Page 12

Taylor

Bex dribbles the ball down the court, looking for the open man.

I hold up my hand, and she passes it to me.

Palming the ball, I pivot my left foot, keeping my stance low as I lean into the girl behind me to create some space.

Twisting my body in an awkward position, I bounce the ball on the turn, and then sweep past my opponent to make the layup.

My basket wins the game for our three-man team. Bex and Jackie rush over to me, their hands raised for me to slap. It’s hard to look at Jackie after what I did with Drake now, knowing he was sending dick pics to her.

I feel protective of him. He’s not the asshole player I once thought he was. And weirdly enough, I’m thinking of him as mine. I don’t want anyone to have him. But I also don’t see a future.

Coach Vaughn blows the whistle. “Okay, ladies, huddle up.”

We gather around him and await his next instruction.

Sweat slides down my face and runs into my eyes.

Using my jersey, I wipe my forehead and cheeks.

The gym feels about a hundred degrees with how hard we’ve played today.

Luckily, I didn’t drink enough last night to get wasted.

But Bex looks like shit, the hangover kicking her ass.

Coach Vaughn exchanges a few words with Bex about being a ball hog. She has a habit of keeping the ball for herself, often making it difficult to play on the same team.

His eyes snap from Bex to the rest of my teammates huddled around him at center court. “Okay, ladies, I want to see the last two teams on the court right now.”

The six of us, who were on the court, walk over to the bench, exhausted beyond belief. It doesn’t help that most of us were out partying last night. As much as I love basketball, I have no intention to make this my career. For me, this is not that serious, though I love playing the game.

Bex sits on the bench, lost in her head.

I sit next to her. “You okay?”

She lifts her water bottle from the floor and takes a sip. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just tired. Late night.”

“You look like hell.”

Bex rolls her eyes at me and then drizzles some water over her head. “Thanks a lot. You know, we all can’t be like you and drink all night and crush it.”

“My hangover cure works every time,” I point out. “You should stop doubting my methods and try it sometime.”

She sticks her tongue out. “Gross. Blended raw vegetables and protein powder? Nah, I’m good.”

With Drake in my bed, I didn’t think to make one of my concoctions last night. I also didn’t drink enough to need one.

“It’s more than that.” I shrug. “Don’t knock it until you try it.”

My dad’s power juice works like a charm.

“I’d rather not drink. Like, ever again.” She groans loudly. “That should take care of the problem.”

“So…” I raise a curious eyebrow at her. “What happened last night with you know who?”

I know better than to say Preston’s name within earshot of anyone on the team. Hell, I can’t even tell her about what happened between Drake and me. Well, I can tell her we’re hooking up and that it’s a secret. I just can’t mention the virgin part. Easy-peasy, right?

“What do you think happened?”

My eyes widen in shock. Instinctively, I reach up to cover my mouth with my hand to keep the surprised squeal from escaping.

Staring at Bex like she’s an alien who’s replaced my friend, I slowly lower my hand, speaking between my fingers.

“You guys hooked up. Wow! How was he? Does he live up to his reputation?”

Drake more than lived up to his… just not in the way I would have thought.

Bex nods. “Oh, yeah. In every way.”

I’m glowing with excitement, unable to contain how happy I am for Bex.

She’s waited four years to trust another guy.

The last one was a hockey player and the world’s biggest piece of shit.

After talking to Drake, I have a feeling Preston is a good guy and perfect for Bex. I hope everything works out with them.

“Lucky girl.” I slap her on the arm in a joking manner and lean into her. “When are you seeing him again?”

“It was a onetime thing.” Her eyes are on the court, her expression unreadable. “He knows the deal.”

Hello, what is wrong with my best friend?

I cock an eyebrow at her, confused as fuck. “Are you insane? You need to make it a permanent thing.”

“Things got weird this morning in front of his team.” She lowers her voice, so the other girls on the bench with us can’t overhear. “He asked me about Kellan.”

I gasp at her confession. “You told him?”

“Well, no, but Shannon was there. She made us all breakfast. My dad’s rules came up, and when Shannon asked about them, she guessed the reason behind them. He looked like he would jump out of his skin when I told him he knows the guy.”

“What did you tell him?”

She shrugs, unaffected. I wish sometimes she would act like she gives a single fuck, instead of sweeping everything under the rug like it doesn’t matter. “It was awkward. I kinda yelled at him in front of his friends and then brushed it off like I would tell him later.”

“Are you going to tell him?”

“No need to. We’re not together. I don’t owe him an explanation about my past. It’s none of his business.”

“If he knew the truth, he would probably beat the shit out of Kellan. Wouldn’t that make you feel better?”

“Maybe,” she whispers. “I don’t know. It was so long ago. I’m over it now. There’s no reason to dig up the past. I want to move on with my life.”

“Yeah, I get that.” I lift a towel from the bench and wipe the sweat dripping from my face. “If you never get close to anyone, you never have to tell them anything. Isn’t that the Bex Bryant way?”

“It’s for the best. Don’t you think?”

I frown. “If you say so.”

I hate it when she acts like this. It’s so hard to get through to her sometimes.

“Preston is having a party this weekend at his house,” she says to change the subject. “He invited me when he walked me home. Which means you’re invited, too. So you’re coming.”

I laugh at her rudeness and then raise my hand to give her a mock salute. “Aye aye, ma’am.”

My dad was in an engineer in the Marine Corps.

We moved every few years for most of my childhood until he finally took a job with Lockheed Martin in California, where our family settled down when I was in high school.

That’s another reason I never had a boyfriend long enough to fall in love and break my virginity rule.

Drake seems to like the challenge, but he has his own problems.

Bex chuckles. “Don’t give me that drill sergeant crap. You’re coming to the party with me. There’s no way I’m going alone. Would you believe one of his teammates slow clapped me when I came downstairs this morning? A fucking slow clap. It was awful.”

“I hope he defended you.”

“He did,” she counters. “Still, it was awkward, and then we got into that fight in the kitchen in front of everyone. What am I supposed to tell him?”

“Try to avoid having the conversation if you don’t want to talk about it. You could also give him the brief version of what happened with Kellan and make him promise not to cause a scene.”

“The next time he plays Boston College, he will kill Kellan.”

“Wouldn’t that be nice,” I deadpan. “His ghost of the past already haunts you.”

She punches me hard in the arm, her teeth gritted in anger. “Don’t be a jerk, Tay. This situation is hard enough.”

“Your dad might have rules about players, but I bet if you told him about Preston, he’d warm up to the idea. If he treats you right, that’s all your dad will care about.”

She shrugs. “Yeah, I guess. I just feel so guilty. It’s like I broke that unspoken bond between us by going behind his back.”

Her guilt over Preston produces a similar reaction within me.

I hate hiding anything from Bex, but I made a promise to Drake.

His secret would cause an uproar on campus.

I could see girls standing in line to take bets on who gets his virginity, throwing themselves at him left and right.

And now that I know him better, I also know he would hate that.

“You should tell your dad. What’s the worst he will say? He will not disown you over Preston. He’s his favorite player. He might be more receptive than you think.”

“Sorry about last night,” she says under her breath. “Jamie told Preston you were looking for me. I didn’t mean to leave you behind. I figured you were in excellent hands and wouldn’t want to leave early.”

“I was mad at first,” I admit. “But I got over it.”

She cocks her head in my direction. “Did you really let Drake take you home?”

I glance over my shoulder, and at the mention of Drake’s name, I see Jackie’s face light up.

I nod toward the locker room, and Bex gets what I’m putting down. No way in hell am I talking about Drake in front of Jackie or anyone else on the team. Bex can know that I’m seeing Drake in secret. It’s not against the rules.

I walk alongside the court next to Bex, sipping from my water bottle. “He took me home… and stayed the night.”

Her eyes light up. “No, you didn’t.”

I nod. “Well, I messed around with him, but we didn’t have sex. You know my rule about that.”

She bobs her head. “We both have our rules. So, what did you do with him? You know he’s the biggest player on campus.”

If only you knew…

I shrug off her comment. “He’s not as bad as I thought. Still, he’s not getting my virginity. He has to make me fall in love with him to get my cookie.”

She chuckles. “You’re crazy, Tay.”

“So are you. Don’t let Preston walk away over your dad’s stupid rules.”

“It’s complicated,” she hisses, eyes fixed on the players on the court. “Preston is definitely getting a spot on a pro team next year. I don’t see the point in getting into a short-lived relationship with him.”

“Maybe he’ll take you with him.”

Bex doesn’t like my suggestion. Her nose scrunches in disgust, and then she sticks her tongue out as if she just ate something nasty and wants to spit it on the floor.

“I don’t need a man to support me. And I’m sure as hell not going to follow anyone.

I’m pursuing my dreams first. No man will ever impede that. ”

“Yeah, but think about the doors his mom could open up for you.”

She narrows her eyes at me, disappointment crossing her face. “I’m not using Preston to get to his mom.”

“Then decide about him already. I know you like him. And from what I’ve seen, he most definitely likes you. I don’t see the problem.”

“I’m scared to let him in.” She sighs. “After what happened with Kellan, it’s hard for me to trust another guy. Preston has a reputation. He’s as much of a player on the ice as he is off it.”

“Drake surprised the shit out of me,” I admit. “If everyone could be wrong about him, then there’s hope for Preston Parker. His reputation isn’t nearly as bad as Drake’s. At least, he hasn’t sent dick pics to every girl on campus.”

The more I think about all the stupid shit Drake has done, I realize how insecure he is about his past. I feel for him in ways I had never expected. I never thought a man could be insecure about having a big dick. The painful encounter with his ex fucked him up in so many ways.

“That must have been one hell of a night for you to change your tune about Drake so fast.” Bex stops to lean her back against the wall in the far corner of the gymnasium.

She crosses her arms over her chest and watches the scrimmage playing out.

“You hated his guts before last night. So, what changed with you two?”

“He’s still a dirtball. I hate that he whips his dick out for anyone who wants to see it like it’s the main attraction at the zoo.” Bex smirks, a soft chuckle escaping her lips, and I continue, “But he’s not as much of a jerk as I thought. He’s actually a nice guy.”

“You’re losing your v-card to him. Don’t even try to deny it.”

“Just because I want him doesn’t mean I will break my promise to myself to have him. If Drake wants my virginity, he must earn it. He will have to make me fall in love with him. It’s that simple.”

“Does he know that’s on the table?”

I nod. “Not like he’ll stick around long enough to take it.”

“I wouldn’t discount him,” she counters. “Preston said he’s had a crush on you for a long time. I have a feeling Drake will work his ass off to get you.”

I hope he does.