Page 151 of The Illicit Play

“I know.” I cringe, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I know.”

“Unless…” She lets the word hang until I look at her again. “She means something to you. Like, you didn’t just break bro code because you were horny, and there’s more to it.”

Licking my lips, I nod. I have to, because there is more to it. Sure, Blake makes me hornier than I’ve ever been, but there’s definitely more to it.

“Oooo… how hard are you falling?”

Okay, talking about this with my ex is too weird. All I can do is shrug and try to get out of this conversation.

She catches my eye, and I give her a pained smile before looking away again. “You still with Mac?”

“Yep.” Her voice goes quiet.

I purse my lips, still hating the fact that she moved on with someone who is so completely opposite to me.

“I swear I never cheated on you, Grady.”

“Yeah, I know.” I swallow, this antsy, restless feeling starting to eat at me.

I can’t even explain it.

Talking to Teah like this is so familiar and easy. Our relationship was always drama-free. No irate brothers. No secrets. We were just us. My mom and dad and Emma all adored her. Her parents liked me.

Easy.

Easy, easy, easy.

But—

“Well, I better get going.” Teah points past me, and I turn to see Mac sauntering out of Athletes Hall. He’s staring at me with an intensity that’s off-putting. What does he think I’m trying to do? Steal her away? That’s not my style.

“Hey.” Teah’s smile is all loved-up and gooey as she rushes past me and straight into his arms. He lifts her off her feet, his lips twitching when she wraps her arms around his neck.

He looks at me again, hisshe’s minevibes impossible to miss.

Yeah, I get it buddy. You won.

Turning away from the lovefest, I head inside, my mind overtaken with the feel of Blake in my arms.

Have I won too?

Being in the forest with Blake was perfect. We were caught in our own little world, but that’s not reality, and I’m not sure how I’m gonna win Wily over or what to do about Blake.

Should I fight for her?

Wily’s not gonna be okay with some lame-ass fling. I need to commit to Blake. Which means I need to commit to helping her and taking on all the shit she’s going through right now.

I want to be with her. I love being with her… when it’s just us and the world’s not trying to disrupt what we’re doing.

Damn, I wish I could just disappear back into the forest the way she wants to. That would be fucking perfect.

But it’s not life. We can’t become hermits just because we don’t want to face the conflict.

Her future is so uncertain. She needs to tell her parents the truth. She needs to figure out what she’s going to do with her life.

Do I really want to throw myself into the middle of it all?

And now I’m back to worrying that if I do… she’ll figure out that I’m not the best choice. Just like Teah did, she’ll work out that I’m too boring and set in my ways.