Page 16 of The Surprise Play (Nolan U Football #3)

ELIZABETH

Wily said to wait up, but I can’t.

The second Jade Buchanan walked into the diner, my blood ran cold. I was surprised she wasn’t with her usual posse. Maybe they were meeting up with her soon. I couldn’t risk it. The thought of her seeing me was too much.

The thought of her seeing me with Wily Wilson was something I seriously could not bear. Who knows how she’d use that against me?

She probably would have strutted up to our booth and made sure Wily knew every humiliating thing that had happened to me in high school, all the while making sure she came off like the glowing humanitarian who befriended me despite all my faults.

So, I did the only thing I could—I bolted for the bathroom.

In retrospect, I should have gone out the front door.

It’s not like I can fit through the bathroom windows and make my escape that way.

Instead, I was forced to lock myself in the end stall, bunching my fingers into little fists while my stomach pitched and surged.

My skin itched, my pulse raced, and I chewed on my bottom lip until it hurt.

“Breathe,” I reminded myself. “Just breathe.”

Closing my eyes, I sucked in a few shallow breaths, then managed to deepen them until my heart had slowed to a less erratic beat.

All I had to do then was find the courage to walk back into the diner.

I started praying that Jade had popped in for a take-out order.

As I snuck out of the bathroom, I went into snail mode—head tucked down as I inched across the floor, making zero eye contact with anyone. My plan had been to rush to the booth, quickly tell Wily I wasn’t feeling well, then run out the door before Jade spotted me.

But then I noticed her talking to Wily.

Not talking… flirting.

And he was into it, smiling down at her with his beautiful blue eyes and broad grin.

Shit, he was probably mentally undressing her and thinking about where they were going to hook up.

It was a punch to the face, the stomach, the chest.

And it shouldn’t have been.

Of course Wily is going to flirt with gorgeous girls like Jade. He doesn’t care that she’s a heartless mean girl. She has a body to die for with perky breasts and a skinny waist. Her clothes are always so cool and chic, and she walks with a confidence I can only dream of.

They’re the perfect pair, really, and I didn’t want to go messing up their night .

Although, they really aren’t a perfect pair, because she’s a soulless bitch and he’s a nice guy. Well, mostly.

The point is, he could do so much better than her.

And I should really warn him, but who am I to tell him who he should or shouldn’t sleep with? If he’s after hot, mindless sex, then Jade is probably an excellent choice.

So even though it made bile surge up my throat, I slunk out of that diner unnoticed and texted Wily that I was heading home.

I never expected him to follow me, and now, as his truck pulls up beside me on the sidewalk, I’m not sure what to do.

Why isn’t he still flirting with Jade?

Why is he here?

Is it the essay? Maybe Coach won’t let him take the morning off training.

Even so, I’m still surprised he’s bailing on a hookup with the super-hot Jade Buchanan. He must really want to graduate.

Huh. Go figure.

I force myself to stop walking as the passenger door swings open and he leans across the seat to talk to me.

“Are you okay?” His voice is all urgent concern, and it takes me a second of confusion before I remember that I’d texted him I wasn’t feeling well.

“Oh, yeah. I just…” I pat my stomach.

“Lady problems?” He winces.

My face flushes and I shake my head before realizing that lady problems would have been an excellent excuse. Damn my honesty!

With a soft sigh, I’m forced to admit, “I just… figured ou r tutoring session was over, and I didn’t want to disturb what you had going on with J—that girl.” I swallow and look down, straightening a pleat in my skirt.

A sudden laugh bursts out of him. “Yeah, that chick is one hot ticket, but this assignment won’t write itself.

We’ve got twelve hours left before it’s due, and I’m sure Coach will let me skip a session for this, but…

I felt like we were on a roll. If you’re up for it, I’d love to get it done tonight.

” He keeps smiling at me. “I’m glad you’re okay and not really sick. ”

My eyebrows shoot up and I totally miss that last sentiment, because I’m too busy balking. “You’re putting an assignment above a ‘hot ticket’?”

He grins, clearly as surprised as I am. His eyebrows rise as he tips his head, his gaze twinkling. “I guess I am.” With a flick of his fingers, he beckons me into his truck. “Come on, let’s go find a quiet space to get this shit done.”

“I…” Looking up at his outstretched hand, I tentatively shuffle toward this monster vehicle of his. It’s impossible to say no to the hopeful look on his face. He really wants to get this essay wrapped up, and I really want to help him.

Placing my bag in the footwell, I try to get into his stupidly big truck without taking his hand, but of course I lose my balance, and his strong fingers are curling around my arm in an instant.

Hauling me up, he doesn’t seem to mind when I lurch forward against him, my boobs squishing into his arm before I can right myself.

Oh my gosh! This is humiliating!

Quickly jerking back into the seat, I pinch my index finger and keep my eyes straight ahead, only remembering my seat belt when he pulls away from the curb .

My hands are shaking as I try to clip it in, and in the end, he has to help me, his solid hand making the snap an easy one.

“Thank you,” I whisper.

“No problem.” He smiles, and I study his profile for a second. “So, where are we going? Back to the library? Or maybe your dorm?”

“M-my dorm?”

“Yeah, I figure that’ll be more private. Unless you have a roommate. If that’s the case, we could just go back to Football Frat again.”

“I don’t have a roommate.” I shake my head and suddenly wish I’d kept my mouth shut.

“Perfect.” His voice rises with enthusiasm. “Which dorm are you in?”

Oh shit, what have I done?

Is he seriously about to enter my room?

I should bail and say I prefer Football Frat, but when I open my mouth, “Buckley Hall” pops out.

What the hell is wrong with me?

“Oh nice. I bet the renovations on that are good.”

“Yeah, I have my own bathroom.” I can’t help smiling. “I moved into Buckley Hall at the beginning of last year, but then that fire happened, and I got relegated to the overflow housing. It was so noisy and crowded, and I was sharing a room with three other girls. I found it kind of overwhelming.”

“Oh yeah?”

“I guess I’m a bit of an introvert.” I point to myself. “I’m an only child, and I’m used to my own space. To go from a single room to sharing a bunk bed was kind of shocking. But the girls were nice enough. They were all friends and just kind of left me to my own devices.”

“What?” Wily frowns. “They didn’t include you?”

“Oh, it’s okay. I didn’t want to be included.”

His eyebrows pucker. “Still. You’d think they would have taken you under their wing.”

I flick my hand through the air and shake my head.

“Really, it was fine. And the school worked really hard to get Buckley Hall fixed up ASAP, so I was back in there just after spring break and was able to make it my own. Luckily, I was assigned a room there again this year, so I set it all back up the way I had it.”

“Cool.” He pulls into the small parking lot just in front of the building.

“You can park in one of those three spots.” I point ahead of us, and he picks the one closest to the building.

Turning off the engine, he spins to face me, obviously concerned about something. “You don’t get lonely?”

I shrug and look away from him, pulling on my coat sleeve until it covers my hand. “I… no. I like my own company.”

“But not all the time, right? I mean, you have friends and stuff, don’t you? People to hang out with? Support you?”

My stomach squirms, and I scratch the itch that’s quickly forming. “My parents are very supportive,” I softly murmur while opening the door.

“Wait.” Wily touches my arm before I can leap down and risk an ankle breakage.

I do as I’m told, watching him run around the truck and forgetting how to breathe as he reaches in and helps me down .

His hands are tucked under my no doubt sweaty armpits. Thank God for my thick winter coat.

“Uh… thank you.” I take a step back from him and bump into the open truck door. Letting out a self-deprecating laugh, I point at myself. “I’m a shorty. Always have been.”

“Your legs still reach the ground.” Wily winks at me, his smile playful and adorable.

My stomach stops squirming and starts to bubble again.

I ignore the sensation, darting away from his truck and wrestling the key card out of my bag while he locks up.

Oh man, I hope my room is tidy. I usually leave it just so before I walk out the door each morning, but occasionally I’ll be running later than I’m comfortable with. What was it like this morning? I seriously can’t remember.

Panic surges through me like an army of ants, my skin starting to itch as Wily holds the door for me and I slip into Buckley Hall, praying for whatever angels are available to do a quick sweep of my room.

Oh please, like he’s gonna care! You’ve seen his room, remember? It’s a bomb site.

Chewing on my lip, I wrestle to contain my laughter as we wait for the elevator.

Yet again, logic wins.

I just wish it’d let my emotions join the party sometimes. They’re always off scurrying around with worries and doubts while logic is just lying back with a smarmy smirk and shaking his head at my riotous insides.

Why can’t those two just get along ?

I’d give anything to be as cool and unaffected as Wily always seems to be.

Looking up at the tower beside me, I tune into his voice as he steps aside to let me walk into the elevator first, then starts telling me about his first year in a Nolan U dorm and how he jumped at the chance to become part of Football Frat.