Page 19 of The Surprise Play (Nolan U Football #3)

“Wi-ly!” someone shouts from across the café, and my tablemate glances across, laughing and giving the finger to a tall guy with sandy brown hair. He cracks up laughing and gives the finger back before taking his girlfriend’s hand and walking out of the store.

Once everyone has said their hellos to the popular footballer, he finally turns his attention back to me .

“Do you want another one?” He points at my coffee cup and empty plate.

“Um…” I glance at the leftover crumbs and shake my head. “No, I’m good.”

“It’s on me.” His smile is so persuasive, his eyes so keen that I end up folding and ordering an orange juice. “Excellent choice.”

He walks away from the table, greeting more people with his loud, friendly voice. I can’t help watching him. He’s like a celebrity in this place. It’s insane.

Squirming in my seat, I try to focus on his essay until I hear his voice wafting back to me.

“My tutor. She’s helping me out with an assignment. Fucking lifesaver, man. I’d be lost without her.”

My head jolts up, and I spot three pairs of eyes on me.

Swallowing, I quickly glance back down at the paper, hunching over the table and begging them to look away.

I hate the sensation of everyone watching me.

Bad things always follow that kind of behavior.

Holding my breath, I stare at the black words printed on these white pages until they start to blur. I don’t even know what I’m reading anymore.

And then Wily’s back, plunking down in the chair beside me, his knee resting against my chair. “Here you go.”

“Thanks,” I whisper, eyeing the orange juice and suddenly having flashbacks to Jade’s cruel trick in the cafeteria.

Why the hell did I order orange juice?

Feeling obliged to take it, I carefully pick up the glass and take a sip, then wipe my mouth and try not to grimace when I swallow.

The smell of moldy orange juice soaking into my hair is still ripe in my memory.

Even after all this time, I can still feel that flush of humiliation, that pain of disappointment as I watched that gross orange liquid soak into the new clothes Mom had made me.

“So, how’s it looking?” Wily taps the pages, distracting me from my nightmare.

I jump all over it, shifting in my seat and looking up at him. “Yeah, it’s reading well.”

“Any changes required?”

“Just a few grammatical errors at this stage. I’m wondering if it’d strengthen your essay to elaborate the second paragraph here.” I swivel the sheet so he can read over the lines I’m indicating. “But that’s up to you. We’re probably not talking huge shifts in your grade over it.”

“If it’ll get me a pass, then I’m happy with it as it is.”

“This work will definitely get you a pass.” My lips twitch. “You’ve done a great job, and if you fail, I’ll be having words with Professor Pilscher myself.”

“Oh, will you now?” Wily’s eyes start to dance, and that tingling sensation I only ever feel around him bubbles in my belly.

I swallow and look away from him.

I’m sure my cheeks are glowing right now, and I don’t want him to notice.

“Well, should we get this over with, then?” Wily points at the paper, then finishes his bagel in one mouthful.

My eyes bulge as his cheeks puff out and he gives me an impish grin.

“That was half a bagel.” I try not to laugh. “You just put half a bagel in your mouth. ”

He shrugs, crumbs flying off his lips as he talks with his mouth full. “I’m like a pelican.”

Fighting my laughter is impossible now, and the sound pops out of me before I can stop it.

He grins around his food, his eyes sparkling, his gaze like a magnetic field I can’t get out of.

He’s so…

“Wily Wilson.” A girl walks up, wrapping her arm around his shoulders and kissing his cheek. “How are you?”

“Yeah, I’m great.” His voice perks up, matching his grin as he wipes the last few crumbs off his short whiskers and they start up a friendly chat.

She doesn’t even notice me, and that’s totally fine. I quietly pack away my stuff, even managing to take my plate and glasses up to the counter before Wily catches up to me.

“Sorry about that. I’ve been friends with Piper since we were little kids. She and I went to elementary school together.”

“Cool.” I bob my head, then can’t help smiling when he opens the door for me.

“Yeah, we lost touch because her parents sent her to an all-girls academy. She was a bit of a troublemaker back then, and they thought it’d straighten her out.” He laughs. “Anyway, she ended up at Nolan U, and she always says hi whenever we pass each other.”

“She doing better now?” I pull my bag on, making sure both shoulder straps are secure.

“Yeah, scored herself a levelheaded girlfriend who keeps her on track, apparently. I’ve met her a couple of times. She seems nice. ”

I smile up at him. “You really are friends with everyone, aren’t you?”

He shrugs. “Always have been.”

“I bet you were smiling at like four weeks or something crazy.”

“What?” He laughs. “What do you mean?”

“Well, most babies start smiling around six weeks. That’s the average age, but then you get those babies who start smiling early, and I guarantee you were one of them.”

“I doubt my mom will even remember, but I’ll have to ask her next time I see her.” His gaze lands on me, and I can’t hold it this time. My cheeks are heating up again. “When did you start to smile?”

My nose wrinkles as I pretend to think about it. I already know because my mother kept a meticulous diary of my life, and I can see the page in my head as if I’m holding it.

Libby smiled today! My sweet girl. She’s six weeks and five days old, and she looked up at me with those big, trusting eyes and I finally managed to coax a smile out of her. It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

My insides go all warm and mushy. My parents are older.

I’m their miracle baby, and they’ve always made a point of celebrating each and every moment.

I’ve sometimes found it suffocating, but since moving away from them, I’ve learned to appreciate what it’s like to have two people in your corner.

They love me more than anyone ever could, and I can’t take that for granted.

Heading to the library, I listen to Wily’s workout story from the morning. He’s so good at spinning a yarn, and we’re walking into the library before I know it.

Thankfully, the line for the printer is short and we don’t have to wait long before his essay is coming out of the machine. I sniff the air, loving that smell of paper that’s been freshly printed on.

Gathering the pages, I staple them together and steal a quick whiff.

Wily snickers. “What are you doing?”

Oh my gosh, he just saw me do that!

I must be fire-engine red right now, and I’ve got no place to hide!

All I can do is admit with a sheepish grin, “There’s nothing like the smell of a new assignment you’re about to hand in.”

He looks at me like I’m weird, and I wait for the teasing barb, but he doesn’t say anything. Instead, he takes the pages from my hand and gives them a deep sniff.

“Still warm,” he murmurs.

“I know.” I can’t help a grin.

Ugh. I probably look like the biggest dork right now.

Taking one more sniff, he nods and murmurs, “I get it.”

My insides twirl and jump, and I beg myself to calm down. I’m not getting giddy over this man. I won’t let myself do it.

“Shall we go?” Heading for the door before he can reply, I lead the way to Professor Pilscher’s office… and no tice that the closer we get, the slower Wily’s steps become.

It really should be a case of me jogging to keep up with his long strides, but he’s actually walking behind me now.

Turning to face him, I gaze up at his tight expression, and before I can stop myself, I take his hand and give it a squeeze. “You can be proud of what you’ve done here.”

He swallows and nods, squeezing my hand back. “Thank you.”

“Come on.” I grin. “Let’s go show Pilscher how smart you are.”