Page 81 of The Love Playbook

Danger’s grip tightens, his eyes narrowing to slits. “And I’m supposed to just believe you? How do I even know you’re telling the truth?”

I chuckle and glance down at his hand before I peel his fingers off one by one. “I’m not fucking around when it comes to Lettie.” I shrug, my expression passive. “Ask her yourself if you don’t believe me, but put your hands on me again, and you’ll be glad the only thing you need are your feet to kick a ball down the field.”

Danger stares at me for a moment as if taking my measure.

“Now that we have that settled, you can look, but you can’t touch. We clear?”

Danger takes a step back. “Yeah, whatever. I don’t do drama.”

“Great.” I smooth a hand over my own hoodie, one corner of my mouth curving as I say, “Because I don’t share, at least not when it comes to Lettie.”

Chapter 19

CHARLOTTE

Isit cross-legged on my bed as I cram another chunk of chicken into my mouth with some chopsticks and groan. “How is this the best sweet and sour chicken I’ve ever had?”

“And these spicy green beans are amazeballs,” Elizabeth says through a mouthful.

“Speaking of balls . . .” Brynn grins above the rim of her cup.

Samantha snorts. “So subtle.”

“What happened with you and Chris on Sunday?” she finishes.

I feign innocence, dunking another crispy fried chicken bite into the sweet sauce. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Brynn groans and pushes her dish aside. “Comeon! You know I know he paid you a visit Sunday morning. Just like I also know he didn’t come back to the apartment until almost ten o’clockthat night, so your little coy act,” she says, drilling me with a finger, “isn’t gonna fly with me.”

“It’s girls’ night. There’s no room for boy talk on girls’ night,” I say.

Samantha almost spits her Coke out. “Um, half of girls’ nights consists of either talking about boys or complaining about them.”

“Exactly.” I point my chopstick at her. “Don’t you think it’s time we break the mold? Can we really not have a night just for us girls?”

“So, I take it things didn’t go well.” Brynn deflates a little, her shoulders rounding at the thought. As we speak, her frown is so deep it’ll probably leave permanent wrinkles.

I hum a noncommittal sound, and her pained expression deepens as I reach for my water at the same time Samantha mumbles, “Oh, it went well alright.”

Brynn gasps, pointing. “What do you know?”

I laugh when Samantha feigns zipping her lips and throwing away the key when my phone chimes with a text.

Setting my glass back down, I snatch it off my nightstand and swipe open the screen, smiling when I read the text.

CHRIS: Still dreaming about your lips.

“What are you . . . Oh my gosh, it’s him, isn’t it?” Brynn lunges for my phone, but I quickly dodge her, holding it out of reach. “You dirty little rat!” she yells. “You’re totally holding out on us.”

Giving up, she crosses her arms over her chest and pouts while I try and catch my breath.

“Pretty sure she’s been texting him all week,” Samantha says, and I spear her with a look. “What?” She shrugs with a grin.“You’ve been suspiciously glued to your phone since,ahem,Sunday.”

“Start talking,” Brynn says, wiggling her fingers.

I bite my lip and push the remaining chicken around on my plate. The truth is the time I spent with Chris last Sunday was the most carefree I’ve felt in a long time. Not only did I tell him about my mother?something Ineverdo?but I didn’t think about her once after we left the shop, and the suffocating grip of my anxiety has somehow lessened since we returned. She no longer occupies all my waking thoughts between classes and hanging out with my friends. Instead of walking around wondering what she’s doing and if she’s functioning or going to work, I’m thinking about a goofy blue-eyed blond-haired boy who seems to have suddenly infiltrated my thoughts.

Truth be told, it’s not a bad way to be.

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