The Stand-In Boyfriend (Grove Valley High #1)(35)
Hallie looks at the group in front of her, at Chase and then over at me, before going for Dylan Thomas, a junior who is pretty good. Aaron still doesn’t pick Chase, and it becomes clear that Chase has no intention of playing on our team. Hallie picks him, and it must be the first time he’s ever been picked anywhere close to last.
“Where are the bibs?” Brittany asks, looking around. They’ve disappeared, and with all of us wearing the same Grove Valley High Soccer shirts, it’s not going to be easy to figure out who is on each team. “How are we going to know which team we’re on?”
“Skin vs shirts?” Brendon says, his eyes lighting up.
I roll my eyes and look away. There’s not a chance in hell I’m taking my shirt off.
Hallie snorts and says, “No way.”
My foot starts tapping on the ground. We’re wasting too much time. Practice time is precious and all we’ve done so far is work on fitness, not actually played.
“I’m down,” Maria says, eyeing Brendon with interest. A couple of other girls murmur their agreement. My jaw falls open. “What?” she asks me. “We’re all wearing sports bras underneath, right? We show more at the beach and it’s roasting today. I can work on my tan.”
I glance around, looking for the bag that holds the jerseys. “I’ll go back to the gym and find the bibs.”
It’s like Chase can read my mind. “But we’ve already wasted so much time, Chapman.” He smirks in my direction. “Don’t want to waste any more, do we?”
I sigh in defeat. No one else is complaining so I’m not exactly going to win this argument, and I guess Maria’s right—we do show more at the beach. “Fine.”
“I nominate your team,” he tells me, eyes lit up mischievously in a challenge.
My eyes widen and I instantly start shaking my head, but my teammates are already stripping, Aaron throwing his shirt in my direction. I narrow my eyes in Chase’s direction, glance around, and realize I’m now the one holding up the team. I bite my lip, contemplating what my options are, and then with a deep breath, I pull my shirt over my head and throw it on the pile by my feet. “Let’s play,” I say, not breaking eye contact with Chase.
His eyes drop to my stomach and I force myself not to feel self-conscious. People wear less than this to work out in all the time. It’s not an issue; my stomach is flat and my sports bra is a simple, plain black one—I don’t look any different than anyone else. He grins as his eyes return to mine. “Game on.”
The game is actually more intense and challenging than I thought it would be, and a lot more fun too. The boys aren’t ball hogs and are happy to pass to us, and I manage to feint left to Brendon and actually go right, swerving around another defender before slotting the ball past their keeper. It gives me a huge rush to know I can prove myself in front of the boys—the players who get all the attention and fans at this school. Aaron high-fives me, and when Tia manages to intercept the ball from Dylan then pass it upfield to me and I manage to get another one, I’m positively floating, much to Hallie’s disgust.
Maria passes to me again and suddenly Chase is in my face, digging his leg into my standing foot, trying to get the ball. I manage to roll my foot over the ball and turn in the opposite direction but he’s right behind me, crowding me, his chest against my back as he tries to force me to a make a mistake so I give the ball away. I look up and manage to get it across to Jackson, who misses his attempt at a goal.
I glance over at Chase, who is still next to me. “You’re a striker, not a defender. Get back to your end.”
He grins and shakes his head. “You’re all mine today.”
I roll my eyes and get back into position, hoping to get the ball. Hallie manages to score a goal for their team, heading the ball into the net from a corner pass, and then Tia slips when going in for a tackle, allowing Chase to even the score.
It’s non-stop action and I have to admit, I haven’t been pushed like this in a long time. Wherever I turn, Chase is there hunting me down, crowding me, pushing me, an ever-present figure beside me, and despite the fact that on more than one occasion he manages to steal the ball from me, I find that I don’t mind. He’s not treating me any differently than he would anyone from his own team, and it forces me to be at the top of my game. It’s only when the ball is nowhere near us and he reaches out his hand to swipe it across the front of my stomach, wrapping his hand around my waist and pulling me closer to him, that I turn to him with raised eyebrows. He rests his hand on my hip like this is an everyday occurrence, his eyes flashing flirtatiously.
“You remember this is non-contact right?”
He just grins back. “Can’t help it, Chapman. The odor coming off you and the sweat dripping down your body is too much for me.”
I bite back a laugh. He’s funny; I never knew he was funny.
He leans in closer just as a loud whistle rips out from the sidelines. Sophie is there grinning like an idiot while various cheerleaders, jocks, and an assortment of other kids stand around with her. We’ve never had this many people watch us practice before.
I turn back to Chase, who has his signature smirk plastered on his face. He leans in close to my ear, so close my heartbeat picks up speed. “I’m just sticking to our arrangement, Chapman.”