Page 52 of Game On
His green eyes narrow. “What? Am I not invited to the cool kids’ club? You know, this is really gonna give me a complex if you—”
“Will you quit?” I cut in, exasperated. “You can come if you want, but you’re not gonna be any good at it.”
“Says who?”
“Says the guy who knows what he’s talking about. It’s not as easy as it might look.”
He snorts, crossing his arms over his chest. “Can’t be any harder than football.”
“Trust me,” I retort, pulling on my jacket. “It’s a whole different arena. It requires precision, timing … and flexibility.” I smirk at the last bit because I know, from our years of shared locker rooms and the sight of Levi’s failed attempts to touch his toes post-practice, that he is about as flexible as a two-by-four.
“Hmm,” he says, pretending to assess the situation. “Well, I have all those things in spades, so count me in.”
“Sure you do.”
“Don’t worry, Hudsy. A little competition never hurt anyone.”
I don’t dignify his comment with a response. But I am willing to let him see how he does. Levi’s always been short on humility and long on bravado, but there’s no harm in giving him a taste of reality. It might even do him some good.
“So, what time are we leaving?” he asks, lazily stretching on our couch.
“I’m standing at the door with my jacket on and keys in hand. When do you think?”
“Right.” He jumps up like he’s been shot and darts toward his room.
I wait for him in the hallway, tapping the toe of my shoe against the tile flooring. After a few minutes, Levi is back with a gym bag slung over his shoulder and an annoying grin on his face. He saunters up to me, all confidence and his awkward version of swagger.
“Ready?” he asks, looking at me with a mischievous gleam in his eye.
I sigh. Levi’s already making this more difficult than it needs to be, but I nod. I don’t want any more delays.
I lead the way out, Levi close on my heels, and we drive the short distance to Skyline in relatively comfortable silence. Thank God for small mercies. Once we’ve arrived, I jump out of my truck, eager to get back on the mat.
Levi, however, seems more interested in the building we’re about to enter. He gapes at it like he’s never seen a gym before, eyes wide and mouth slightly ajar. “This place is fucking huge.”
“Sure is,” I say. “Hey, while we’re in there, could you maybe consider, like, raising your hand before you speak?”
He scoffs. “I’m not a child.”
“Could’ve fooled me.”
We head inside to pay for our two-hour open gym session at the front desk. Before I can give Levi further instructions, he takes off, running toward the familiar group of people in the back corner. This time, it’s not just the boys and Ella here, but Sammy and Gabi, too.
“Oh hell,” I mumble, my fingertips rubbing at the bridge of my nose. He’s like a dog off a leash—unpredictable and hard to control.
“Hudson!” he bellows, his voice ringing out through the gym. “Hurry up!”
Sure enough, as I stride over, Levi’s in the center of everyone, an arm slung around Ash, who looks both amused and mildly uncomfortable. Ella’s standing next to him, a bemused smile on her lips that makes my chest tighten.
Sammy gives us an odd look. “Dare I ask what you’re doing here?”
“Hudson’s a bona fide cheerleader,” Levi says. “I’m just here for extra flair.”
Sammy smirks, stepping forward with a challenge in her eyes. “Well, flair is one thing, but can you actually lift anyone? Or are you just here to fuck around?”
Levi’s grin broadens. “Lift? Please, I can probably lift you and Gabi at the same time—one-handed.”
“That so?” Gabi quips, eyeing him skeptically. “Prove it.”
