Page 26 of Let You Love Me

Ouch. Not sure what I was expecting, but her greeting is even more frigid than I anticipated.

“You didn’t answer my texts,” I say as I come to a stop in front of her, matching her straightforward approach with one of my own.

“Is that a question or a statement?” She arches a brow while she waits, and I smile.

“Caught me. I guess what I meant to ask is,whydidn’t you text me back?”

She says nothing for a moment, shifting on her feet and glancing at the turf. “Listen, Teagan, you seem like a really nice guy—”

“Aw, shit.” I groan. “You’re giving me the brush-off?”

Her throat bobs as she meets my gaze, then glances away again, and it clicks where I’ve seen that exact shade of blue before—the blue hydrangeas my mother used to grow in the garden.

“Why didn’t you text me back, Lane?” I ask again.

“My father is your coach.”

A wave of relief crashes into me.

It’s not personal. But it’s also for reasons I can do nothing about.

“So, that’s it? Don’t shit where you eat?” I wince at my choice of words.

Seriously, Teagan. You’re trying to win a hot chick over and you’re talking about shit?

What the actual fuck?

“For lack of better words? Yeah.” She shrugs and her lips twitch.

I rip my gaze from her mouth. “But you didn’t know I played football until today, so why—”

“Your apology yesterday at my father’s house was well-timed.”

“Oh shit. You saw me?” I scrub a hand over my face when she nods.

“Listen, I’d better go.” She starts to turn but I stop her with a hand on her arm.

Her gaze shifts from the point of contact to something behind us, and she stiffens.

Following her gaze, I find Coach talking to Chance on the sidelines, one hand on his shoulder, and I realize how this will look if he sees me.

Fuck. What the hell am I doing?

“He’s just . . . overprotective,” Lane explains, without being asked. “But if I were you, I’d lose my number.”

This time, when she retreats I let her, watching her as she goes.

She’s right. I should lose her number. Nothing good will come of pursuing her.

But I don’t want to listen.

“What if I don’t want to?” I call out, startling her.

She pauses, motionless as she glances over her shoulder. “Then you’ll be wasting your time.”

Chapter 6

LANE

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