Page 15 of Love at Second Down

“Living,” the blonde clarifies, then chuckles at my dumbfounded expression. “A student apartment? The dorms? Or maybe you’re commuting?”

“Oh, of course.” I shake my head, feeling my cheeks heat. It’s like my first time socializing.God, Avery, get it together.“I’m actually staying in the dorms. Hyde Hall?”

The brunette smiles. “No way. So are we.” She motions to the blonde, then asks, “What floor? We’re on the first. I’m surprised we haven’t run into each other yet.”

The blush in my cheeks deepens. “I’m on four, but I don’t know anyone, so when I’m not at class or work, I’ve been kind of just keeping to myself lately.”

“I get that,” the blonde says with a grimace. “My first year here, I had this crazy roommate. It was the worst. I actually ended up having to live with my boyfriend for the summer. Well, he’s my boyfriendnow, but he wasn’t back then.” She smirks, then stretches a hand out. “I’m Brynn, by the way. And this is one of my besties, Charlotte.” She nods toward the brunette.

“Hi,” I offer the brunette a smile. “Nice to meet you both. I’m Avery.”

“Hey, I know you said you haven’t gotten out much, and I don’t know if you’re a football fan or just a fan of our quarterback,” Charlotte says with a little laugh, “or maybe I’m totally reading you wrong, but we’re getting together this weekend with a couple friends to watch the game if you want to come.”

My lips part, taken off guard.

When I started talking to these girls, I hadn’t expected to like them, let alone get an invite from them to hang out. But the idea sounds . . .nice,I realize. More than nice. It sounds amazing. I’ve yet to make a friend on campus, and I could use a couple of allies.

“I would love that,” I hear myself saying, unable to contain my smile.

“Great. It should be pretty amazing. Our boyfriends are roomies and have a place in the athlete dorms with a big screen TV, so it’ll be much better than cramming into a dorm room or a noisy bar to watch,” Charlotte says, and I wonder what Damon would think of me hanging out with these girls.

I push the thought aside as I slide her drink across the counter, then take her credit card and run it.

With their drinks in hand, I make a plan to meet them at the apartment, then watch as they turn to leave. Once they’re out of sight, I take a deep breath as a wave of dizziness crashes over me.

I grip the countertop in front of me, unsteady on my feet. Between my interaction with Damon and the girls, my nerves are frayed.

“Are you okay?” Cara asks, appearing beside me, a hand on my back as she peers up at me.

I nod, my breath shaky. “Yeah, or at least, I will be. Can I have a second?”

“Sure.”

With a muttered thanks, I head toward the back of the café for the employee bathroom. Once inside, I close the door and lock itbehind me, moving to the sink and turning on the faucet. I test the water with my hands before dipping my head and splashing the cool liquid over my face until my head stops spinning and my heart stops racing.

Straightening, I snatch a couple paper towels out of the dispenser to my right and blot my face dry, then stare into my reflection.

With any luck, I just made my first two friendsandgot a foot in the door with Damon.

He might have a lot riding on this game, but I have a lot riding on him, and I hate to think what I’ll do if my plan to win him back fails. Which is precisely why it can’t.

Chapter 6

DAMON

Every single practice since the start of playoffs hits differently. The stakes are higher, each of us on edge. The intensity is on another level because winning the playoffs is no longer a pipe dream or something we casually chat about over postgame beers. Instead, it’s a couple weeks shy of becoming reality. All we have to do is reach out and take it.

The air is thick with the buzz of anticipation, the kind I can taste on my tongue. Practice started an hour ago, and though we’ve done nothing but prepare for this weekend?the semifinals of the college football playoffs?nerves still cling to the team, mingling with the blood, sweat, and tears we leave on the field. I can feel the weight of it pressing down on me, a hundred expectations riding on my shoulders. I’m thequarterback. I control the narrative on the field. Out of every single Griffin here, I dictate the pace of the game.

Which means I also bear the brunt if we fail.

But our team’s success isn’t all I’m carrying as I step out onto the turf for practice. Instead, my thoughts are filled with a long-legged, whiskey-eyed blonde. Seeing her again this morning, at Java the Hutt of all places, has thrown me off. It’s bad enough that we have a class together and I’ll have to endure seeing her on the regular, but now I can’t even get my twice-daily caffeine fix without the fear she’ll be the one behind the counter. It’s like the world is suddenly conspiring against me, and my quota for happiness after she tore my heart to shreds has gotten too high and it’s time to take it down a notch.

First, she’ll infiltrate the little things in life like class and coffee.

Next, it’ll be my friends.

Then football.

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