When I lifted my head, she peeked up from what she was doing and winked at me. Then she nodded to the left, just slightly.
I turned just enough to find Blake in the crowd again.
He was staring at us.
Or more specifically, staring at Tessa’s hands as they unabashedly cupped my breasts.
My cheeks flared with heat.
I told myself to look away before he caught me noticing him, but I couldn’t do it.
Tessa followed my gaze and snickered. “Girl. Dream boy is into you.” When I opened my mouth to argue, she added, “At the very least, subconsciously. But clearly, he notices you. He just…doesn’t know what to do with it and stops functioning. The day he loses his ability to charm a cheerleader, that’s when I’ll worry. Until then, his interest in whatever she’s saying is him being polite. Avoidance, my sweet friend.” She patted my cheek. “Not rejection.”
My lips pursed, but Tessa arched a brow as she slowly removed her hands from my gown and eased my zipper back up. I glanced back at Blake as she did.
He jerked his head toward his friends, resuming his conversation with Becky while he rubbed the back of his head. Then he held out his arm for her, just like he’d done with me.
Except he did it without seeking her father’s approval.
That stung.
Tessa huffed. “Even if he never admits it, I stand by what I said.”
I frowned, watching him lead her to her seat before taking his. He chatted happily with the people beside him, and I released a sigh. “That’s the problem, isn’t it?”
She furrowed her brow. “What do you mean?”
“I can wear all the beautiful dresses in the world. I could live to be a hundred years old. And maybe Blake will notice that I’ve changed.” I shrugged. “But if he won’t admit it, I’m still stuck beingalmost enough…to want as much as he wants them.”
4
BLAKE
GRADUATION AFTER PARTY, 2017, AGE 18
Ileaned against the kitchen counter, surrounded by my drunken teammates, and resisted the urge to follow them into oblivion.
“Blake, my man. Didn’t realize you’d been holding out on us.”
My teammates snickered at our star linebacker, Travis Devereaux.
I slid my bored gaze across the kitchen island, one eyebrow raised. A clear sign Travis should get on with whatever he planned to say.
Some third-string junior, Tweedle-Dum, nudged Tweedle-Douche Travis in the ribs, thinking he was hot shit as he jerked his chin toward the dance floor.
My hackles rose.
Awareness of exactly what they’d noticed set my teeth on edge.
Or rather,whothey’d noticed.
If Travis finished his train of thought, the night would end badly for him and anyone else who got between us. Doing him a favor, I offered him a chance to back down. “You really about to open your mouth and say something stupid right now?”
Barely sparing him a glance, I crossed my arms over my chest to hide my clenched fists.
Some of these assholes would happily fuck with her just to stick it to me, so I took a breath and forced myself to chill. But if anyone here was stupid enough to think graduation and the endof my time on the football team meant the rules had changed, I’d prove them wrong.
I didn’t need to be the captain riding their asses to kick the shit out of them.
