Page 28 of Scoring the Player
So many reasons. “But we aren’t really dating? I’m confused.” And I think I’m hyperventilating.
“I think you’re great,” he says. Internally, I groan. That statement is the kiss of death. “But I’m not looking for anything serious right now.”
“How come?”
“My sisters say that Bethany destroyed myability to trust women,” he says in a tone that suggests he thinks the phrase is bullshit.
I bite down on my lip to stop from smiling.
He notices and laughs. “It’s okay. It’s funny. But maybe not totally untrue. I just don’t want to deal with the drama my senior year. Especially this semester. A lot is riding on this season.”
“So, we pretend to date, but we’re really just friends?” But we’d really be hanging out, and that’s the part that I can’t quite get over. I’d get to spend more time with him. Something I want badly, despite feeling awkward as hell around him.
And I think he might be right about the video losing steam if people think we’re together. Somehow people see me as less pathetic for my feelings if Felix reciprocates them.
“Yeah.”
No one would buy that. Me and Felix? Except, they did tonight. Even his closest friends.
“And what do you get? Really. Because we both know after I leave tonight, you could still find another girl to take home.”
“I would never cheat on my fake girlfriend.” He grins. His voice is more sincere when he says, “If it keeps Bethany from sleeping her way through my teammates to try to make me jealous, then that’d be great, too.”
“Are you sure it won’t make her try that much harder to get you back?” Last time I saw her, she was making out with Armstrong on the dance floor.
“Trust me. She doesn’t want me back. Not really. If she thinks I’ve moved on, sooner or later, she will too. She’ll stop flaunting Armstrong in my face and hopefully find herself a soccer or baseball player to torture.”
“Okay, but you could date anyone in this scenario. A girl you actually like.”
“I actually like you.”
“You know what I mean.” I tilt my head to the side. Is he serious? I keep waiting for him to realize what a bad idea this is, but his thumb strokes the top of my knuckles, and he looks at me so eagerly.
“I don’t know,” I say, finally.
“Say yes, Dahlia.”
My body tingles. “No fair using my name. You know what it does to me.”
His smile widens. “Say yes, hot stuff.”
My brows lift at the endearment.
“You are. That’s what I’m going to call you so you don’t forget it.”
“I am so not.”
He hums like I’m proving his point. “A couple months hanging out with me, and you’ll see just how right I am. You’ll have guys begging to take you out.”
I can’t even wrap my brain around that scenario, but I nod ever so slightly. “I have a feeling I’m going to regret this.”
11
FELIX
“Take a knee,”Coach calls at the end of practice.
I drop beside Teddy, catching my breath and wiping sweat from my forehead.
