Page 52 of The Love Playbook

“Depends on what you’re asking.”

“Last year you were different. Aloof, maybe, but also . . .”

Less bitchy?

Shit. How do I say it without sounding like a dick?

“Happier,” I blurt. “I don’t know. It’s like a switch flipped this year and your demeanor changed.”

She hesitates, her gaze falling to her booted feet as she kicks at a stone on the sidewalk. For a moment, I think she might leave me hanging, but then she surprises me and says, “Have you ever wanted a fresh start so badly you convince yourself that it’s possible, but then you realize you’re on the same hamster wheel you’ve been on your whole life? That damn wheel just keeps on spinning and taking you with it. And that’s how you know there’s no getting off or stopping, because you’re not the one in control. You never have been, and maybe you never will be.”

Her words echo in my chest, and the urge to reach out and touch her consumes me. I don’t know what I expected her to say, but it wasn’tthat.It wasn’t something so fucking real and raw, and now I’m left with a dozen more questions than I started with, like who is driving the hamster wheel and why the fuckcan’t she get off? All she did was make me want to know more. To peel back all her layers and see what makes her tick.

She clears her throat and lifts her head, but she doesn’t meet my eyes as she stares at the double doors that lead inside. “Anyway . . .” She lets out a small laugh and licks her lips. “I should probably get going.”

I step forward, mesmerized as her teeth sink into her lower lip. Reaching out I release it with my thumb, but as soon as I do, my fingers ache with the need to touch her again, and my heart flutters as I hear it beating loudly in my ears. Her breath catches and our eyes lock.

The pad of my thumb brushes her mouth again. One. Twice. Her lips are soft like velvet, and I know that once I taste them, I’ll never be the same again. Charlotte’s mouth will be fucking life-changing.

I lean forward, my gaze intent on its target while my heart hammers in my chest, and adrenaline pumps in my veins.

It’s happening.

The kiss is happening.

This is the moment I’ve been waiting for.

My chance to impress.

Our magic moment.

The one where I change her mind about me.

The heat of her breath fans over my skin, and I start to close my eyes. Anticipation sinks in the pit of my stomach, stirring the butterflies when her hand shoots up and she palms my face with her fingertips like a fucking WNBA star and pushes me away from her while I stumble back in shock.

I blink, trying to reorient myself as she smirks. “Nice try, buddy.” And then she pats me on the chest, turns, and heads inside.

I straddle the bench in the locker room as I lace my cleats and catch Jace up on my night with Charlotte. “I swear, her hand was like the fucking thing fromAlien.” I make a sucking noise and press my hand to my face. “It just clamped on right here”?I tighten my grip?“as she pushed me away.”

“What the hell are you going on about, Collins?” Brandon pauses by the bench with a grin.

“He’s explaining to us why he has no game,” Jace says.

I drop my hand. “That’s bullshit!” I jab a finger at him. “I have plenty of game.”

Damon snorts and tugs his jersey over his head. “Prove it.”

“Okay, fine. I can prove it,” I say as an idea blooms. A shit-eating grin spreads across my face.

“Uh-oh. He’s got that look.” Brandon points.

“You mean the one that looks like he has to shit?” Jace asks.

“Fuck off.” I reach out and grab the nearest thing to me, which happens to be Damon’s deodorant and chuck it at him.

Jace ducks and the stick goes flying.

“Hey! I was about to use that, asswad!”