Page 119 of Playing Dirty

Because the thing is, he did have another option: the truth. He just doesn’t see it as one.

And part of me wonders if he ever will.

Thirty

Madden

April

“Is Theo meeting us at the theatre?”

My attention shifts from out the window to where Miles is sitting in the driver’s seat, looking ever the frat boy in a pair of light-blue dress pants and a pink button down, and I shake my head.

“I don’t think he’s coming.”

My roommate shoots me a hellish grin. “Sure didn’t sound that way the other night.”

Oh, for fuck’s sake.

“You set yourself up for that one,” Torin mutters from the back seat, and I glare at him over my shoulder.

“Thanks, Tore. I had no idea.”

Miles just laughs and nudges me with his elbow. “You’d think you’d be less grouchy by getting laid regularly,not more.”

Not to give Miles any credit, but he does make a valid point. My mood has been in the dumps over the past couple weeks, and clearly, my friends have taken notice.

I know part of it is simply the stress of the season being in full swing now, our game schedule piling on top of classes and practice even more than it was before. Add in MLB scouts showing up to a few games, and I’m nothing but a ball of stress.

But I’d be remiss to say it has nothing to do with Theo and the absolutely horrific timing of his broken promise coming to light. Because, in the few weeks since our series against Leighton—and since I found out—we’ve barely had the chance to see one another.

And I really don’t need the reminder of that right now.

“I’d be better if you guys would stop ragging on me,” I mutter as he pulls into a parking spot.

The three of us hop out of the car and start toward the theatre. We’re about halfway across the parking lot when Miles looks over at me, about to say something, only to do a double take.

A slow grin pulls at his lips, and he nods toward me with his chin. “Well, looks like you’re wrong again, Maddy Boy.”

I frown and turn to where Miles is looking, only to find Theo making his way across the parking lot. My heart does that stupid thing where it stutters in my chest as he approaches, and when I glance back to Miles, I find he’s already disappeared after Torin.

When I turn back, Theo’s spotted me, and my stomach somersaults when his seafoam gaze collides with mine, only getting worse when one of those devastating smiles appears on his lips. The sight of it never gets old, especially with how few hours we managed to set aside for one another lately. And even in those moments, I can sense the guilt still weighing onTheo for the lie he told his teammates.

It weighs on me too, despite knowing it’s just that: a lie. But it’s laced with truth, pieces of reality embedded in the fiction, and it’s enough to allow the tiniest sliver of doubt to linger in my mind from time to time.

Maybe that’s why things have been a little different. Or at least it feels that way to me; like there’s this guillotine of doom hanging over us.

And yet…he’s here. Because of me. Supportingmyfriend instead of doing the countless other things he has on his plate. I have to believe that counts for something.

“You came,” I say when he finally reaches me.

“I told you I would.” He glances over at Blackmore’s auditorium with equal parts curiosity and skepticism. “Though, I still can’t believe I was talked into this.”

I can’t stop the stupid, dopey grin from pulling at my lips as we head for the door. “It’s gonna mean a lot to Vaughn that you did.”

“Just to Vaughn, huh?” he asks, a teasing lilt to his tone.

Definitely not.