Page 70 of Cocky Player

“I need to get to work but you’re not going to get lost again, are you?”she teased, a glimmer in her eyes like she knew why I was daydreaming.

“I’ll be fine.”

“Good.Then Wednesday we’re getting together at Gage and Elizabeth’s house.Bring your swimsuit if you want.We usually hang out in the pool or hot tub too.”

“Sounds good.And thanks, Shannon.This is really nice of you.”

“What can I say?I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other soon.”

Twenty-Four

Brenna

“Areyou sure you don’t want to come with me?”

Gina shook her head, lips pressed together with one foot propped on our coffee table.“No.I’m good here.Honest.”She swiped another coat of nail polish on her toenails and blew gently.“Brandon’s working later but might stop by.”

In the last few weeks, Brandon hadn’t ever spent the night at our apartment.At least not when I was there.I was surprised with Gina for finding someone so quickly.She probably thought I was more insane.

Leaving tonight without her felt strange though, and I knew why.It was rare over the years where I went out and Gina wasn’t with me.She’d had a much more active social life but when I needed her company, she was always there.

“I feel like you’ve thrown me out of the nest,” I blurted stupidly.

“What?”She huffed a laugh and turned, twisting the top to the nail polish back on.“What are you talking about?”

The look she gave me was as ridiculous as my statement.

“Never mind.”I was in a weird place and couldn’t put my finger on what it was or why exactly.

“Does this have to do with me not wanting to hang out with your new friends?”

“They’re not my friends.”I sounded defensive.I wasn’t trying to be.“I just…I guess I don’t go many places without you so it feels strange.”

“It’s normal, you know.For us to have different friends.And I’m not mad.School starts in a week or so and I already have reading to do.And Brandon.”

“I know.”

“Does this have to do with Connor?”

“No.”Maybe.Partly?“I don’t know.He’s at training camp.”

“And you’re missing his huge dick already?”

“Shut up.”I slapped her shoulder and she stepped back, smirking.“I mean…I don’t blame you or anything.”

“We haven’t really talked, I guess.I mean we had this weekend and then he was gone and I knew I wouldn’t get to see him or talk to him a lot.”We’d talked since he left.He called me Sunday night while he unpacked in the dorm room he was sharing with Kolby, another starting running back.It was now Wednesday and I’d heard from him last night for about two minutes.Two minutes into the conversation he was sighing and apologizing for being so damn tired.I’d teased him about having my dad tell the coaches to take it easy on them and then we’d hung up.

Was this what other girls went through having a boyfriend?The constantwantto be around them and the frustration when you couldn’t.I didn’t want to be like that, so needy and dependent on a man.I hadn’t expected all the emotions to hit me so hard when we finally had sex, I kept so much to myself over the years I wasn’t used to being vulnerable.

“I think I miss him.”

Gina smiled the sweet kind smile a best friend could give.The kind that said she understood but was trying to hold back giving me a load of crap at the same time.

“We’re going to grow and change, you know?We already have.”

“I didn’t think it would happen so quickly.We’ve been college graduates for less than three months.How did everything get twisted and complicated within a span of weeks?”

It terrified me and yet there was a buzz in my fingertips.It was energizing too.Like the start of a new school year.The dawn of a new season.

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