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The Game You Play 11
True. I did. Lists kept me organized; reminded me of things I needed to do. Lists for the grocery store. Lists of the celebrities I crushed on. Not to mention my senior year bucket list.Lists made me happy.“You’re right. I am an excellent maker of the lists. It’s an undervalued talent for sure.”“Oh come on.” She nudged my shoulder. “You know what I mean. Just because you’re not really good at one thing doesn’t mean you’re not good at lots of little things.”“Yeah, you’re right.” My smile was forced, the knot in my stomach tightening.It wasn’t that I was jealous of Hailee, I wasn’t. She was gifted and I was excited for the Seniors Night unveiling. For her. But it only heightened my self-awareness of how lacking I was. It was senior year. The year of college applications and chasing future dreams. A future my parents had all planned out for me since the womb. They wanted me to follow family tradition; attend UPenn, get my business degree and work some white-collar job in the city.B
The Game You Play 12
“You’re a good friend, Felicity Giles.” Hailee wrapped her arms around me, hugging me tight. “And I promise to do everything in my power to make your senior year as awesome as it can possibly be.”“Ride or die,” I said.Hailee pulled away, grinning at me. “RideJason“Yo, QB, check it out.” Grady flipped me his cell phone. I caught it, my eyes narrowing on the tweet.@ThatcherQB1: Raiders better watch out, the Tigers are on the prowl #Tigersgohunting #Raiderscansuckit“Doesn’t Thatcher’s cousin play for the Tigers?” he asked me as I handed back his cell.Shrugging, I grunted. “Fuck if I care. He’s just bitter we put their asses in the ground Rival’s Week.” We’d played them a couple weeks back. It had been a dog fight, both teams refusing to roll over. But, in the end, we got the win, and Thatcher had gone back to Rixon East with his tail between his legs.“Should we be worried?” Cam leaned in, whispering in my ear.“Do I look worried?” Thatcher was clutching at straws. He couldn’t tou
The Game You Play 13
One of their players was glaring over at me. I stood taller, tipping my chin slightly, sending him a silent ‘fuck you’. He narrowed his eyes, pointing his finger at me before dragging it across his throat.“Yo, Coach?” I asked one of our assistant coaches. “Number twenty-three. What position is he playing?”“Linebacker,” he said warily. “Should I be concerned?”“Nah, Coach. Just wondered.”He gave me a pointed look. “No bullshit out there, okay?”“Did I hear someone say bullshit?” Coach Hasson called us in. “Listen up. Millington came here to win. If they don’t, they can kiss a shot at the play-offs goodbye. So that means they’ll be gunning for blood. Your blood. You hear me?” We nodded. “They’re desperate and desperate men will do anything to get the win. Keep your cool and don’t get dragged into their games. That goes for you too, QB.”“Yes, Sir.” My eyes flicked over to Millington. Like us, they were now huddled around their coach, who was no doubt telling them to use every trick i
The Game You Play 14
“Go, GO! The entire stadium seemed to yell, propelling me forward. Giving me the strength I needed to make one final push.Someone reached for me and I leaped to the side, the thud of their body hitting the ground behind me reverberating in my ears.Fifteen yards… ten… five. I was so close. So fucking close I could already hear the echo of ‘touchdown’ ringing in my ears. But a Millington player appeared out of nowhere slamming straight into me, the ball fumbling out of my hands. “Fuck,” I grunted, the ground beneath me breaking my fall.“That one’s for Thatcher.” Twenty-three came down hard on me. His elbow—or was it a fist—clipping my ribs with purpose. Once. Twice… Pain splintered through my side.“Get the fuck off me,” I sneered, pushing him off. He rolled away, clambering to his feet. The second I was upright, I got up in his face, barely aware of the game still going on around us. “What the hell was that?”Dead Man Walking had the balls to smirk.“Oh, you think this is funny. You
The Game You Play 15
When I reached Jason the words, “Where’s Asher’s Jeep?” fell from my lips.“I drove.”“Oh,” I said, eyeing his car.Jason kicked the gravel, sending a plume of dust into the air. Everything about him screamed ‘stay away’. A murderous expression. Waves of anger rippling off him. The way his jaw clenched so tight it looked painful.He was a nuclear bomb just waiting to detonate.And suddenly, I didn’t want to ride anywhere with them. Even if Hailee had driven us here and was now attending to Cameron’s needs.“Change of plan.” Asher sauntered up to us, his lip in a grim line. “My parents are on their... aaaaand here they are.” Headlights illuminated the three of us, and I glanced over to where his gaze was fixed.“They want to take me to dinner.”“They do?” My expression must have given me away because Asher chuckled.“Don’t look so worried, Jase can take you home. Can’t you, QB?”The guy in question grunted something inaudible.“I can walk,” I rushed out, wanting nothing more than the g
The Game You Play 16
“Sometimes, when it all gets too much, I make a list.” The words were out before I could stop them.“A list?” Jason snorted.“Yeah, it helps me process things.”“And these lists,” his voice was drenched in sarcasm, “What do you put on them?”“Anything really. Sometimes I use them to help me organize my life: to do lists, grocery store lists, homework lists—”“You have a list for homework.” His brow went up and then he smirked. “Of course you do. What else?”“Celebrities I’d like to date, books I want to read, that kind of thing.”“And your senior year bucket list?”“How did you...? Asher,” I groaned. “Asher told you.” I felt my cheeks burn.“Don’t worry. He didn’t tell me what’s on the list.”Because he didn’t know. He and Cameron had overheard me talking to Hailee about it once. But I refused to share the details, because, holy crap, that would be embarrassing.About as embarrassing as Jason asking me about it.“Good. That’s good.”“Why do you look so worried, Giles?” He leaned close
The Game You Play 17
“So fucking wet,” he said gruffly, not giving me chance to catch my breath or process what was happening, as he pressed a finger inside me.“Oh God,” I moaned, rocking against his hand, needing more.Needing so much more.My head dropped back, exposing my neck and collarbone to him. Answering my silent plea, Jason dipped his head kissing the hollow of my throat, sucking gently. Driving me wild.“Jase,” I panted, the intrusion of a second finger making me wince. But only for a second, as pleasure flowed through me like a gentle wave.I was lost in the intense sensations. The warm current flowing between us, through us. The intimate position. The feel of his hot mouth around my breast as he worked his fingers inside me, circling his thumb over my clit.“I’m so close,” I whispered, barely able to recognize my own voice. My legs began to shake as Jason went deeper, harder. I’d never let anyone touch me like this before. Not the way Jason did. As if it wasn’t about my pleasure at all, but
The Game You Play 18
He never did eat up the limelight like the rest of us, and now he was with Hailee, he was even more inclined to linger in the background. I’d always given him shit for it. Back when we were kids and people began to take notice, I couldn’t understand why he rarely lapped up the attention. But now I wondered if Cam was onto something. If maybe he knew all along that if you stayed in the limelight for too long, it would eventually burn your soul until there was nothing left but ash.Cameron was sporting a nice shiner underneath his left eye. I had to give him props, I didn’t know he had it in him. Because what they said was true: girls really did make you crazy. And my best friend was two screws loose over my step-sister.“Fee, baby, you came.”“I... Hailee insisted.” She kept her eyes on Asher, refusing to look at me.It shouldn’t have bothered me so much, but it did.“Well, let’s get you ladies a drink.” He leaped up and slung his arm round her shoulders. I followed him up.“I’ll be at
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