Page 129 of The Love Playbook

“Who cares if he’s not there? You need cheering up, and the guys are hanging out tonight, so we’re going to go and laugh and drink and have fun. And avoiding their apartment isn’t an option considering I’m in love with the big hunky brunette whose room is next to his.” She grins.

“Fine,” I say with a groan. “Just let me get changed.”

Brynn’s gaze flickers up and down my body, a curl to her lip as she says, “Might wanna get a shower, too.” Waving at my head, she adds, “And wash your hair.”

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I accept my second seltzer of the night, focusing back on the competitive game of quarters we have brewing. Brynn, Damon, Brandon, Liz, Samantha, and I are all gathered around the coffee table, each of us with a drink in our hands as we wait our turn. So far, Jace is crushing it, winning more than half the rounds. Brynn sinks a coin into her cup and turns to him, fist raised in triumph. “Drink, baby!”

Jace tips his beer back and takes a sip before smacking a sloppy kiss on Brynn’s lips. “Ew!” She swats at him with a laugh while I watch with a frown, wishing it were me and Chris.

Jealousy curls inside my stomach as I rise to my feet, unsure of how much more of this I can take. Everything is a reminder of him as it is. Hanging out in his apartment is like torture.

“Where are you going?” Brynn glances up at me with a look of concern.

“Just the bathroom,” I offer with a plastic smile.

Turning, I head for the bathroom but find myself in Chris’s room instead. My gaze sweeps over the tidy room?his plaidbedspread, the picture of his brothers on his dresser, a football resting on his nightstand?and my heart gives a little kick. It smells like him in here, and it makes me miss him even more than I already am.

Part of me refuses to believe we’re over. I screwed up, but it’s nothing I can’t mend. If he’d just hear me out, he’d understand I only sabotaged our parents’ relationship out of a place of pain. If he’d just listen to what I have to say, he’d realize that in the past six weeks, Chris has become indispensable, an integral part of my life I’m not sure I can live without.

Correction: I’m not my mother. Icanlive without Chris, and I will if I have to, because I won’t become her, but I don’t want to. I want him with me. Just like I want to put myself first and make him a priority.

Sinking down on the edge of the bed, I sigh and close my eyes. I have no idea where he’s been the last few days. All I know is that he’s attended football practice and his classes, so I can only assume he’s avoiding me, spending time at home so he won’t have to risk running into me.

Blinking my eyes open, my gaze lands on his nightstand, zeroing in on the little red notebook with the big black lettering on the front that readsThe Love Playbook.

With a frown, I flip it open, ignoring the resulting pang of guilt at the prospect of snooping through his things. The neat scrawl of his handwriting fills the first page, and I’m hit with a pang of longing so profound, I have to grip the edge of the bed just to stay upright.

A Guidebook on How to Win Lettie’s Heart.

My breath catches in my throat as I hurriedly flip through the little book to reveal a carefully drafted plan—“plays” as he calls them—on how to win me over.

Shock runs in my veins as I scan the pages, each one labeled with a play, followed by notes below it: dates he completed them, intimate details, and thoughts on where his head was at.

Play 1#:Bring her coffee or a hot beverage just because.

Operation Caffeinate went well. Though I vehemently oppose tea as a beverage of choice, I brought her a cup of some herbal concoction that smelled like my grandma’s sofa. I have no idea how she drinks that dirty potpourri water, but whatever. After she got over her initial shock, her face brightened when she took the first sip, making it worth the thirty minutes I stood in line.

Play #2:Cook for her or bring her food.

Seeing as how she’s still in “I hate Chris mode,” cooking for her at my place isn’t an option, so I brought her breakfast instead. It’s all a part of my grand plan to complete play number three. I’m all about efficiency, and rumor has it, she talked to Soccer Guy long after I left the party last night, and I can’t have that.

PS: Today I discovered she loves cinnamon rolls and looks fucking amazing in my hoodie. I think I’m in love.

Play #3:Help her with a problem.

Apparently, I’m fucking amazing at this love playbook thing. I mean, today, I helped her fix her car and was promised a date in return. That’s called W-I-N-N-I-N-G, baby.

Play #4: Show my possessive side.

Today I tracked that soccer douche down and gave him his hoodie back. He’s lucky I didn’t burn it. If he’s smart, he’ll heed my advice and leave Lettie alone.

PS: She’s mine.

Play #5:Do something you hate just because she’s into it.

Hot yoga. Though I almost sweat my dick off, it was worth it. I think Lettie and I really had a breakthrough tonight.