Page 37 of Away Game

“You know I can’t afford it, so it had to be someone else who’s being overly generous. Do you know who? I’d like to thank whoever it is.”

I was never going to let him thank me. I was still not sure what came over me or why I set him up for the rest of the school year.

“Maybe it was your boyfriend.” That seemed like something a boyfriend would do.

The car was quiet until we hit the red light before the restaurant turn-off. West slammed his hands on the steering wheel and let out a loud grunt. “Where the hell did you get the idea that I have a boyfriend? I haven’t… I’ve never had a boyfriend, just a… hookup.” He swallowed roughly.

“So your hookup paid for it and didn’t want you to know.” It didn’t matter what he called the guy he spoke on the phone with; he still had a love interest.

“Fucking hell, Fin, I don’t have a hookup. Not in a long time, I… I just don’t, okay? So stop saying I do.”

“What do you call the guy you talk to on the phone?” I questioned because, seriously, this man was in denial.

The light turned green, and West pulled into The Bays BBQ Joint’s parking lot before he looked back over at me. “I don’t know who you’re talking about. The only people I talk to on the phone are my family. Maybe you need to get your head checked out because I think you hit it when your shoulder got taken out.”

“My head is just fucking fine. I’ve heard you talk to him at least twice.” Why was he making this so difficult? Did he think I’d hook up with him if I thought he didn’t have a boyfriend? I guess Weston Jackson wasn’t as perfect as I thought he was.

Hopping out of the SUV, I went inside to pick up my food. I was going to fill myself up until I was about to burst while the rest of my team got put through the wringer.

When I came back out, West was waiting for me with a curious look on his face. I’d barely got my ass in the seat when he asked. “Did you by any chance hear this mysterious boyfriend’s name while you were eavesdropping?”

“Yeah, it’s actually quite gross. It’s Easton.” Why would he go out with a guy who almost had the exact same name as him?

“Easton,” West sputtered out and then started laughing. He threw his head back and cackled. I hated the way his smile made me feel in that moment. “You can’t be serious.”

“I know what I heard.”

“You heard me talking to my brother, Easton.”

Well, that changed things.

18

West

It had beenfour long days of Fin looking at me strangely after he learned Easton was my brother. I wasn’t sure why it made a difference, but it seemed to. If it wasn’t that, I had no idea why he was looking at me differently. The only thing I knew was I didn’t like it.

Now, as I tried to finish my homework after practice, Fin was standing outside my door waiting for me to acknowledge him. Either that or he’d become a really shitty stalker.

After another few minutes, I set my pen down and let out an annoyed sigh. “What do you want, Fin?”

The patter of his bare feet on the hardwood floor let me know he moved closer. “How’d you know I was here?”

“I’ve known the entire time, but I got tired of waiting for you to either say something. Come inside, or leave me alone.”

Turning so I could get a look at him, I scanned Fin up and down. He was in another one of my shirts with his long strands of hair a mess and hanging down, covering one eye. Then there were his bare feet. I didn’t know what it was, but I found it sexy as hell when I saw him like that. I always liked what I saw when I discretely checked him out. “I don’t have all night. I’m tired and need to finish my homework, so what do you need?”

“Who said I need anything?” he retorted.

“I say because you never come to me, so it must mean you need or want something,” I turned back around and woke my laptop up. “So, spill.”

“I had my appointment with the doctor today,” he said from behind me with a solemn voice.

I could only assume by his tone the news wasn’t good. When the spring on my bed squeaked, I didn’t have to look back to know he’d sat down and had his head hung. I’d done my fair share of stalking Fin since we were under one roof.

“I’m out for the rest of the season, if not longer. I might never be QB one ever again.” The sadness in his tone had a lump forming in my throat, making it nearly impossible to swallow.

Swiveling my chair around, I found Fin exactly like I’d imagined him. His right arm was in his sling, his head was down, and his left hand was in a fist. “Why aren’t you telling this to Oz or anyone else for that matter?”

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