into my own shorts and T-shirt before hauling ass onto the practice field. It’s hot as balls out here today, but being from Texas, I’m used to the heat.

I grab a quick swig from my water bottle and run to where the assistant coach is shouting warm-up drills. Calvin is the last to join us, but when he does, he goes right into it. Part of me wants to make a quip about him not letting me land on my back today, but honestly, it sends too many dirty thoughts through my brain, so I settle on focusing on what the coach is shouting.

Micah is working with defense for most of the practice, but toward the end, he stalks toward Calvin, who, by the way, has blocked for me quite well today. I think we could make a damn good team actually.

That’s why I’m wondering what Micah will say. I mean, he’s done his job. There’s no reason for him to be wearing the scowl he is. But as he approaches, his face softens.

“Duke.” He stops a foot in front of Calvin, and I swear he’s holding his breath too. Does he think Micah will kick him off the field? I mean, he wouldn’t let him practice almost the whole time just to kick him out now. He’s not cruel. And that would just be a dick move. “Come to my office after practice.” Calvin gives a quick, measured nod, and Micah smiles at him warmly before patting him on the shoulder once. “Glad you’re back.”

I don’t miss the relieved look on Calvin’s face but don’t dare say a word right now. He’s back, but the guy is on edge. And of course, his friends on the team don’t miss the opportunity to fuck with him.

“That’s it?” Adler asks, sidling up to Calvin’s side and putting his what I can only imagine is a sweaty-as-fuck arm over his shoulder. “You leave practice, practically bawling your eyes out, and then just show up today with nothing to say. And all Coach just says is Glad you’re back? What the fuck?”

“Seriously, if any one of us did that, we’d be off the team for sure,” Adler’s little sidekick, Shields, says with a cocky stance right next to me, propping his elbow up on my shoulder as if we’re besties now, facing Adler and Calvin. Shields looks at me. “Well, I mean I guess you could probably get away with that too. Huh, Coach’s little brother?”

Does he think he’s being clever? What a stupid nickname.

Calvin pushes Adler’s arm off him, and I take the moment to scoot away from Shields, letting his sweaty, gross arm fall off my shoulder. “Let’s just finish practice.”