Page 56 of Cheap Shot

Haley watched him with concern. “Are you okay?”

He cringed and sat back. “Yeah, just hit the bar there.”

She frowned. “Oh no. Do you need ice?”

“He’s fine,” I bit out.

Haley’s eyes darted to the other side of the large room. Her frown deepened as she gathered her trash onto her tray. “I’ve got to go. It was really nice to get to know you, Jake. I hope I’ll see you again soon.”

My brother blushed and stood up to give her a hug before she gave me a small wave and hurried to the exit. Then he took her spot across from me.

“What was that about?” Jake asked, watching her leave. “She just took off.”

I wasn’t sure until I studied the entrance and realized Ethan had just walked in with Matt.

I let out a heavy breath. “She’s avoiding her brother.”

Jake searched the room and found him. “Oh. Something’s going on with them?”

“Yeah.”

“More than just him freaking out over a guy saying she’s hot?” he asked.

I really hated that he’d seen the fight at practice. Not exactly the best impression of the team, but it was reality. We didn’t always get along.

“Yeah, there’s been something going on since she got here. Probably before.”

Jake narrowed his eyes as we watched Ethan move through the line. “I wonder what it is. She shouldn’t feel like she has to leave a room whenever he enters.”

I nodded. There had been tension this morning, but something must have happened since then. The next time we were alone, I would ask him. It wasn’t the time or place to confront him even though I was dying to know what happened as much as Jake.

“Are you going to tell him how you feel?” Jake asked suddenly.

I blinked and stared at him. “Tell who about what?”

He cocked his head and looked at me like he didn’t believe I could actually be this dense. “Tell Ethan you’re in love with his sister.”

I scoffed. “I’m not in love with her.”

“You are. At least you’re falling for her.”

I tried to deny it, but he just shook his head. “Dude. I’m your brother. I can read you better than anyone else in the world. Not that you made it very difficult. You’re different around her. You gravitate toward her, and when she’s around, you can’t take your eyes off her. Plus, you risked pretty much everything by going to that party to rescue her. You could have called someone else, like the police or campus security or something, but you ran to her. That makes it pretty obvious that you care for her more than just as your best friend’s sister.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Don’t say a word around him.”

He crossed his arms. “You can’t let him control you. Or her.”

I rubbed a hand over my face. “It’s not just that. I have a lot going on this year. I don’t think I could handle dating too.”

“You’re listing off excuses.” He shot me a disapproving look. “You’re scared, but isn’t she worth it?”

Of course, she was worth it. I was willing to give it all up for the chance to be with her, but that wasn’t fair. It wasn’t just about me. If I screwed up this season by igniting a dumpster fire of drama with the team, it wouldn’t just affect me. All the seniors could end up paying for it.

“You’re letting fear control you. The truth is, you don’t know what will happen until you take action. You think of every worst-case scenario when in reality, I’m sure Ethan would get over it and the rest of the guys wouldn’t even care. Sure, you’ll need to manage your time better so you can see her, but it’s not like you don’t have any spare time.”

When did he become the wise, mature one? It was freaking me out.

“You know, you could listen to your own advice.”