Page 36 of Offside Attraction

He groans, pressing his palm to his forehead. “Guess I’ll have to take her out instead.”

“That would be the smartest option. Take her somewhere nice.”

“Yeah. Then I’ll have to convince her to come back to my apartment.”

I stare at him. “You wanna fuck her on the first date? That’s not romantic at all.”

He smirks. “Like you wouldn’t.”

“I would,” I admit. “Just not with a girl like Aaliyah. She deserves respect.”

“Wow,” he scoffs. “What a boner killer.”

I laugh, shaking my head. “Yeah, whatever.”

“I guess I’m gonna have to treat her right. Just won’t let her tease me too much.”

“Right.”

“How’s tryouts?” he asks. “Today’s the last day, right?”

“Yeah. It’s been good. A lot of guys didn’t make it this far.” I pause. “The final roster drops Monday. I’m one of the few left.”

“I knew it. You’re gonna make the team. Coach knows you—that helps.”

“Yeah.”

He studies me through the screen. “So… how’s it been going?”

“With who?”

“You know exactly who I’m talking about.”

Of course I know he’s talking about Hayes.

I told Seth about him years ago. I told him about the kiss when we were fourteen. And I made the mistake of telling him Hayes would be at the same school when we moved back here. Seth had turned it into this whole thing — jokes about us hooking up again, re-enacting old feelings, rekindling whatever the hell he thought we had.

I shut that down fast.

The last thing I want is Hayes’s hands on me again. His mouth on mine.

That’s what I told him.

And thinking about it now makes something twist violently in my chest.

Images I don’t want surface anyway — the first day of tryouts, the way Hayes shoved me against the locker-room wall, his grip firm, his mouth close to my ear as he whispered threats meant to scare me.

I wanted to punch him.

I also wanted his hands back on me.

Not against a wall.

Against a bed.

The thought makes me nauseous and furious all at once. I want to throw up. I want to slam my head into the wall.

How the fuck could I still want him?