11. Felix
FELIX
“Take a knee,” Coach calls at the end of practice.
I drop beside Teddy, catching my breath and wiping sweat from my forehead.
“We looked better today. Still a lot of work to do before our first game next month, but better.” He continues detailing every mistake we made over the past two hours.
He isn’t the kind of coach that softens the blow either. If you looked slow or tired, he’s going to tell you. No, he’s going to scream it at you. Some of the younger guys take it to heart, but I let it roll off me. When I screw up, no one is more pissed at me than me.
Today I was on, though. I found a rhythm that’s been missing the past few weeks. I feel great, ready to lead my team to a championship season. I have to be. There’s no other option. Everything I’ve ever wanted depends on it.
Maybe it’s a stretch to think that my performance on the field is because of the deal Dahlia and I made, but something about the situation has settled me.
The more I’ve thought about it, the more I’m convinced it’s a genius idea.
She wants more than I can give her. Even if she won’t admit it to herself.
But I like hanging out with her and knowing she’ll stop hiding because of that stupid video.
And, fingers-crossed, Bethany will finally take a fucking hint and move along.
I wasn’t kidding about needing to focus and keep my head straight for football.
This season is make-or-break time. I’ll either get drafted at the end of college or this is it. This cannot be it.
There’s only one little problem in our fake dating plan.
The more time I spend with her, the more I want to kiss her and do a whole bunch of other things that would probably freak her out.
I know it’s selfish to take what I want when it’s not real.
She deserves better, which is why I pumped the brakes last night and didn’t do something stupid, like suggest I be her first. I like her, but I’ve liked lots of girls.
I’m sure it’ll pass, and in the meantime, I can do something good for another person.
Been awhile since I thought about anyone but myself.
After practice, I head back to the house to shower and get ready for the night. I’m meeting Dahlia at The White House. The basketball guys are having a big party tonight and their parties never disappoint.
Holly and Stella are hanging out in the living room with Teddy and Lucas when I finish getting ready.
“You look nice,” Stella says, brows raised.
“Thanks.” I drop down on the couch next to her. She’s holding her phone out in front of her, and I lean in to look at the screen. “What’s up, Ricci? Ready to get your ass handed to you this season?”
He scoffs. “As if.”
We both smile as Stella rolls her eyes. My sister and Beau have been dating for almost a year now.
He’s a football player at Colorado, a rival college.
It was a whole thing when they first started dating, but Stella’s in love, so I guess I’m stuck with him.
Still plan to kick his ass on the field, though.
I move out of the camera and look to Holly and Teddy. “Are you two going to The White House tonight?”
“Definitely,” Holly says. “I want to meet your new girlfriend.”
“She isn’t my—” I start and then stop. It’s going to take some time to adjust to my new relationship status. “I’m only introducing you if you promise not to make a big deal out of it. It’s new, so it’s not that serious. I’m still getting to know her.”
All true, but not exactly the story I’m hoping to spin.
Yes, I want other people to think that Dahlia and I are together and all about each other, but not my sisters.
I know them. They’ll get too attached and then be pissed at me for screwing it up.
They don’t know that I already have my exit strategy in place.
Six weeks. That’s enough time for me to introduce Dahlia to everyone I know, take her to a bunch of parties, and get her comfortable with people.
That takes us to parents’ weekend. Dahlia didn’t want to involve our families, which makes sense.
Also, it’s perfect timing with football.
By October, it’s an all-out dogfight, leading up to the conference championships.
I won’t have as much time for parties, and she won’t need me anymore.
“What time are you heading over?” Teddy asks me.
“Soon, I guess.” I kick Lucas with the toe of my shoe. “Want to come with me?”
“Yeah, sure. Gavin said some of the guys are doing century club.”
“Oh no.” Teddy groans.
Smiling, I shake my head at Lucas. “Every time you do century club, you do something stupid.”
“Stupider than normal,” Teddy corrects me. He isn’t wrong.
“Like the time you tried to walk home from Phi Kappa Theta.” The fraternity is at least five miles away. Luckily, a couple of guys on the team were taking a sober ride home and spotted him sitting on the road ‘taking a rest.’ He was passed out cold.
“Or the time you pissed yourself.” Teddy lifts one brow and grimaces.
Lucas runs a hand along his jaw. “Okay, okay. That was two years ago. I’ve matured.”
Stella laughs. “Earlier today you were watching cartoons and eating cereal out of one of those bowls with a straw.”
“Teen Titans is awesome. And the bowl was a Christmas present.”
“My bad.” Stella holds up one hand, the other still gripping her phone. “You’re the most mature guy I know.”
“Let’s not get carried away.” Lucas stands and puts his left hand in the right sleeve of his T-shirt and proceeds to make farting noises.
I can’t help but laugh as I get to my feet.
I hadn’t really planned on partaking in century club, but that’s about the only thing going on when we get to The White House. By the time I’m through several beers, the party is really going.
I send Dahlia a text to let her know I’m here and then, holding my phone in one hand in case she texts back, I decide to take a lap.
Jordan stops me as I’m making my way around the yard. I do a shot with him and some hockey guys out celebrating one of their teammates’ birthday.
When Dahlia finally texts that she’s walking over, I’m feeling good.
I meet her on the patio. She’s wearing another tight, little dress, this one pink, and a pair of white, platform sneakers that make me smile.
Jane is at her side, and I tip my head to her in greeting before I move to stand next to Dahlia.
“I like your shoes.”
“Thanks. They’re the only part of me tonight that feels like me.”
I nod slowly, trying to make sense of her words.
“The dress is Jane’s, and Violet and Daisy did my hair and makeup. But the shoes are all me.”
I smile at that. “What are you drinking tonight?”
“Oh, uh, just sticking with seltzer probably.” She lifts the can in her right hand. Fuck, I must be drunker than I realized because I didn’t even notice it.
“I probably should have done the same,” I say as we move farther into the yard. “I came early and did century club.”
“And you’re still standing?” Dahlia’s brows lift.
“Unlike you, I can handle my alcohol.” I wink at her, and she blushes. “Truthfully, I only made it through about half a century.”
“A quitter,” she teases.
Jane’s gaze pings between us. “Is it okay if I hang with you two for a while? I promise not to crash your whole night, but all my single friends aren’t here yet.”
“Definitely,” Dahlia answers, then looks to me.
“The more hot girls, the merrier.”
Dahlia snorts. “That’s so sweet.”
I really like when she goes all sarcastic on me.
The three of us stand around and drink with the other hundred or so people crammed into the backyard of The White House.
“So, Walters,” Jane says, her tone immediately setting me on alert, “Dahlia filled us in about your plan.”
Jane is eye level, in a pair of tall-as-fuck shoes, and her gaze is ice as she stares at me, thoroughly unimpressed. I don’t know Jane well. She was always with Dahlia when I’d run into them at parties and stuff, but I was so focused on Dahlia that I don’t remember a single word we’ve exchanged.
“Uhh…” I clear my throat. How am I supposed to respond to that? “All right.”
“Do you have any hot friends who want to be my Cindy Mancini?” Her eyes crinkle at the corners.
“Cindy Mancini?” I mouth and look between her and Dahlia.
“I tried to pay a guy to date me once. It didn’t go over well. I thought it would be very Can’t Buy Me Love-esque, but he wasn’t into it.”
“It’s an 80s movie,” Dahlia fills in for me.
“I guess I missed that one.”
“It’s a classic. A young Dr. McDreamy pays the head cheerleader to pretend to date him and it makes him like super popular. But then it blows up spectacularly, as it always does. But they fall in love at the end.”
I’m either too drunk for the speed at which Jane is talking or she’s rambling faster than any human can process.
I look at Dahlia, silently asking, Is she for real?
“So, do you?” Jane asks.
“Do I…?”
“Have any hot friends you can hook me up with? Preferably taller than me, a junior or senior, no piercings—I don’t trust guys with piercings, long story, don’t ask, and he absolutely must know the difference between Taylor in her country era vs Taylor now.”
“I can honestly say I don’t know anyone that meets that very specific criteria, but I can introduce you to the guys on the team that are here.”
“That would be perfect.” She beams and looks at me expectantly.
My gaze slides to Dahlia, who’s watching with an amused smile.
“She means right now.”
“No time like the present,” I say with a laugh, and glance around until I find some of the guys.
Lucas and Brogan open their stances to let us into the circle.
“Hey, guys,” I say and point at Lucas. “You’re still awake. Color me surprised.”
He huffs a laugh and then looks to Dahlia and Jane behind me.
He’s as good of a candidate for Jane as any of my other teammates.
I think he had kind of a thing for Stella before she got with Beau, but otherwise, I’ve never known him to really be into a chick.
He’s more a man of opportunity. Of the get drunk at a party and hook up breed, so to speak.