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“I don’t hate football . . .”
“Give it up, Will. You’re not fooling anyone.”
“Fine, I hate football.” She sighs. “I just don’t get what’s so interesting about a bunch of guys running around a field tossing a ball at each other, and before you say it”—she glares at me through the screen—“Iknowthere’s more to it than that, but honestly it’s just—”
Nash calls out, his voice echoing over whatever Willow was about to say. The gate pushes open, and Beatrice steps through it, rushing to her car.
“Baby Bea, come back,” Nash shouts before he reaches her door and leans over her window as Maisie follows, sliding into the passenger seat. He’s too far away for me to hear or make out a word of what he’s saying, but Beatrice beams at him, her smile so fucking bright, my lips twitch at the sight.
It’s only when Willow snaps her fingers near the microphone and shouts my name that I peel my gaze away from them, my free hand clenching where it sits on my thigh.
“Baby Bea?” Willow asks, her eyes wide and her mouth set in a frown. “Tell me he didn’t just say that?”
“Will, I—”
“Is she there?”
Sighing, I slide my cap off, running my fingers through my hair. “I was gonna tell you.”
“Seriously? You’re, what, hanging out with her? What the hell, Maverick?” Her tone is laced with sadness and anger, and her eyes narrow on me, her lips wrinkled as she purses them in disgust.
“No, I’m not,” I tell her, blowing out a breath as I pop my cap back on. “She goes here, started this semester, and Nash found her after the game and invited her over. I didn’t exactly have a choice, Willow.”
“But you stayed, even when she was there?”
“What else am I meant to do? Go hang out on my own while my friends chill together?”
“Some fucking friends,” she mumbles, blowing out a breath when she takes in the frown at my lips. “I’m sorry, it’s just . . .” She sighs. “What she did, Mav. We trusted her, and she turned her back on you when you needed her the most. I don’t see how you can forgive that so easily to be around her.”
Nodding, I don’t offer a response, instead my eyes flick back to where Beatrice remains on the curb, her eyes alight at something Nash says as he stalks backward. She shakes her head, rolling her eyes, but the smile remains on her face, and something about it threatens to take my breath away, but Willow is right.
She fucked me over once before, she’ll probably do it again . . . but that doesn’t stop the ache forming in my chest as she pulls away from the curb, flicking her gaze to me for a moment before she turns back to the road and drives out of sight.
“Look, big bro,” Willow says, pulling my gaze back to the screen. “I gotta go, James is coming over tonight. But I’ll text you, yeah?”
“Yeah, love you, Will.”
She blows a kiss to the camera. “Love you too.”
Chapter Thirteen
Beatrice
“Remindmenevertotry and go drink for drink with the football team again.” Maisie groans, dropping down on the bench next to me. With a chuckle, I slide the iced caramel macchiato over to her, patting her head.
“Hey, I tried to warn you dudes like that can drink a shit ton. You just refused to listen.”
“Ugh, well, next time be more forceful.” She rolls her head, glancing at me through squinted eyes. “Why does he have to be so charming? Saying no to him is impossible.”
“Who, Nash?” She nods. “You’ll have to ask his dad, he learned from the best. That man could charm the panties off a nun. What’s going on with you two anyway?” I ask, pulling my straw to my mouth and rolling it over my lips.
Over the weeks since the garden party, things have changed. Nash spends a lot of his time with me and Maisie when he’s not on the field or with the guys. And we’ve hung out at their apartment a few times or met up at the coffee bar or cafeteria. Though Maverick is always gone when I arrive, much to my growing disappointment.
“I don’t know,” Maisie answers, lifting her head and propping it up with her fist. “We’re just having some fun. He doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy who is into labels and commitment, you know?”
“Did he tell you that?”
“He doesn’t have to. He never stays the night, and I’ve never stayed with him. But I don’t mind, I’m not after anything serious anyway,” she says. “And what about you? Maverick seems to be avoiding you at every turn, and when he is around, he glares at you, but really, I’m starting to think it’s some weird seduction attempt, but he’s not very good at it.”
