Page 39 of Not that Impressed
I swallow my frustration. She’s seventeen. It would hurt to believe that people only get to know you because you’re a TV star.
“He told me not to tell anyone,” she says, and I’m surprised she doesn’t addhato the end of that.
She’s being played like a Logan Knox hit. “Stay away from Grayson, Libs.” I step closer to her, making my expression as serious as possible. “Trust me on this. Adult men should not be hanging out with or texting teen girls.”
She presses her lips into a tight line. “I know what happened. I don’t know how Will convinced you to be on his side too, but it’swrong, Ellie. Will not liking that Grayson wanted to date his cousin is no excuse for what he did. Dude needs to learn some chill.” Libby shoots me a scathing look and walks off. I cringe,especially since Grayson has added to his story since trying to sell it to me. I want to slap myself for gulping up his words.
Milo is serving someone near us, so I raise a finger to signal that I need a refill on the ice water, and he nods at me.
Will isn’t awful, and he’s already got the chill down.
It doesn’t surprise me that he doesn’t want to do something messy. The rumor about him and Linda Wilson was made up, and yet it turned his life upside down. No one talked about his football career for months. He was constantly defending himself in the media, and no one listened.
If we started something and it didn’t go well? He’d have to deal with everyone sticking their nose in his personal life again. Is it arrogant of me to think it’d be worse with me? I’m a lot more visible than Linda. I blow out a disappointed sigh, which is dumb since I’ve already decided that something with Will isn’t a good idea.
I turn away from the bar while I wait for Milo to refill my water and meet his eyes from where he’s standing with some other players, listening to Logan perform her last song of the night.
Given the heated way he’s still looking at me—maybe I don’t want him to be chill.
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CHAPTER 18
WILL
That dance with Ellie Monday night was electric. I don’t know how else to describe the energy between us. Without the words or judgments or anything to get in the way, our attraction to each other is undeniable. The feeling of her in my arms isn’t something I’ll forget anytime soon.
Ellie’s right. It doesn’t mean everything is magic. I don’t make things messy, like I told her. To avoid a mess, we need to spend time together and have conversations. During my down hours the next few days, which are not many, I try to figure out something low-key that she’ll agree to. It means my research into women and football goes to the back burner, which is a shame. There are a few women on that list I’d love to learn more about. One is a woman who’s been a high school football coach for the last twenty years and has over a dozen state championships. I can’t tell you how much I would’ve loved to play for someone with a record like that.
In the meantime, I’m a beast at practice and at the game on Sunday. I’m on a high and nothing can stop me. I added two more sacks to my count even with the Arizona offensive line trying to double team me. Sports analysts are starting to talk about the chance that I could be MVP if the Pumas make anotherchampionship run. The reward for my hard work, the recognition for being the best—I can almost feel it in my grasp. I just have to keep hustling.
“You’re unstoppable out there,” Charlie says to me, pulling a shirt over his head in the locker room after the game.
“Thanks, man.” I shove the last of my stuff in my bag to head out.
“You going over to Fletch’s?” he asks, picking up his own bag to follow me out.
“Nah. Headed home.”
“Home?” Charlie teases. I shove him in the shoulder. “Kara wants to know if you and Ellie are a thing.”
I meet his eye, squinting at him. He’s never said one way or the other what he thinks about the way Kara hints at wanting to date me. But she’s still his sister. I grimace at him.
“Sorry, bro. Deal with that how you want to,” I reply.
He gives a long-suffering sigh. “Areyou and Ellie a thing?”
I shove him again. “I think you’re more likely to get that information from Janelle.” He chuckles and gives up, probably because he’s going over to her apartment.
When I get home, I have texts from Ellie that I read on my way up to my apartment.
Ellie
Grayson told Libby that the girl he wanted to date that got him fired is your cousin.
She doesn’t know a name yet.
