The Game (That Girl, #2)(12)

Jumping right in next to him, I make myself comfortable, throwing my leg over his. “You have to promise you’ll wear it.”

“What the hell are you up to, Jazzy?”

“Nothing. I just spent a lot of money on this and want it to be a kind of truce between us. I mean, I don’t want my best friend’s hemorrhoids to get any larger due to us.”

Levi buries his face in his hands, and I can barely hear his muted chuckles. “I’m pretty sure she meant ulcers or something, not hemorrhoids.”

“Me too, but let’s just let her keep thinking she’s gonna get hemorrhoids from undue stress. So, want to see your hat?”

“Yeah, and trust me, I’ll wear anything besides that damn Denver hat.”

“Promise me?”

“I promise,” he replies, holding out his pinky finger.

Mine meets his, and he locks our fingers together then pulls us super close. Like centimeter close. Breath close. Goosebumps close.

“I promise.” Levi’s breath tickles my lips.

His lips are on mine. Neither of us moves. I want to kiss him back hard, taste every inch of him, rub down his chest, and lick his muscular arms up and down, but we both sit frozen with our lips touching.

When my senses kick in, I tell him the truth. “I screw everything up.”

“Nobody wants to love me.” Levi grips onto the back of my hair, tugging on it. “I’ll wear the hat if you go somewhere with me tomorrow.”

“Promise?” I ask.

“Yes, promise, Jazzy.”

Still whispering with our lips touching, I can’t bear to be the one who backs away first. I want Levi Wilks. My hand reaches behind us, grabbing for the bag. Finally discovering it with my hand, I pull it up toward us, and then set it between us. My forearm brushes something very bulging, thick, and hard in Levi’s lap.

“You’re going to be the f*cking death of me, Jazzy.” We smile on each other’s lips. “Let’s look at this hat.”

He pulled away first. I know I never could have, and it’s his sign of saying he’s around for a good f*ck. The last good f*ck I had was the best and worst mistake of my life.

The rustling of the bag draws me from my nasty spiral of thoughts. Levi rolls his eyes when he sees the pattern of flowers plastering his hat.

“You promised,” I gently remind him.

“I did.” Levi plops it on top of his head with his thick dark brown locks hanging out from the edges. “Just remember paybacks are a bitch.”

“Well, there’s always the Denver hat.”

“Oh f*ck no, I’d wear that floral trucker hat any day over that shit.”

“Well, let’s go before Momma Hemmy calls for us.”

We laugh at Lynlee’s new nickname and make our way into the mall. Looking at Levi in his huge aviators and floral trucker hat, I’m quite certain no one will recognize the quarterback. He holds the door open for me, shooting me an * grin and making my heart skip a beat.

“You know you want me,” he sings in my ear.

He may be shocked to know how fast I would hop on his ride.

Changing the subject with ease and finesse, I ask, “Where do you think Lynlee is?”

“Who the hell knows?”

“I’ll text her.”

As I’m getting my phone out, I hear a group of girls giggling, and when I look up they are staring right at Levi. Are you kidding me right now? He’s wearing a floral plastered hat, for Christ’s sake, with most of his face covered up, and the women are still magnetized to him. How? I’m instantly irritated and pissed off. Focusing on my phone, I beat the hell out of it trying to text Lynlee.

Within moments, I feel Levi’s body up against the back of mine. His hand settles on my hip, while he inches in closer.

“Nothing to get jealous of, Jazzy.”

“I’m not.”

“Really?”

“Really. I just want to know where in the hell Lynlee is,” I lie.

“So, I can go talk to them and you won’t care?”

“Not a bit,” I spit out.

Levi’s body moves from mine, and it sucks. No other words. It just plain sucks. I wait for him to make his move and woo the group of giggling, gorgeous girls. Each of them is a knockout, and special ordered for him with one blonde, brunette, and a redhead. Lynlee takes her sweet-ass time to text back. I guarantee she’s distracted by something shiny.

“Hey, Jazzy,” a deep voice sounds.

Looking up, I come eye to eye with Jake, and he’s walking straight for me.

“I know this isn’t very professional, but I was wondering if I can have your number.”

This time I feel Levi bristling up behind me, and wonder if this damn situation could possibly get any more awkward.

“OMG, you two. There you are.” Lynlee bounces up to us with a couple of bags hanging off her arms.

And it just became full-fledged awkward. The four of us stand in the middle of the mall, all waiting for the next one to make a move.

“Here, let me make this easy for you.” Levi walks over to the group of giggling girls without a further word or glance back to us.

I thought I was pissed earlier, but now I can actually feel my blood boil. I’m pretty sure I’ve never experienced jealously like this in my entire life until now.