First Down (Beyond the Play, #1)(50)

I’m not lying, exactly. But I’m not telling the whole truth, and damnit, Cooper can tell.

“I think she’s cool,” he says. “I’m not saying she isn’t.”

“But?”

“But she’s going to hurt you. It’s just a matter of when.”

Anger rolls through me. “Noted.”

He scoots up the bed until he’s sitting next to me. “Just make sure you’re thinking this through.”

“Did you come in here just to insult my girlfriend?” I say shortly. I’m officially done with this conversation.

He rubs his beard, looking me over. He must sense my resistance because he shakes his head slightly. “No, I wanted to talk about Izzy. Does she still want to go into the city for a shopping spree? Dinner after at Le Bernardin?”

I stifle a sigh. Arguing with him about Bex won’t lead anywhere good, so instead I say, “I was hoping she wanted to go to see that Harry Styles concert or something.”

He huffs. “Same. But you have to admit, this is the most her Izzy Day she’s ever come up with. Fifth Avenue shopping? She’ll love it.”

When we were younger, our parents turned our birthdays into fun, exclusive excursions, dubbed “James Day” or “Sebastian Day.” That’s how Cooper got to skate in Madison Square Garden during a Rangers practice for his sixteenth birthday, and how when I turned fourteen, we had the most kickass arcade day ever. When Izzy had her Sweet Sixteen, our parents took her and her friends to St. Barts for a long weekend. This year? All she’s wanted lately is to be in the city, so this isn’t surprising, but it’s going to be brutal to watch her try on dresses for six hours straight.

“Maybe she can help me pick out my suit for the Heisman ceremony. That would be productive, at least.”

“It’ll be good to spend time with her,” Coop says. “Mom was telling me that she broke up with that weird guy.”

I do a little fist pump. “Finally.”

“I know, right? He sucked.”

My excitement fades as it occurs to me that she might be heartbroken. “Did he hurt her? Do we need to go kick his ass? Shit, that was her first real boyfriend.”

“I think he was flirting with other girls, like an idiot.”

“What a prick.”

“I’d offer to go find him and beat him up, but I’m sure she has that handled.”

“She’s scrappy, I’ll give her that. I don’t envy you and Seb having to keep an eye on her next year.” I laugh. “Wait, so tell me what’s up with you. I thought I’d see you more often since we’re living together right now, but this is like when you had ice time right after I got back from practice.”

“That season sucked,” he says with a groan. “And I’ve been buried in readings. I haven’t scored a chick in weeks. It’s terrible. I’ve forgotten what pussy feels like.”

I laugh so hard I snort.





29





BEX





“Is it cool?” I say into my phone from the entryway of Aunt Nicole’s house. The December chill cuts through me, even wearing a thick sweater I stole from James, so I move away from the window. It’s flurrying outside. “Are you nervous?”

“Very cool,” James replies. Even over the line, I can’t help the little smile that crosses my face at the low tenor of his voice. “The Lincoln Center is gorgeous. Joe Burrow just congratulated me, and I think I pissed myself a bit.”

I smirk, even though he can’t see me. “He is very attractive.”

“Hey,” he says.

“Of course, not as attractive as you,” I amend. “Or Aaron Rodgers.”

“Babe, no,” he says, a horrified note in his voice.

“I don’t know, I feel like the whole Nicolas Cage dirty mountain man thing works for me. Don’t act like you don’t have celebrity crushes too, I saw that photo of Jennifer Lopez on your phone.”

“I’m hanging up.”

I giggle. “Sorry. But really, are you nervous?”

“Nope. I don’t get nervous about performing.”

“I feel like there’s a dirty joke in there,” I say. “Seriously? I’d be melting into the floor.”

“I mean, I hope I win,” he says. “But even if I don’t, it’s an honor just to be recognized.”

“Such a diplomat already.”

“Don’t you know it.” He says something to someone off the line, then comes back to say goodbye.

“Good luck,” I tell him.

His voice is soft as he replies, “Thanks, princess.”

I’m grinning like an idiot at my phone when Aunt Nicole pokes her head in to look for me. “It looks like the ceremony is going to start soon. Do you want me to heat up some queso?”

“That would be awesome.”

She squeezes my arm, leaning in a bit. “For what it’s worth, I think he’s loads cuter than Darryl.”

I wander back into the living room and settle on the couch next to my mother. She glances over at me as she takes a sip of her wine. “Which one is yours again?”

I force a smile. When James invited me to come with him and his family to the ceremony, I wanted to, of course, but ditching my mother on the anniversary of my father’s leaving was unthinkable. “You know who he is. He came to the diner after you set it on fire.”