Tutoring the Player (Campus Wallflowers #1)(28)

“Politely? What does that mean?”

“Like you’re afraid to hurt the pins’ feelings.”

I open my mouth to protest, but he laughs and adds, “Get angry, sweet Daisy. Those pins insulted you. They said your shoes were ugly.”

I cock my head to the side. “We’re all wearing the same shoes.”

“They said I look great in them.” His gaze slowly sweeps over me and down to my feet. “But not so much on you.”

I scoff and return the once-over, stopping on his identical shoes, only bigger. “How dare you.”

He grins and jabs his thumb toward the end of the lane. “Tell it to them.”

I know he’s messing with me, but I really do feel a wave of irrational anger as I launch the ball. When all ten pins fall, I stand frozen, completely dumbfounded.

Everyone cheers behind me. When I turn around, Jordan is grinning so big.

“You told them,” he says, and wraps me in a playful hug, then swings me around. My face is buried in his neck, and I inhale his increasingly familiar scent.

“Yeah, I did.”

His chuckle vibrates against my chest.

When he sets me down, Liam is waiting to offer me a high-five.

I get to go again, but my luck is out, and I only hit three pins.

“Are we done?” Violet asks, a little too hopefully.

“One more game,” Jordan tells her. He points toward the entrance. “Look who showed up.”

The tall, lanky guy making his way over to us is Andy Jenkins. He’s a basketball player like Gavin.

Jordan introduces us. I know of him, of course, the same way I knew Jordan and Liam, but we’ve never met.

“I’ve been replaced, huh?” Jenkins asks.

“I think they’ll probably be happy to have you back,” I say.

“It was fun,” Liam says and bumps me with his elbow.

The six of us sit and have a drink. The guys catch up while Violet and I listen in.

When they get ready for the second game, I pull off the bowling team shirt and hand it back to Liam. “Thanks for letting me play.”

“Did you play too?” Jenkins asks Violet.

“No. I was just here for the drinks.”

“And to heckle,” Gavin chirps.

Violet gives him a haughty glare. “I wouldn’t want to show you up.”

“Oh, please do.” He takes the shirt I just gave Liam and holds it out to her. “You can have my spot.”

“Nah, you play. I’ll sit this one out and keep Daisy company,” Liam offers.

I can tell Violet would love to object, but Liam just said he was going to keep me company, and that’s exactly why she agreed to come tonight in the first place.

“I’m not wearing that, but I will play,” she says.

“You have to wear the shirt,” Gavin tells her.

She rolls her eyes but pulls it on and tugs the hem to better see the logo. “Who designed these?”

“I did,” he says. “Why? Not up to your standards?”

“I was going to say I liked it.”

“Oh. Thanks.” Gavin smiles.

Liam rests a hand on my arm. “I’m starving. Want to get some food?”

I catch Jordan’s eye as he, Jenkins, Gavin, and Violet get set for the next game. He looks between Liam and me. His brows pull together, and his jaw flexes before he turns away.

“Yeah. That sounds great.”





13





DAISY





Liam orders pretzel bites and a Coke. I grab a water.

“Are you sure you don’t want one?” He holds out his plate for the second time since we sat at the counter that overlooks the lanes.

Violet is up, and Gavin stands behind her. I can’t hear his words well enough to know if he’s being encouraging or taunting. Her annoyed glare suggests the latter, but I get the sense that even if he was telling her how great she was, she’d still find a way to be irritated with him.

“No thanks.” I sip on my water as he chews happily.

I’ve never had a serious boyfriend. I’ve dated a couple of guys, but one was in high school and the other was last year and only lasted for a few months before he transferred to another school. Both of those relationships started as a friendship and slowly grew into more, so sitting and talking with Liam is as close as I’ve been on a date with someone I have a real crush on.

And I’m not nailing it.

He has no problem with the silence between us. He comments on the game in front of us, and he smiles at me a lot, but there’s no conversation about school or life or really anything except bowling.

I can’t help but compare it to hanging out with Jordan. Silence with him feels different, and even though I know Liam is objectively more my type, I kind of wish it was Jordan sitting here. Which, of course, makes me feel ridiculous. This is everything I’ve wanted.

“Where are you from?” I ask as he pops a pretzel bite into his mouth.

He chews and washes it down with soda before answering. “Washington. You?”

“Here. Well, not Valley, but Arizona. Near Flagstaff.”

“That’s cool. Do you go home a lot on the weekends and stuff?”

“No. Not really.”