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“About what?”
“If I fail Nass’s class, he won’t let me play next year. Me!” His lower lip juts out. “I’m the best running back the team has ever had. They’re lucky to have me. It’s like he doesn’t even care about the team.”
Save me from grown-up man-children. I press my thumbs against my temples and take a deep breath.
Okay. I’m a problem solver. I see a problem; I feel obligated to try to fix it. Also, he is helping me out by being my fake boyfriend, so I should return the favor. “So we’ll study. I’ve done a lot of tutoring. I can help you pass the next test.”
“No, you can’t.” His face puckers in anger. “I need to get a hundred or I’m toast.”
Wow. He really must have screwed up all semester long to be at this point.
“I am very good at getting my students’ grades up. Are you going to give up just like that, or are you going to at least try?” Well, I’m good at helping kids who actually want to improve. I’m not sure if Nick falls into that category.
“Why even bother?” he groans.
“Because if you don’t, you’ll no longer be a football god, you’ll just be ordinary old Nick Ruckman, and you’ll get a lot less tail.” I’m appealing to the only thing he cares about.
He frowns in thought. “True. True. That would suck. I am football. Football is me.” He puffs out his chest as he says that. Then he shakes his head angrily. “I shouldn’t even have to study. It’s bullshit. I’m the best player they have.”
I should not have invited him tonight. I was trying to play my part in our fake relationship, because I laid down an ultimatum and he agreed to stop flirting with other girls when he’s out with me, and he even apologized. But this is not going well and I’m running out of patience.
“Furthermore, I’m here trying to be helpful and supportive, and you’re doing nothing but complaining. If you want my help, let me know. If you want to fail, that is on you.”
I spin on my heel and walk off. He hurries after me. “Wait!” He grabs me by the arm, making me stagger a little bit.
From across the room, I see Pax sit bolt upright like he just heard a gunshot. Every guy in the room is staring at us now. Nick is too drunk to realize that he’s in actual danger. The team looks at me like their little sister, and anyone who messes with me is going home with a couple of black eyes and a readjusted attitude.
It’s sweet and also infuriating. I never had a big brother, and now I have half a dozen of them, and they’re a bunch of overbearing growly bears.
I yank my arm from Nick’s hand. “Slow your roll,” I say to him.
He throws his hands up and takes a step back. “I was just going to apologize. I’m under a lot of stress with my coach riding my ass all the time. I really think I’m going to get kicked off the team, and it’s so not fair. I’ve played my ass off; they shouldn’t care about my grades. Right?”
“Uh, well, this is college football, not pro sports, Nick.”
He groans. “My parents will freak. They’ll probably pull me out of school and make me go to state college.” His face puckers in outrage. How dare they.
I bite back all the things I could say, like, your parents are paying out the wazoo for you to go to one of the most prestigious universities in the country, and you’re wasting their money while you party and screw around.
Instead, I paste a smile on my face and give it one last try. “If we study this week, we can turn it around.”
He nods. “Thank you. I appreciate it. Sorry if I’m being a dick.”
He’s slurring his words a little.
“You kind of are,” I say lightly.
He flashes me his winning smile, the one that shows all of his teeth. Veneers? They have to be. “I get like that when I drink. I can make it up to you. Want to go out to dinner tomorrow night?”
I lean in and lower my voice, whispering into his ear so none of the other guys can hear us. “We are fake dating. No, I don’t want to go out to dinner with you. What I want to do tomorrow night is study.”
His winning smile melts back into the sulky pout. “Ugh. Fine.” And he stalks off, heading straight for the beer cooler.
More alcohol is a bad idea. I consider running after him and telling him that, but I don’t want Pax to see me nagging him. Not that I care what Pax thinks.
I grab myself a strawberry cooler and settle onto a chair, trying to focus on the movie. Nick’s raised voice snags my attention, and I swivel around to see what’s happening now. He’s arguing with Beckett Snyder, the team’s left wing.
I sigh and shake my head.
