Playing Games (Dickson University #2)

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Saturday, May 7th

Blake

The lights are off, the halls eerily quiet as I tiptoe through Dickson University’s Dragon Stadium. Each step echoes, even though I’m moving as softly as I can, and behind me, Julia Brooks and Ace Kelly follow hand in hand, completely oblivious—as usual—to how ridiculously perfect they are for each other.

They’re both a year younger than me, soon-to-be sophomores, and when I first met Ace last fall, Julia wasn’t far behind. Honestly, I thought they were a couple, and it didn’t take long to figure out so did everyone else on campus. But they’ve insisted time and time again that they’ve been best friends since childhood, nothing more.

Still, the way they’re constantly attached at the hip tells an entirely different story, and I’m always wondering when one of them is going to realize the truth.

The navy blue of the concrete walls makes the already dark space seem even darker, and I try to get a look at their faces to see how they’re feeling about being here, but seeing anything clearly is impossible. I turn forward again, hustling through the maze of pathways that’ll take us to the field.

At the beginning of the year, Ace, Julia, Finn Hayes, Scottie Bardeaux, and I became fast friends, getting into more than our fair share of excitement and trouble. Fights, firsts, parties, and laughter filled our time, until it all changed in April. When Scottie—our good friend and a star Dickson cheerleader—suffered a devastating spinal injury at a competition in Daytona, our group tightened even more, every ounce of our focus shifting to supporting her as she adjusted to the new reality of her paralysis.

For the past month, that focus has been our entire world.

But with spring semester winding down and Scottie adjusting remarkably well—thanks in large part to Finn’s unwavering support—it finally feels like we can breathe again. Tonight, Finn and Scottie are spending time with their families, officially a couple again, as they’re so obviously meant to be. That means Ace, Julia, and I finally feel okay to let loose for the first time in a while.

And there’s no better place to do it than at a Computare Caterva event.

Dickson University’s underground society is always a thrill—a secret mix of risk and adrenaline that guarantees a good time. But it’s terrifying too. One wrong move could land us all in hot water with the university and then some, and I’d certainly have a hell of a lot to lose. A single misstep could cost me my football scholarship and send my future dreams of playing in the pros spiraling down the toilet.

Normally, I’m cautious about my actions, and when it comes to football eligibility, I always follow the rules. I don’t drink, I don’t do drugs, and knowing what I know now about Double C, I shouldn’t be doing this.

But when the text came through two hours ago, telling us to meet at Dragon Stadium, I wasted no time reaching for my keys.

There’s only one reason I’m not my usual rational self about this…and all the signs point to Lexi Winslow.

This is likely the last Double C event of the year, and with my crush, Lexi, running the show while inching closer to finishing her doctorate—and leaving Dickson University for good—I couldn’t miss it. Even if being here is a risk, it’s a chance I’m willing to take.

She’s a few years older than me—twenty-five to my twenty-one—and I’ve been crushing on her beautiful, endlessly intriguing personality since the first time I laid eyes on her at the start of fall semester. I thought it was a stupid crush, but instead of fading, my feelings have only grown. Her stubbornness and complete avoidance of every advance I throw her way? That just makes me want her more.

After all, a good quarterback goes for the win at every possible opportunity, down to the last second, even when the odds aren’t in his favor.

“Guys,” I call back to Ace and Julia, who’ve stopped for a giggle in the middle of the hall that leads to the locker room. “Hurry up.”

We have five minutes until we’re supposed to be at the meetup location in the south end zone, and I know from experience that the walk from the locker room takes at least half of that. We used my code to get in the back entrance door, but I have no idea how the hell the rest of tonight’s attendees are getting in.

Our athletic director implemented pretty strict stadium security two years ago, the year before I came to Dickson, after the team came to practice one Monday to find a goal post missing. Ironically, now that I know about Double C and the brilliant girl who runs it, I can’t help but wonder if she had something to do with it.

If she ever decides to give me the time of day, I’ll have to ask her.

“Blake, is this your locker?” Julia asks, her soft whisper turning into a trill of interest. “Can we look inside?”

I laugh. “There’s nothing exciting in there, I promise.”

“No sweaty game-day socks you refuse to change?” Ace hedges, waggling his eyebrows.

“No.”

“What about a jock strap you’ve used since you started here?”

“What exactly is your obsession with poor hygiene practices, Ace?”

“I just figured you’d be superstitious.”

“I’m too good to be superstitious.”

“Hell yes, you are, you cocky son of a bitch,” Ace replies, his mouth curved so high it threatens to brush his damn forehead as he loops an arm around my shoulders and jostles me side to side. I roll my eyes and laugh, waving Julia away from my locker.

“Come on, Jules. I’ll show you my locker another time if you really want to see it.”

Ace runs back to grab her hand and pull her forward again, and we’re off to the races at a run to make it out to the field in time. I follow the curve of the golden dragon that’s painted on the tunnel wall, grazing it with my fingers as I lead the way just like I have for every home football game this year. Without the roar of the waiting crowd at the tunnel’s end, it feels a little different.

The delusional part of me thinks tonight’s version is even better, and that’s all because of one specific girl and a whole lot of unfounded optimism. Lexi Lou Winslow treats me like the scummy dirt on the bottom of her shoe, but tonight, if I have any say in it at all, that’s going to change.

Golden blond hair shimmers in the moonlight atop the girl of my dreams’ head as she scrolls through her phone, checking people in. I study her closely, willing my racing heart to calm down a little in the hopes that I won’t come off as a total fucking dweeb.

It’s not like I’m some virginal schoolboy, for shit’s sake. At twenty-one years old, I’ve had more pussy than Garfield. Girls flock to me, throwing themselves at the Dragons’ star quarterback every chance they get.

But Lexi Winslow is a whole other level of intimidating. She’s brilliant and beautiful, and, so far, after an entire year of trying to get on her good side, she wants absolutely nothing to do with me.

I smile. God, I love a challenge.

There’s a line in front of Lexi waiting to check in, but after a quick glance at my watch and a bump in the back from Ace, the three of us play cutsies with little to no remorse. There’s a groan or two until a couple of people see it’s me and use their elbows to shut up their friends.

There are perks to being the quarterback at a sports-obsessed university, star power being one of them. I wouldn’t normally be the type to use it to my advantage, but when it comes to face time with Double C’s fearless leader, I’m shameless.

“Hi, Lexi,” I greet, my voice warm.

“Blake Boden,” she says in return, just barely glancing up from her phone. “You’re checked in.”

I grin. “How are you tonight?”

Her hands pause at her phone before her gaze slowly lifts, and even though they’re filled with annoyance, I’m thankful for the intimate view of her baby blues.

“Busy.”

I smile. “Is that a subtle hint to leave you alone?”

“No.”

“No?”

“It wasn’t subtle.”

She’s so fucking incredible.

“Okay,” I agree easily, ignoring Ace’s obnoxious laugh behind me. “We’ll catch up later, then.”

Lexi quirks a defiant brow at me. “Will we, though?”

“I’m planning on it.”

She purses her perfect lips at me. “Maybe you shouldn’t hedge your bets.”

“Gah, Lexi!” Ace cries, shoving me forward. “You’re ruthless to this poor, talented man. Give him a break every once in a while!”

I shake my head, disagreeing. “No, no. It’s okay. She’ll come around to me eventually. She should do it on her time.”

Lexi narrows her eyes slightly, studying me. “Cover charge is twenty dollars tonight. Winner takes the pot.”

I pull a trio of twenties from my jeans pocket and hand them to her, waving off Ace when he pulls out money of his own. “I got it tonight, Ace.”

I smile and wink before leaving Lexi to finish business without much of a fuss. I like that she’s not trying to impress me or cowing to my wants and needs right off the bat. I like that she’s an individual with high standards and uncompromising boundaries. It’s a hell of a change from the women I’m used to and a breath of fresh air.

Since my freshman year of high school, when I made the varsity football team as starting quarterback to the chagrin of many upperclassmen, I’ve been an object of female pursuit. Girls wanted to date me, kiss me—fuck me—anything to say they did and list it among their accomplishments with friends.

I took proper advantage of my popularity for a while, but after a few years, the same old shit starts to taste stale. I’m not just looking for a good time anymore; I’m looking for a long time.

And I know damn well, thanks to my parents’ inspiring example of what a marriage full of resentment and bickering looks like, you don’t pick just anyone.

“I’m so excited, I can feel a little tingle in my spine,” Ace says, bouncing on his toes. It’s an innocent statement—one none of us would have thought a single thing about a month ago—but immediately, it casts a pall over us for our missing friends, Scottie and Finn. “Shit,” Ace says, apology in his eyes, and Julia leans in to rub his arm.

“It’s okay. You didn’t mean anything by it.”

“I know. I just… Fuck, I still can’t believe any of that shit really happened.”

I nod. “Either of you talk to Finn or Scottie?”

“I did,” Julia answers. “Earlier today. Things are good. Really good. Scottie is starting to sound like herself again.”

“Yeah,” Ace agrees. “Finn’s stopped breaking shit in our dorm room too.”

“Tonight feels weird without them,” I remark. But at least she and Finn are officially on the mend. It took them a while to overcome all the hurdles in their way, but they’re a strong unit now. I’m sure it won’t be long before they’re doing all this stupid shit with us again, even if the physical specifics for now-wheelchair-bound Scottie look a little different. Hell, knowing Finn and how much he loves that girl, he’d carry her ass around all night if he had to.

“Definitely,” Julia agrees. “Maybe we can swing by—”

“Welcome, everyone!” Lexi greets, moving to stand in front of the group, a small light clipped to the collar of her pink T-shirt. Julia’s message is cut short, but I have no trouble reading between the lines. Sometime in the next couple of days, we need to make sure we pay Scottie and Finn a visit. Which, no doubt about it, I agree, and I give Julia a thumbs-up to communicate it.

Lexi keeps talking, and I turn my attention to her with my usual avid devotion. “Tonight’s activities have officially commenced. If you’re waiting on other people from your group, they won’t be making it. You’re on your own.”

Ace bounces on his toes behind me again, hanging off my back and practically choking me out. I let him do it for a minute, and then I set him to the side with a quick grip of his forearm.

“As you may know, Dickson’s Dragon Stadium has a capacity of thirty thousand seats, positioned in alphabetical and numerical order. What you may not realize, however, is that sixty years ago, one of the graduating classes switched two of the seat numbers as their final prank, and they’ve never been switched back. The challenge tonight is to find them both while there’s still time on the twenty-minute clock. Winner takes the pot. I assure you, though, it won’t be easy, so do yourself a favor and keep your cockiness in your pants.”

“I swear a whole persona comes over her when she’s doing this shit,” Ace whispers to Julia and me, laughing lightly. Even he’s afraid to get caught chatting while she’s talking, and given how crazy he is, that says something about Lexi Winslow. Both Ace and Julia have known her all their lives—their parents are close friends with her parents—so the intimidation factor shouldn’t be a factor at all.

But it is, because Lexi Winslow isn’t just any average girl. She’s a whole other level of backbone, intelligence, and breathtaking beauty.

I smile. Man, she’s so perfect.

“Keep the noise and other identifying factors to a minimum and break into your groups,” my dream girl commands to the group. “As always, teams get paid as a team, and how you split it up isn’t my problem.”

She nods toward her sidekick Connor, who holds up a stopwatch and makes a show of starting it in front of all of us. The crowd scatters like a bunch of damn ants, giggles and chatter running a short course of excitement as they hurry for the stadium seats.

I reach out for Ace’s shoulder, shoving him in the direction I think we should go first, and he reaches back for Julia’s hand to pull her along at a run. “Let’s start with the high-dollar seats in the VIP section. They’d either not care or shit themselves every time, so it’s worth a shot. We’ll either get a win or eliminate a section really quickly.”

Ace picks up his pace as we’re passing Lexi and Connor, and I let him and Julia take the lead and drag my feet. Lexi rolls her eyes as I approach, but I don’t let that deter me.

“Did you need something, Boden?” she asks.

My smile grows cocky and my heart thrums in my chest as I lay it all on the line. “Only you.”

She scoffs and Connor snorts, speaking for her while she stays silent. “You’re playing out of your league on this one, Blake.”

Both Connor and Lexi are a few years older than me, and from what I know, they’ve been friends for years. But Connor doesn’t know jack shit about just how determined Blake Boden can be when he wants to win something.

“That’s never stopped me before,” I say, shrugging off his comment confidently. “No point in playing the game if you’re not going to play to win.”

Connor laughs, but I don’t miss the way Lexi’s eyes go wide for the briefest of moments before she schools her expression into her usual poker face.

It’s not much, but it’s just enough to keep my sights set on the prize— her.