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“And isn’t Jake Callahan your cousin? He’s, like, the best QB in the NFL right now.” Ace shakes his head, seemingly in awe over the thought. He immediately thrusts his hand out toward me. “I’m Ace. You’re—”
“Blair,” I supply for him. “Nice to meet you. You’re the backup quarterback, right?”
“Yeah.” He glances in the direction of the other table, where Cam and my brother sit. “He’s so fucking good. I doubt I’ll get any field time this season.”
“You never know,” I say, but I don’t mean it. Unless something happens to Cam, so he couldn’t play, I’m sure Ace won’t see much actual field time at all.
Just the mere idea of Cam getting injured and being unable to play makes my heart trip over itself. It’s too scary to even contemplate.
“You’re just saying that.” Ace grins, curling his fingers around his beer mug. “You’re pretty.”
I burst out laughing at the way he just blurted that out. “Thank you.”
“Much prettier than Knox.”
I’m still laughing. More like giggling. “I would hope so.”
“He’d kill me if he knew I said that.” Ace’s eyes are twinkling. He seems pleased with himself.
“You should see my sister,” I tell him. I’d guess they’re about the same age. “She’s even prettier than me.”
“No way.” He rests his hand over his heart like he can’t fathom the thought. “I’ve got a weakness for blondes.”
“She’s blonde too.” I tilt my head, studying him intently. “What year are you?”
His cheekbones turn the faintest touch of red. “A sophomore.”
“And you’re how old?”
Ace glances around the bar before he ducks down, his mouth right at my ear level. Which means he’s really ducking low because he’s extremely tall. “Fake ID. Don’t blow my cover.”
“Never,” I vow as I lean away from him with a little smile.
He smiles in return, lifting his beer mug up and I do the same, clinking mine with his before we both take big swallows. He polishes the rest of his off, while I drink at least a third, and it was mostly foam.
I am seriously not a beer drinker. I should’ve gone with Nat and Derek to the bar and got a mixed drink.
“Noyes! Sit down, brotha!” Ace greets another teammate, who’s currently sliding into the booth on the other side of the table, a cute brunette with him. “Join us!”
The girl sends me a helpless look as she settles in, curling her arm around Noyes’ arm and leaning her head on his shoulder. Clearly, they’re together. Clearly, she’s staking her claim on her man and a tiny flicker of jealousy rises up within me, making me wish I could do the same to someone in particular.
A certain someone who chooses to push me away more often than not.
A guy who acts like he’s interested, yet insists he wants nothing to do with me.
I contemplate Ace, who’s currently engaged in conversation with every guy sitting at our table, telling a story about what happened to him while sitting on the sideline during the game. I’m half listening, my gaze going to the table to my right, wishing I could hear what they’re talking about.
Ace says something that makes everyone crack up and I join in, laughing at something I didn’t even hear. I see Knox glance over at me, followed by Cam, and I immediately look away, praying that Knox doesn’t come over here and say something stupid to embarrass me.
But it’s not Knox who slides into the booth right next to me mere minutes later.
Nope.
It’s Cam.
The moment he presses his big warm body right up against mine, I’m done for. I can’t hear what Ace or the rest of the guys are saying. All I can focus on is how hard his thigh feels wedged next to mine. And how his arm brushes mine when he settles his beer mug on the table in front of him before turning to look at me with a giant smile on his face.
A smile that I don’t recall ever seeing him wear before. It’s dazzling. Beautiful. But there’s another emotion lying just beneath it, one I can’t quite figure out, and I stare at him in confusion.
