Page 15 of Wild About You
I close the hood. God, I love the sound of it. “I was just changing the oil. Showing her a little love.”
“Awesome. Now grab your trunks and come show Talia’s friend, Olivia, some love. She has been asking about you for months.”
“I don’t have any trunks.”
My teammate—and always up for a good time buddy—Ash, just shrugs. “Boxers or naked is fine too.”
Declan snorts. “I think that’s my cue to get out of here.”
“What?” Ash cocks his head to the side and stares at him. “You just got here.”
“It doesn’t take long to get sick of you.” He grins wide. Declan and Ash are total opposites, but they respect the hell out of each other, despite the joking around.
“I’m gonna pass, too, but thanks for letting me use your garage,” I say as I pull out my phone to check the time. I tamp down the irritation that bubbles up. Everly was supposed to be back fifteen minutes ago.
“You live here now. You can use it any time you want.” He walks backward. “If you’re not going to rock Olivia’s world, then do the world a favor and call up Piper. You’re not going to be able to move on until you find out for sure whether or not she hates your guts.”
He’s not wrong. She’s occupied most of my thoughts this weekend, but I flip him the bird anyway. It’s easier than admitting I don’t need to talk to her to know she hates my guts. Her silence says it all.
5
YOU WERE THE PERFECT GIRLFRIEND
PIPER
I met Scarlett by accident.
For the past year, I’ve been living with my friend Heather and her fiancé Steve. They booked an engagement shoot, and I went with them because…well, now I can’t even remember. But I’m pretty sure it was boredom.
Scarlett was their photographer. I didn’t know her link to the Wildcats until later, but I’m glad I didn’t immediately put it together because I never would have let myself be friends with her if I’d known she was the head coach’s daughter and dating one of the players. It would have been too weird and too close of a connection to Tyler. Once I found out, it was too late. I adored her too much to let it bother me…much.
Tuesday night, I meet Scarlett and her friend Jade for drinks at one of our favorite wine bars. They’re waiting for me at their usual table. We’re in that new stage of friendship where I still feel a little awkward when I show up, but I always leave feeling like I’ve known them forever.
“I’m sorry I’m late,” I say, sliding into the open high-top chair.
“We were taking bets on how late you’d be,” Jade says with a playful smile. I might have a slight reputation for being late to, well, everything. I’m working on it.
“I’m sorry.”
“She’s only teasing.” Scarlett pushes a glass of wine toward me.
My cheeks flush, and I scramble for my purse. I was hoping they wouldn’t order for me. I only have enough for the cheapest house wine, and I doubt that’s what they got. “Let me give you some cash.”
“Nonsense,” Scarlett says. “You spent all day with high schoolers. That one is on me.”
“Thank you.” I take a sip. So much better than the sweet white I was going to buy.
I sit back in my chair. “How’ve you two been? Anything new?”
They exchange a glance. They have lots of little nonverbal communication signals from being friends for so long, but I can’t read whatever passes between them.
“What?”
“We know you ran into Tyler last week,” Scarlett says, then her lips part into a big smile.
My pulse speeds up. “How?”
“He told Leo.”
