Fumbled (Playbook #2)(47)
“Cool. Let me shower real fast.” He leans down and gives me a quick kiss on the cheek. “Yo, Ace!” he shouts across the field. “While you’re beating them, think of what you want for lunch.”
“Burgers!” Ace shouts back, needing zero time to think about it.
“I can’t stand your ass,” Justin grumbles, shoving one of TK’s shoulders.
TK laughs, fighting to catch his balance from the unexpected assault. “You all love me,” he says to Justin, but winks at me.
I shake my head and roll my eyes but he knows I’m full of it too. TK is one of those annoying people who makes a friend with every person he comes across. That stupid smile, his inability to take anything too seriously for too long, his hotness. Even when I wanted to hate him, I couldn’t. Even when I was trying to guard my heart, he made it impossible.
It’s the worst.
And kind of the best.
And totally where Ace gets it from.
Twenty
“Did you have fun?” I kick off my flip-flops, too exhausted even to attempt to put them in my closet.
“Fun?” Ace repeats like he can’t believe I have the audacity to ask such a ridiculous question. “It wasn’t just ‘fun.’ It was the best day ever! TK introduced me to like every player on the team, even Maxwell Lewis!”
Maxwell Lewis is the veteran safety for the Mustangs. Most kids are obsessed with quarterbacks. You know, the big plays and jazzy touchdowns. Not Ace. Besides TK—for obvious reasons—Ace is all about defense. My laptop browser is always filled to the brim with YouTube clips of interceptions and pick-sixes. Ace has forced me to watch multiple clips, and I’d be lying if I said the guy didn’t impress me too. Plus, from the three seconds I spoke to him, and the five minutes he indulged my kid by answering every question Ace had in his arsenal, Maxwell seemed like an even better human being.
He’s also smokin’ hot.
Ace didn’t notice that.
“I can’t wait to go back to school! Everyone is gonna be so jealous.” Ace collapses onto the couch. “Especially Hunter, he never stops bragging about his family’s stupid season tickets.” He closes his eyes, but the smug smile that doesn’t belong on his sweet face never fades.
I’d tell him to stop, but after seeing him with his twin all day, it’s nice to recognize he still picked up something from me. Even if it is vengeance and pettiness.
“Am I right to assume you want to go again tomorrow?” I waste my breath on a question I already know the answer to.
“Duh!” His eyes fly open and he’s off the couch just as fast, bouncing up and down. “I want to go every day!”
“Duh,” I repeat after him. “Why’d I even ask?”
“I don’t know. Moms do weird things.” He shrugs his shoulders like he didn’t just insult mothers across the globe. “Is it okay if I see if Jayden’s home? I want to tell him all about today and give him the extra hat TK gave me.”
I shouldn’t feel guilty about the way things have gone down with Cole. I told him from the very beginning I wasn’t looking for a relationship. But men never believe me when I tell them I want to keep it casual. I don’t know if they think women are incapable of catching feelings or men possess a magical penis that casts a spell on our poor, unsuspecting vaginas, but they always end up shocked when I’m not pounding on their door and begging for a ring.
Cole is no different.
And knowing Ace is going to go over there, and I can guarantee with a great certainty, spend the entire night talking about TK? It makes me feel awful and awkward—awkful?—and I’m already enough of that without these added circumstances.
“That’s fine, but you need to shower first.” I wonder how old boys have to be to care about personal hygiene enough not to need to be reminded to take a shower?
“Deal!” Ace shouts, and starts to run to the bathroom.
“Wait!” I shout after him, and thanks to his socks and speed, he slides straight into the wall, bounces off, and lands on his butt. “Are you okay?” I ask once my laughter has died down a bit, because, you know, straight Mom of the Year right here.
“Yeah.” He cringes, rubbing his tush. “What were you gonna say?”
“Never mind.” I wipe the tears from the corners of my eyes. “I can’t remember now.”
“Moms,” he mutters, rolling his eyes to the back of his head.
“’Kay.” I wave away his bruised and stinky butt. “Shower. Now.”
* * *
? ? ?
I’M WAVING TO Cole right after Ace goes into his house when a familiar car turns onto my street. The bass from a rap song, which, if it were the clean version, would likely have only two words in it, booms from the windows. It’s a stark contrast to the custom paint job that consists of more glitter than actual paint and the rhinestone-encrusted license plate holder that I’m certain has to be a road hazard.
“Hey, girl. I didn’t know you were coming over,” I say to Sadie as she opens her door.
“Oh, don’t you even ‘Hey, girl’ me right now!” she shouts, her cheeks nearly as red as her hair and the long, pointed acrylic nail aimed at me. “I can’t believe you!”