Page 28 of Game Changer (Hidden Attractions #2)

Ethan

Five years earlier

“I can’t believe you forced me to do this.” Tugging at the sleeves of my sweatshirt, I curse under my breath because the fabric feels too hot. Cameron continues trying to set me up with random girls because the one he’s trying to hook up with always has a friend she wants to bring.

“I didn’t force you to do anything,” Cameron replies. “I asked, and you said yes.”

Because if I didn’t, he would have asked someone else. He’s still coping with the loss of his mom, and the thought of him choosing a new best friend doesn’t sit right with me. Even though I don’t want to be here, I’m doing it for him.

We’re standing outside the local movie theater, and I feel Cameron grow tense beside me.

I do what I do best, filtering through the different facades in my brain before choosing the correct one to prepare to face the girl I’ll have to charm tonight, but my sister is the one who greets us instead.

Maya is with her, and behind them is a guy twice her size.

I don’t recognize him from school, so he must be from another one nearby.

“What are you guys doing here?” Maddie asks.

“I could ask you the same question,” I reply. “Who dropped you guys off? Mom?”

Maddie points to the guy behind Maya. “Emmanuel drove us.”

I don’t bother looking in his direction. It hurts enough to see his hand on Maya’s ass out of the corner of my eye. I know Maya is off-limits, but her choice of men is awful. She deserves someone who’ll treat her right, and the douchebag currently glued to his phone rather than her isn’t it.

“We’re just waiting for Ryan to get here,” Maya admits, her eyes sliding to mine. I’d think there was a hint of regret there if I didn’t know any better. “He’s one of Emmanuel’s friends. They play soccer together.”

“And what movie are you guys seeing?” Cameron’s voice is different now, but I can’t understand why.

Maya swoons when she says, “The new romance. You know, the one about the baker and the chef.” The interest she has in clichéd rom-coms is comical.

If I ever had a shot with her, I’d have to up my game and surpass all her high standards.

Emmanuel seems to be doing a fantastic job feeding her need for romance by texting, utterly disinterested in the conversation.

Sarcasm intended.

“I’m assuming it was your choice,” Cameron muses.

“What makes you think that?”

“Because Maddie hates clichéd movies. She’s more of a fantasy or horror-flick fanatic.

” His eyes flit to her, but Maddie fixes her gaze on the parking lot instead.

The two had a falling out after Cameron’s mom passed and haven’t been friends since, and whenever I ask about it, neither of them feels like sharing what happened.

I gave up trying after a year, and now it is what it is.

So much has changed in such a short amount of time that if I think about it too much, it gives me a fucking headache.

“He’s here.” Emmanuel finally speaks and scans the crowd.

“Let’s go get our tickets. He’ll meet us in line.

” Without acknowledging us, he stuffs his hand in the back pocket of Maya’s jeans and leads her to the booth at the front of the theater.

My jaw ticks as I watch his hand explore.

I’m silent when Maya goes to enter the theater, pausing by the door because she’s expecting him to open it for her, but Emmanuel stands there and waits for her to open it instead, like a fucking idiot.

I clench my hands into fists at my sides when our dates for the night finally arrive.

I barely pay attention to the lame greeting I give, not when fury burns in my veins and threatens to destroy me from the inside out.

What is Maya doing with a guy like that? Sure, he’s tall, dark, and handsome, but looks don’t mean everything, do they? Emmanuel acted like a total tool. He—

“So, what movie are we watching?” Cameron’s date asks.

Cameron grins. “I thought we’d see the new romance that just came out. Apparently, it’s about a chef and a baker.”

I whip my head to look at him. “I thought we were seeing the action movie?”

Smooth as ever, Cameron wraps his arm around his date’s shoulder. “Change of plans. I think the girls would prefer the romance, right? We should give them what they want.”

Complaining about sitting through an hour and a half of a romance movie sounds appealing, but if I did that, I wouldn’t get to watch Maya’s date unfold, and curiosity gets the better of me.

~

“You started without me.” Maya joins me in the kitchen later that night. I’ve already scooped some cookies and cream into a bowl and pause mid-spoonful to my mouth when she reaches my side.

Truthfully, I didn’t know if she’d want to continue our tradition with Emmanuel in the picture.

From the row behind them, my eyes were glued on them the entire movie, and although she didn’t reciprocate the kiss when he leaned in, she still went on a date with the guy.

It must mean there’s some interest there.

“How was your date?”

I clear my throat. “Fine. How was yours?”

“Fine.”

She usually grabs her own spoon, but now she takes mine and scoops some ice cream out of the bowl then brings it to her mouth. I dip my eyes to her lips and how they wrap so perfectly around the spoon, internally groaning at the thought of her mouth on mine.

I look forward to these intimate nights between us. These secret ice-cream sessions have allowed us to become vulnerable on top of having a friendship. It gives me a confidence that I don’t have with anyone else. It allows me to be honest, which is why I say, “I don’t like him for you.”

Maya seems taken aback by my boldness. “Emmanuel? Why?”

“Come on. You mean to tell me he’s the guy for you? He tried to make out with you ten minutes into the movie.”

She tilts her head to the side. “I didn’t realize you were analyzing my date.”

Fuck. I need to be more careful with my words. While I’ve never said I’m interested in Maya, it’s hard to deny the chemistry, and the more we have these conversations, the more it’s becoming impossible to stay away from her. It won’t be much longer until I break.

“You deserve better than him,” I say after another bite of ice cream.

She lifts a brow. “And who do you think I deserve?”

“Someone with the decency to open the goddamn door for you.”

Christ. Way to be subtle, Ethan.

When I have my emotions back under control, I add, “You’re a hopeless romantic, Maya. Anyone close to you knows that, and being a hopeless romantic means you have high standards.”

She huff s a breath. “Unrealistic standards.”

“No, you just choose guys who don’t have the desire to meet them.

Where do you think the ideas for those movies stemmed from?

When a man is genuinely in love and wants to pursue something with you, you’ll know it.

You won’t have to question it. You won’t have to beg them to do better.

You won’t have to lower your bar because he’ll do everything fucking possible to surpass it and then some.

” My chest is heaving by the time I’m finished.

That guy should be me is what sits on the tip of my tongue, but I swallow it back down instead.

I know there are guys willing to put in the effort because, if given the chance, she’d never have to second-guess with me.

“Ethan—” Her voice catches. “I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything at all. Just know that your standards aren’t too high. You deserve someone better than Emmanuel.”

When she reaches for the spoon to fill the silence, she frowns. “There’s only one bite left.”

I nudge the bowl with two fingers toward her. “Go for it.”

“Really?” Her brown eyes twinkle, and a genuine smile appears for the first time of the night. “Thanks, Ethan.”

“Anytime.” And because I’m a selfish bastard who can’t leave without dropping some sort of hint, I add, “Unlike Emmanuel, I’m a gentleman. It’s the least I can do.”

~

I wish I was a confident guy.

And it’s not necessarily that I think I’m unattractive, but when I’m out with friends, I compare my personality without realizing it.

Other guys are funnier. More outgoing. More intelligent.

I thought it had gotten better after Cameron left.

All of these insecurities started when we got into high school, but since this semester began and I’ve had a chance to just be me in college, I haven’t felt any of those doubts creep in.

Until now.

Maya wanted to go to a party with her friends but refused to go unless I joined her.

I wasn’t going to leave her hanging, so I came out despite my distaste for partying.

I did it too much in high school with Cameron, and it got old pretty quickly.

Maya didn’t get a chance to experience these types of things as much as she would have liked, what with her parents being so strict, so I sucked it up for her and plastered a smile on my face.

Luckily, it’s in another dorm, and it’s low-key.

There are only about fifteen people max, but I’m unsurprised that Maya is the center of attention.

She lights up every room she walks into.

She’s the life of the party, always has been, and although I’d never change that about her, it’s difficult not to compare myself to all the guys discreetly checking her out.

None of them know I’m her boyfriend. Well, I think that’s what I am.

Fuck. How could I have forgotten to clarify a title?