The Game (That Girl, #2)(17)

To my surprise, Levi gets in. The truck is higher off the ground, with no running boards to step up on. I desperately want to run over to his side and help him by pushing his ass up in to the seat, but not only would that hurt his pride, it might do more damage to his neck.

“Where to?”

“Head down the driveway, hang a right, and we’ll go out about five miles.”

I follow his directions and successfully make it to the main highway. Five long miles with an awkward silence filling the cab may kill me.

“Want to talk about it?”

Levi doesn’t look at me, turn his head, or even acknowledge he heard me.

“I’ve Googled you.”

“Jazzy, what do you want from me?”

“Um, nothing. Thought we were going fishing, and then you threw a little temper tantrum when it was too hard for you to open the door. Thought you might want to talk about it.”

“I’m known for my athletic skill. My fame and money are all centered on it. Hell, my whole life has been that way. Now I can’t even open a f*cking door. So, no, I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I think your hands are beautiful.”

Then the silence sets in again, but this time it stays until Levi gives the next set of directions. About twenty minutes later, we pull into a very long drive and up to what I would call a fancy-ass mansion. I’ve definitely never been to a fishing hole that looks like this, but I don’t question. Clearly, he doesn’t want to make small talk. I’m at a complete loss with him.

“Pull around back. We have to walk in.”

“Okay,” I respond.

I make sure to jump out before he does. I grab the small cooler in the back and hand him the fishing poles.

Levi stands before me shaking his head, “Real smooth, Jazzy, but thanks for not killing my manhood by having to ask you to pack it.”

“Where are we?” I ask.

“This is where Lincoln and I grew up.”

“Oh,” I say, not knowing why in the hell we are here.

I follow Levi’s lead around the back of the house, where an abandoned pool and indoor patio lay. It’s a gorgeous place, but you can tell people haven’t visited this place for some time. The weeds and cracked glass are just a couple of indicators. Levi guides us across the back yard and into the nearby woods. We follow a little trail for quite a ways before I dare speak.

“Where are we going?”

“Fishing.”

“No shit. I’m not a professional fisher–person, but this doesn’t look like a fishing hole to me,” I say, twirling around pointing at all the pine trees.

“Just follow me.”

I swear to Jesus, if the man wasn’t the best quarterback on planet earth with a healing spinal cord or neck or what-the-f*ck-ever, I’d throw this cooler at the back of his head. Instead, I follow his lead, hoping to hell he knows where he’s going.

“You feeling okay?” I ask.

“Fine. We just have about five more minutes of walking,” he responds.

“You do know that your phone is ringing?”

“Yeah, I don’t give a f*ck.”

His phone has been ringing since we pulled up to this house. Levi never even acknowledges it. A clearing in the trees up ahead is a hopeful sign we are close to the fishing hole. I walk a little faster right on Levi’s heels, eager to see this place.

At the top of a small hill, the fishing hole smiles back at me with its neatly groomed shoreline and beautiful flowers in full bloom everywhere. Some of them are starting to wither up with the cool autumn temperatures. The trees are different here as well. There are no pine trees, but maple trees all around. Their leaves are a beautiful array of green, yellows, and oranges, still secure to their branches.

Levi’s phone starts ringing again. I’m sick of hearing the f*cker keep chirping, singing, and beeping, so I grab it from his pocket. Dad is flashing across the screen.

“It’s your dad,” I say.

“I know. That’s why I’ve been ignoring it.”

I silence the phone and mindlessly stick it in my pocket. We’ve already touched on the sore subject of being injured; I surely don’t want to touch the topic of his father. I know way too much on this subject from Lynlee.

Clapping my hands together, I announce, “Let’s get this party started.”

Then I do a little dance in the dirt trail. Levi just stares at me, so I dance more, then I start singing a random song while dancing even faster and crazier.

“Let’s fish. Let’s fish. Let’s fish,” I chant.

“Fuck, you’re weird.”

Waggling my eyebrows while dancing, I say, “You know you want me.”

“I did until you nailed me in the nuts.”

“Oh my god, that was awful. I’m so sorry.”

“It was a clusterf*ck. That’s for sure.”

“Well, I don’t think anyone is out here,” I suggest, “and I do owe you.”

Levi settles down on the dock with the two poles and starts to bait them. “I think you bruised my nuts. I’m good for now.”

“The funny thing is a couple of days ago I would’ve loved to bruise your nuts, but now I do feel really bad.”

“Sit,” he demands. “Let’s fish.”