Page 77 of Trust Me

“I didn’t do anything. Unless I’m missing something.”

I shook my head. “I just wanted to clear everything up. You’re attracted to me. It doesn’t bother me. Just . . . clearing it up. You know?”

“How drunk are you?”

My nose wrinkled. “Not too much.”

“Mm. Is it because of this?” He used two fingers to gesture between us.

“We’re at a party. People drink.”

“Sure, but you’re squirrely, whereas I’m just vibing.”

“You’re sober and look bored. What were you doing?”

He held out his phone. When I took it, I saw a spreadsheet he was working on. Instead of something like financial data, it had names on it. It was color-coded, but I wasn’t sure what he was tracking.

“If I started a lottery, you think I’d make money on it?” he asked.

When my brow pinched, he stood and moved to my lounger. He sat so close that I could feel the heat from his body against my side. Reaching over my arm, he scrolled to the top of the spreadsheet, then pointed at the names.

“These people are gonna bone at some point. These ones are on their way to falling in love.”

“And these?” I touched another column.

“They’ll break each other’s hearts.”

“This is ridiculous.”

“We’ll see.”

I zeroed in on two names that made my mouth drop open. “No, you’re insane.”

He took my chin between his fingers and angled my face toward the house. At first, I didn’t see anything, then I squinted at the darkness on the side, partially hidden by a tree near the fence.

“Oh my God. That’s . . .”

“Two quarterbacks who think they’re sneaky,” Oli finished for me. “I’m not crazy.”

“You have them in the love and the heartbreak category.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not perfect. They’re polar opposites. And that guy’s past . . .” He shook his head. “It could all explode tragically.”

“Damn. I’m shocked. Like, I would’ve gambled with my own life if someone bet money on them being together. I didn’t even know that crazy bastard was gay.”

“That’s the beauty of this weird little life, right? It’s always capable of surprising you.” He looked up at the sky, concealed by clouds. “Sometimes, I think it knows better than we do, and we just have to make the right moves along the way. If we do that, things aren’t all that complicated.”

“Sure, if you’re not an idiot, but we’re all idiots.”

He laughed lightly. The sound drew my gaze back to him, and I met his eyes, taking in the almond shape and thick lashes. The pool lights reflected off the green, giving them an ethereal glow.

How could a man be both immensely masculine and overwhelmingly beautiful?

Yeah, I was drunk. Now that I was outside, those shots were catching up with me, making my head a little hazy.

“Maybe we should go,” Oli suggested.

“Why?”