Page 36 of The Trade

I shoot him a glare, my nerves rapidly shifting back to playful irritation. “You’re so annoying.”

His laughter fills the air, a deep, husky sound that sends a ripple of warmth right through me. “You’re right.” He turns away, pulling his laptop from his bag with renewed focus. “That’s why I’m going to shut up and study now.”

“Well, good, then,” I huff.

“Yeah,” he murmurs, his attention now divided between me and his laptop. “Good.”

* * *

The sun dipswell below the horizon by the time I finally leave the library, West’s words still echoing in my mind. My thoughts are a chaotic whirlwind as I make my way back to the apartment, the scent of his cologne—something like sage and sandalwood—still lingering in the fabric of my sweater.

He’d been close today. Really close. Too fucking close if you ask me. I shudder at the memory, a strange sense of thrill tingling up my spine.

With my keys fumbling in my grasp, I storm into the apartment, my mind buzzing with thoughts I’m forcing myself to confront. “Shan,” I groan, barging into her room without a second thought. “I have some really bad news.”

Startled, she scrambles to sit up higher on her bed, eyes wide and alert. She pats the spot beside her. “What is it?”

The words taste like poison, but I push them out anyway. Flopping down next to her on the mattress, I admit, “I think I might have a teeny, tiny crush on West.”

“What?” The corners of her mouth lift into a cheeky grin. “Are you sure?”

I let out a frustrated sigh, covering my face with my hands. “I don’t know,” I mumble from behind my fingers. “I think so? We were just studying in the library, and I kind of asked him ... to ask me ... to kiss him.”

Her brow crinkles in confusion. “You asked him ... to ask you?”

“Yes, I know, it sounds complicated,” I say, dropping my hands and waving one dismissively. “We didn’t actually end up kissing. But now I don’t know what the fuck to do. This is silly, right?”

She shakes her head at me, her long hair swaying with the motion. “It’s not silly. I told you West’s a good guy. It’s not so unfathomable that you’d have a crush on him.”

“But I know guys like him. He’s just like my brother, in a way,” I say, falling back onto the bed with a huff. “And I’ve told you how Ace treats his girlfriends. He goes through them like they’re disposable.”

Her agreement is a small hum. She lies down next to me, our heads nearly touching on her pillow. “To be fair, I haven’t really seen West with anyone for a while. Except ...”

“What?”

“Well, he was being a little bit flirty with me on Sunday morning.” She glances at me apologetically. “Before you came back with the groceries.”

My heart sinks. “You think he’s interested in you?”

She turns on her side, propping herself up on one elbow. “I think he wants to hook up, but I don’t think he’s interested in anything beyond that.”

“Is that why he invited us over for the fight?”

“He did mention something about his bedroom, but that’s kind of just . . . how he is. It was more of a setup for you. You know, to introduce you to some of the football players.”

“So, you’re saying West wants me to date one of his teammates?” My tone is incredulous, one brow quirked in disbelief.

“Maybe?” She hesitates, biting her lip. “I mean, that’s what I was going for. I don’t really know his game plan, to be honest.”

“Well, shit.”

“Why don’t you just see how things go until Saturday?” she suggests. “If you think you’re into him, that’s cool with me. I definitely won’t reciprocate his flirting.”

“Honestly, I don’t know how I feel,” I admit, burying my face into her pillow. “It’s like one second, he’s a complete douchebag. Then the next second, he’s being sweet and funny and charming. He’s also ridiculously hot, so I think that’s clouding my judgment.”

“Take your time, Jade,” she murmurs, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Just ... don’t let him hurt you, and you’ll be fine.”

“Easier said than done,” I say, pulling my face out of the pillow to look at her. I offer her a small, resigned smile. “Much easier.”

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