Page 66 of Lowering His Guard

“You sure you don’t want to walk me to class today?” He snaps back at me.

Do I want to walk him to class and see May? Hell yeah. I can’t get our kiss out of my mind. Her taste, her smell, her soft lips. I want to experience all of it again and again.

But it’s not to be. I learned my lesson from Serenity. Women aren’t to be trusted.

“You’ve been bitching about me walking you to class all summer.”

“Why are you avoiding May?” he asks instead of answering my question.

“Not avoiding May,” I lie. I check the time on my phone. “Need to go.”

Jace rolls his eyes. “You’re early and we both know it. Go. I’ll see you later.”

He trudges away and I have to lock down my limbs before I follow him to get a glimpse of May. No. It’s better this way. I’m not going through what I did with Serenity again. It wouldn’t be fair to Jace.

And maybe I don’t want to get hurt again. There’s nothing wrong with protecting myself. I’m not scared. I’m protecting myself. Two entirely different things.

I arrive at the stadium at Coastal State University early. I’m always early, but this is even earlier than normal since I originally planned to watch Jace’s class for a while before going to practice.

And there I go again – thinking about May. The pint-sized surfer worms her way into my thoughts way too often. What about her has me fascinated? Her smile? Her laugh? Her inability to take life seriously? All of it?

I answer some emails on my phone for ten minutes before my other teammates begin arriving. Gage, Corbin, and Tanner all arrive in their SUVs. But when Nolan steps out of a brand new SUV, I frown. Where’s his red sports car?

I climb out of my SUV and join my teammates where they’ve gathered around Nolan’s new vehicle.

“I don’t know what’s more surprising. Nolan selling the sports car he couldn’t live without. Or Tanner being on time,” Gage says.

“Hold up!” Tanner shouts. “Nolan, you sold your sports car?”

Nolan shrugs. “It was time. The Porsche was too small. I’m tired of climbing in and out of it.”

“And why are you on time?” Gage asks Tanner before anyone can blurb about the real reason Nolan sold his sports car. The reason we’re not supposed to know about. If he thinks he can get away with getting a woman pregnant without me lecturing him, he has another thing coming.

Tanner scowls. “I’m sick and tired of everyone saying I’m always late. I admit I’m not early. But I’m never late. I take my career seriously.”

“Except for trying to ruin your career by doing stupid shit all the damn time,” Corbin mutters.

Tanner sticks a finger in his face. “Don’t you start with me or I’ll tell everyone you’re living with your landlady.”

Corbin growls. “I’m not living with Siena.”

Tanner fists his hands on his hips. “Oh? You’re not living at the same address? In the same house?”

“We’re sharing a house. We’re not living together.” Except Corbin’s nostrils flare. He wouldn’t be upset about Tanner’s accusation if there wasn’t more to his relationship with Siena. I hope it lasts. Corbin deserves happiness more than the rest of us.

“Whatever,” Tanner mutters. “Are we going to practice or what?”

“Ah, he’s letting it go. Our little Tanner is growing up.” Nolan ruffles Tanner’s hair. Tanner shoves him away, and Nolan laughs.

We walk to the locker room as a group. Correction. Nolan, Corbin, and I walk like the grown adults we are. Gage and Tanner race each other. They’re both wicked fast, but Tanner is a tad faster and usually wins. Gage doesn’t enjoy losing. No professional athlete does.

We’re the first team members to arrive, which isn’t strange. Nolan is usually the first to arrive but I’m never far behind him.

I notice a glass jar sitting on the bench in front of my locker. I frown at it.

“What’s this?” I ask as I pick it up. I read the label. “Grunt fund. Twenty-five cents every time Brock communicates using only a grunt.”

There’s already twenty dollars in it. “Who’s putting money in this?”