Page 53 of Game On

“But Alec—”

“Alec will understand. Text him. Text Ryan, too.”

I move so Sloan can take his cell phone from his pocket. I don’t see what he writes, but when his phone buzzes, he tosses it onto the driver’s seat, then moves his seat to recline more. I go with him. Before long, his breaths have evened out, and he’s sleeping again. I’m surprised when my eyes get heavy, too. Soon, I’m sleeping on top of him, my hands and head on his chest as his breaths rhythmically put me to sleep.

We both wake to a loud cheer. I push off Sloan dreamily until he runs a hand through my hair. He checks over my shoulder, his lips thinning. “I don’t think we won.”

I look over to find a few people wearing the other team’s colors, hands in the air, running toward the parking lot. “I guess not.”

“But I won another way,” he says. He brings my hand to his lips, kissing my knuckles. “My parents are having a formal dinner with some friends on Friday. Will you be my date?”

My eyebrows rise. “Really?”

He nods, his lips grazing my last knuckle. “Please?”

The way he asks me, so innocent-like, I can almost forget he’s done anything cruel to me before. He’s looking at me now like he wants nothing more than to take me to this dinner party at his parents’ house. I gulp. His parents will be there, and I already know so much about them. I bite down on my lip. “I will,” I tell him. “I’ll go to the dinner with you.” If only to see what Sloan’s life is really like, but I know that’s not even true. Already I’m planning on making this the best dinner party for Sloan. I can imagine they suck for him.

His hands come up to run just under my lips. “I hate to be the guy with the dick again, but I’m going to need you to get off me, so no one looks at you like I’m looking at you.”

When I look out the window, I realize exactly what Sloan means. People can just see me, not him, but it’s obvious I’m lying on something.

“And if Shawn so much as breathes in your direction again, he’s off the team.”

I sit up, my hips rubbing against his. He immediately grabs me. I place my hands right over his. “Don’t say that.”

“I can and I will.”

I lean over, nipping at his lower lip before I push the car door open and get out, stretching to my full height. Sloan comes out after me, the passenger seat already moved back into an appropriate position. Shawn and Matt won’t dare say anything even though I’m sure they’re plenty thinking it. When Sloan sees Ryan and Lake walking up with their girls, he meets them at the corner of the lot. Shawn and Matt are right behind him, so they make their way toward me. “What was the score?” I ask.

“Five-two,” Shawn says, not even meeting my eyes.

“Ouch.”

“Yeah,” Matt says. “Alec had a good game, but no one else did. It was sad.”

Sloan moves into my peripheral, so I look up to find Ryan and Lake already gone. My phone goes off, so I pull it out of my pocket as Sloan puts his arm over my shoulders. The first one is Ryan, thanking me for taking care of Sloan. I blink at that one, reading it several times. I decide to just ignore it because I don’t even know what to say. The other is from Alec asking me if there’s room in my car. “Tell him yes,” Sloan says.

“You’re reading my texts?”

He just smiles in response, but I do what he says. Then, I look up at Shawn and Matt. “Alec’s riding with us. We just have to wait until he takes a shower.”

We all fall into easy conversation when Sloan asks about the game. I’m shifting from foot to foot until I see Alec emerge around the side of the team bus. I hold myself back as long as I can from going to him, but then I just can’t stand it. I walk over and put my arms around him. “I’m sorry about the game.”

His free hand comes around my shoulders as he kisses the side of my head. “There’s always tomorrow.”

We walk back to the car together, and I open the trunk, so Alec can drop his bag in the back. When we come around, Sloan doesn’t look upset that I hugged Alec in front of him. It’s just kind of…different than how I think normal relationships are supposed to work. Shawn, Matt, and Sloan go to get in the back, but they’re squished. “I’m not sure this is going to work,” Sloan says. “I’ll drive, you get in the back, and Alec will ride shotgun.” Alec makes a noise, so Sloan looks over at him. “On second thought—”

“You’re not driving,” I interrupt, giving him a look so he knows I don’t want to say how tired he is in front of Matt and Shawn.

“Fine,” he grinds out. “Alec, you’re driving.” Alec plucks the keys from my hand and is already headed toward the driver’s seat. “Shawn, you take shotgun, and Matt, Tessa, and I will sit in the back.”

Matt stays where he is as Shawn gets in the front. I get in the back first since I’m smallest and will most likely have to ride the hump, but then Sloan gets in. As soon as he sits, he drags me onto his lap. “You belong here,” he whispers into my ear.

I settle in, dropping my feet to the center of the car and letting Sloan’s long arms envelop me. Soon, Alec is pulling out of the parking lot and pointing us back toward Rockport. Sloan falls asleep for a little while longer, his head on my shoulder. I revel in his deep, easy breaths until Alec drops off Matt and then Shawn. He looks at me through the rearview mirror. “His car’s at the school, right?”

I nod. “He’s too tired.”

“Well, we can either drop him home now, though he’ll be pissed if he doesn’t have access to his car, or we’re better off going to the school. I’ll drive his car to his house, and you follow with him.”

---