by Toni Aleo
“A free agent? Are you insane? No, you’re not. I saw Drew all over your Instagram. Stop fronting.”
She doesn’t like that, and she widens her eyes. “Not my fault I’m hot. Drew and I are done.”
“Whatever. I thought you liked Moon anyway.”
“I do, but you won’t let me get an in with him.”
“Being a free agent, you can get your own in.”
She glares. “You know I’m shy.”
When Sofia snorts, I shake my head at Amelia. “You are in no way shy.”
“Whatever. Stop telling people I’m off-limits.”
I lean on my hand. “Stop telling your friend bad shit about me.”
Sofia’s eyes widen, and Amelia glares at me but with confusion in her eyes. “Huh? Who are you talking about?”
“Sofia. You told her I don’t do relationships.”
Sofia starts to get up. “I’m gonna go get a—”
“Stay,” Amelia demands as I say, “You’re fine.”
Exasperatedly, Amelia says, “You don’t do relationships.”
“How do you know that?” I ask her. “Because I haven’t found someone to be in a relationship with, that means I don’t do them?”
Her eyes narrow. “You’ve said you don’t have time for one.”
“I don’t, but maybe I’m ready to make time for one.”
“Okay, how am I supposed to know that?”
“Easy. You ask, or you don’t say anything. You’re supposed to talk me up, not down.”
An uncomfortable silence stretches between us, and I can tell that Sofia wants to slide under the table. Amelia, though, is in fight mode. “I didn’t mean to talk you down, for one. And for two, I’m not gonna waste my breath on someone who obviously isn’t into you.”
We both look to Sofia, and she just blinks. “I’m not.”
“She’s lying,” I say back to my fuming sister. “And that’s fine. I’ll get her to admit it. But in the meantime, stop talking bad about me.”
Amelia is gazing at Sofia who is glaring at me. “But she’s right. It’s waste of breath.”
“I don’t think it is.” Holding her gaze, I smile. “How are your legs?”
Her eyes widen more before she looks away. She shrugs, running her hand down the one that bled the most this morning. “They’re fine.”
“Did they give you problems at practice?”
She scoffs. “Never.”
“I didn’t think so,” I say as I get up, and then I notice she has an Intro to Business book beside her. I tap it with my finger. “Business major?”
She nods, her eyes on the book. “Yeah.”
“Opening your own gym one day?”
Her eyes meet mine, astonishment filling them. “Yes, actually.”
I grin. “I think that’s a great idea,” I say, and then I notice she’s drinking a coffee. “I would have bought that for you.”
She looks down at it and then back at me, her eyes wide and unsure. “I didn’t plan on coming here—”
“No need to make an excuse. It’s cool. I’ll get you here. With me.” Her lips part a bit, and I smile as my heart pounds hard and steady in my chest. “You look really pretty tonight.”
She doesn’t look away this time, but her face fills with color. “Um, thanks.”
I look back to my sister, who is still looking at Sofia, a perplexed bend to her brows. “Your dress is too short,” I tell Amelia.
She glares up at me, pulling at the hem of her too-short dress. “It is not!”
“It is,” I say. “But like always, you’re beautiful.”
Her lips curve. “I still don’t like you.”
“Same here,” I say, flashing her a grin.
I turn my gaze to Sofia. She’s watching me, her eyes dark as I turn on my dazzling smile. The one that gets me out of all sorts of trouble. Or into trouble. Depends on the situation.
Though I’m pretty sure of her answer, I ask, “Wanna get a cup tomorrow? After your run?”
Her gaze stays on mine, her lips in a straight line. “I’m not running tomorrow.”
“Taking the morning off?”
“Yeah, I’m doing yoga instead.”
Shorts, Sofia, ass, bending.
Be still, cock. Be still.
“Okay. Well, I guess I’ll ask you again tomorrow.”
She smiles. “And I’ll turn you down.”
“Which doesn’t worry me one bit,” I say as I start to back up. “You ladies have a good night. Be safe.”
And when I turn, my pride is intact.
Because I’ll get her to say yes.
No doubt about that.
Chapter Fourteen
Sofia
Ryan walks out with an air of confidence that has me squirming in my seat. Squeezing my thighs together, I press my pen into my lip while I try to act like I’m looking at the chart on Amelia’s laptop, ignoring everything about Ryan Justice.
I’m not, though.
Damn it, he is so freaking hot. Ryan’s shoulders are flexed, straining the front of his shirt as he knocks fists with some guy in the corner. His hat is so low over his eyes, yet those Clark Kent glasses are on full display and that damn grin of his is unstoppable. His teeth are so white, his lips so thick. The athletic pants he wears are so fitted he might as well be wearing those shorts from earlier instead.
Those shorts…
I still haven’t gotten his strong legs out of my head. Or even how thick his dick was in them.
Damn it.
I don’t have to look at Amelia to know she is staring at me. I can feel her eyes on me, and when she leans back, tsking very loudly, I do my best to keep staring at the chart.
“So.”
I chance a glance, and I wasn’t wrong. Her eyes are narrowed, her brown hair falling over her shoulders as she taps a pen to the table while her eyes are locked on me. I remove the pen from my lip and lay it down. “So?”
“That was interesting.”
“What?”
“Don’t play dumb with me, Sofia Castilleja! Do you have a thing for my brother?”
“God, no—”
“Sofia! You’re turning beet red! You do!”
I groan forcefully, letting my head fall to the table in a loud thunk and causing my pen to go flying.
“Sofia! You lied to me!”
I groan more as I sit up. When I look toward her, I see her eyes are wide and she looks hurt. I hold my hands out, panic taking over. She doesn’t like to be lied to. I know this, and shit… Had I? Damn it! “No, no, no, I swear I don’t even know if I like him, like him. I’m very much attracted to him because, duh, have you seen him in running shorts? Oh my God, you don’t care about his running shorts…” She gives me a blank look, and I press my lips together. “When you asked if I was interested, I wasn’t.”
She raises a brow. “You know I think you’re full of crap, right?”
I grimace. I was hoping she wouldn’t think that. “No, because I’m not.”
She rolls her eyes. “Yes, you are. You so like him. I can see it all over your face. And for the past couple days, you’ve been a liar, liar pants on fire.”
I blink. “Sorry, did we go back to third grade?”
Amelia scoffs. “For real, this is so annoying. My brother is awesome. Like super awesome—”
I hold up my index finger. “Every time I’m around you two, you fight.”
“That’s ’cause he’s a big asshole,” she says with a nod. “But I’m also his little sister who drives him insane. Even so, he is also very thoughtful and sincere. He’d do anything for anyone. He would be a great boyfriend if he wanted to be. Though, he hasn’t been one because he’s so busy. And let’s be honest, girls are dramatic.”
I snort as I nod. “True, but it doesn’t matter. I don’t like-like him. I’m just attracted to him.”
Leaning on her hands, she narrows her eyes. “So you’re telling me you just want to do my brother?”
I almost ch
oke on my tongue. “Whoa, lady. Relax. No one said that.”
She giggles, shaking her head. “I think I agree with him. You like him.”
“I don’t even know him.”
“’Cause you won’t give him a chance.”
I have nothing to say to that. Looking down at my book, I shrug my shoulders, completely over this conversation. “Guys aren’t on my agenda, Amelia. Ryan is gorgeous and funny, I guess, and the good Lord gave him abs for days. But I don’t have time. I’m too busy, and boys just freak me out.”
I don’t look at her, but I already regret what I just said. Clearing her throat, Amelia moves her head to a position so that I can’t look anywhere but at her. I bet the coffee house is getting one hell of a show. “I’m sorry… Two things.”
“Can’t we just go back to studying?”
“Nope,” she says as she sits back, and I meet her gaze. “One, when did you see my brother’s abs?”
Kill. Me. Now. “I was running this morning, and I fell when I realized the guy I was ogling and lusting over was, in fact, your brother in short shorts. I fell to my death, and he came to rescue me.”
She’s trying not to laugh. “Of course he did. He’s amazing.”
“He has amazing abs.”
“I’ve seen better,” she says, waving me off. “So I’m guessing he was running without a shirt on and in these short shorts you’ve mentioned twice now?”
“Yes,” I mutter, and her lips tilt.
“And you never thought maybe to jump him or seduce him?”
I widen my eyes. “No!”
“Does this have to do with the boys freaking you out thing?”
I look away. “Maybe.”
Her voice drops. “Is the boys freaking you out thing the reason anytime a guy talks to you, you basically hermit up?”
I want to argue, but I know I do it. “Maybe,” I say. “But it doesn’t matter.”
But by the look in her eyes, I can see it does. “Sofia.”
I swallow hard. “Yes?”
“Have you had a boyfriend?”
I scoff. “Of course—” I pause when I realize I’m about to lie to her again. I can’t do that. It’s not how she handles friendships, and damn it, I don’t want to be that friend. Especially when I wouldn’t want her to do it to me. She’s my person. Don’t ask me how or when it happened, but it did. I love this girl, and lying hurts her. “No.”
She moves in close. “So it’s safe to say you’re a virgin?”
I bite my lip. My foot is knocking into the chair, and I don’t want to answer that. “I am.”
She nods slowly as our eyes meet. Her eyes are filled with such compassion, and I know she’d never tell my secret. “I won’t tell a soul.” She didn’t need to say it, but her words put my fears at ease and I know her promise is ironclad.
“I appreciate that.”
She leans back, crossing her legs as her toe bounces. “You never had any chance to lose it?”
“No, I was training elite. You know how it is.”
Even though she didn’t train elite, every gymnast knows what that entails. Eat, sleep, gym, repeat. No time for anything else. She nods. “Yeah.” She then taps her jaw as she looks over to me. “Ryan would be good for you.”
My face fills with terror. “Amelia, be real.”
“No, really. He isn’t looking for anything serious, and you’re looking to move out of that ‘guys freak me out stage’ into adulthood where you have sex and enjoy it.”
Fucking hell. “Please stop.”
She smiles. “I really think you should give Ryan a chance.”
“So you can get with Moon?”
“My brother won’t ever hook me up with Moon. No matter what. He’s already put me on the off-limits list. I’m fucked. Though very much not literally.”
I’m incredulous. “Seriously?”
“Yes, those guys all have that brotherhood shit. I’m basically going to have to seduce Moon and give him no option but to defy my brother.”
My eyes widen. “Do you think he will?”
She grins. “They may be small, but I have a great set of tits.”
“You’re so dirty,” I say, shaking my head. “So bold. Teach me your ways, Miyagi.”
“No way. You need a nice guy to show you how to be treated. So then, when you’re more experienced and come across a shitty guy, you’ll know you deserve better ’cause you’ll think of the first guy who took care of you. Drew was that for me, which is why we ended on good terms and still flirt endlessly. I thought you’d done all this, but since you haven’t, I unanimously elect my brother to show you how to be treated.”
I just blink at her. “Shouldn’t I want the shitty guy first to get it over with?”
“No, ’cause then you’ll think it’s okay to be fucked and left. No one wants that.”
I shrug. “I was kind of okay just hanging out with my V-card.”
“That’s dumb,” she says, shaking her head. “You’ll always be weird with guys until it’s gone. I’m not saying guys are everything, but do you really want to be, like, a forty-year-old virgin?”
“Hey, that guy did okay,” I answer, and she laughs.
“I want better for you, and I honestly think Ryan would be awesome.”
I feel wrong about this. “You know it sounds like you’re pimping your brother out. It’s sort of troublesome.”
She snorts with laughter as she leans into me. “No, that’s not what I’m doing. He’s totally into you. If anything, I’m helping him get what he wants. Also, it gives you a great guy to base every other guy off of. Let’s be honest, my brother can say he wants a relationship, but his main goal is the NHL right now.”
“Which I respect.”
“Yeah, we all do. I’m just saying, what’s wrong with getting to know him, seeing if he’s the guy for you, and then handing that card over?”
Biting my lip so hard I taste blood, I look away. I get what she’s saying, and if I’m honest with myself, I’ve wanted the same thing. I always put myself and what I want socially on the back burner. I didn’t go to school like regular kids; I was homeschooled at my gym. I didn’t go to football games or dances. I never even went to prom or homecoming. I was a gymnast twenty-four seven. The only guys I talked to were my coaches. Even when I would go to a camp with other gymnasts, they never let us be by the boys. They kept the girls in one gym and the boys in another.
Because boys are a distraction.
It was seared into my brain.
Honestly, I was told that all the time. Focus on what you want, and I wanted to get into the Olympics to bring the gold home for my mom. That’s all I ever wanted. I didn’t care about boys or anything like that. I had a goal, and even when that goal was taken away because of my stupid body, another one was born. It wasn’t to lose my virginity. No, it was to get into a great college so I could get a top-notch education and open my own gym. So I can support my mom.
That goal is still there, but even I can’t ignore that boys are everywhere at this damn college. I went from hardly seeing any of them to seeing them all the time, and boy, are they hot. Amelia is right. I hermit up whenever I’m around one, and soon people will probably start calling me a freak. However, I don’t hermit around Ryan.
But do I want that distraction?
Would he be a distraction?
I also don’t want to distract him.
Damn it, what am I even thinking right now?
“I don’t know.”
Amelia reaches out, wrapping her arms around my neck before pressing her cheek to mine. “That is totally fine. This isn’t something that can be thought through in a few moments. Take your time. But I know my brother, and I know that look in his eye. He’s gonna get you to go out with him, and when he turns on that charm, you’re a goner.”
I drop my shoulders in defeat. “I know.”
She smiles, squeezing me tight. “But he’s kind, and he isn’t a jackass like some of these other assholes. He wo
uld be good to you—the perks of having three younger girls to care for before he finally got three boy cousins to run amok with.”
“I don’t know. It’s weird… He’s your brother, and you’re my person.”
She turns my face so she can look into my eyes, her blue ones blazing as she smiles. “And you’re mine, which is something to be said for Ryan. I wouldn’t be okay, knowing your circumstances, if he was an asshole.”
I exhale. She’s right. “I don’t like you right now.”
She giggles as she sits back, wiggling in her seat. “I get that a lot. I think it’s ’cause I’m so smart and always right.”
“Sure,” I say dryly as I look back down to my book. “I’m done talking about this. Can you help me not fail this math class?”
“Sure can,” she says with a chipper grin, and as she goes back to the chart from hell, my mind is everywhere but on what she is speaking about.
I’m thinking of Ryan.
Which is oh so bad.
Isn’t it?
Chapter Fifteen
Sofia
It’s easy to say I didn’t get much sleep last night. I tossed and turned, thinking of everything Amelia said. I’ve considered that maybe I don’t care about the V-card, but then I know I do. If I’m honest with myself, I’ve struggled with it. I even considered taking care of it with one of my cousins’ friends before I came to Bellevue, but my mom had an episode, and I used that as an excuse since I didn’t know the guy. I know, pathetic, but I was scared. The thing is, I honestly don’t think about it often. But when I do, it bothers me. It makes me feel like I’m some sort of freak. Even the other girls in my gym had lost theirs before our senior year—not that I ever admitted I hadn’t. It wasn’t their business. Plus, while they were out handing their card to some dude, I was getting a full-ride scholarship with perks.
I should be proud of that.
And really, I don’t care what people think, because I made the choice. It’s my body, I do what I want with it, and no one can make me feel bad about it. Problem is, I guess I’m sorta making myself feel bad. Or I did. Shit, I don’t know. But man, I love Amelia. She talked to me in a way no one ever has. My mom has too much to worry about, and I wouldn’t dream of bringing this up to her. And while it all is a mystery to me, Amelia never once made me feel bad for it. She advised me, and I appreciate that. Only now, it seems it’s all I can think about.