I shoved him away. “You heard me.”
“Wait, wait, wait. You’re still hung up on your childhood crush?” Tristan was definitely laughing at me. Couldn’t say I blamed the guy, I’d be laughing at me, too. Still, I kept my gaze locked on Hannah, who looked way too pretty in the glow of the firelight. She’d changed into a different T-shirt and a faded, ripped pair of jeans, along with some Converse sneakers. There was nothing revealing about it, nothing chic or sexy…but that made it all the better. She was so very her. So comfortable in her own skin.
She’d always been like that, even as a kid. She did her own thing, heedless of the fact that it set her apart. She just was who she was and it was…
Hot.
Sexy.
Oh crap, Tristan was right. I was totally still hung up on my childhood crush.
I hadn’t even realized I’d groaned out loud until Tristan clapped a hand on my shoulder. “Relax, dude. It could be worse.”
I shot him a sidelong glare. “Really? How?”
Tristan gave me a wicked grin. “She could be unavailable.”
I stared at him for a second as his words registered and caused a visceral reaction. My heart seemed to think we’d just run a race, and a knot started to wind and unwind in my gut. Worst of all, there was this weird sensation somewhere in my ribcage. Something foreign and terrifying and…
Hope.
It was hope.
“Nope, no way.” I shut down that sensation before it could take hold. “I can’t go there.”
“Why not?” Tristan said. “Does she have a boyfriend?”
The thought of Caleb…of Caleb with her…I found myself sneering at my best friend. He held his hands up palms out. “Whoa, is that a yes?”
I drew in a deep breath, trying and failing to keep my eyes off the girl in question. “That’s a no…not anymore.”
They’d broken up, and I wished that fact wasn’t such a crazy relief. When she’d said it earlier, I’d thought…well, no I hadn’t thought. I’d felt. I’d felt like a decade’s worth of tension had seeped out of me so quickly it had been hard to remain upright.
She wasn’t his. Which meant…
Nothing.
It meant nothing.
“So what’s the holdup?” Tristan said.
It was as much for my own benefit that I listed the reasons. “The holdup is, she’s on the team.” Everyone knew I didn’t date team members. Tristan looked unimpressed. “Plus, she’s just out of a long-term relationship—”
“She’s going to be a junior in high school,” Tristan said. “How ‘long-term’ could it be?”
“You’d be surprised.” I started ticking off points on my fingers. “Plus, she’s from Lakeview, so we both know it would never work.”
Tristan didn’t bother to argue that point. Much as Hannah had a sweet naiveté about the whole situation, those of us who’d grown up in the shadow of the rich and spoiled knew better than to think we could all just get along. I lived less than ten miles from her but it might as well have been a different planet. Her parents would never approve, which brought me to my next point.
“Then there’s my dad,” I said.
Nothing more needed to be said. My dad was a prick and just waiting for me to mess up in some way. A girl? A girl from the other side of town, no less? He’d be all over that, just waiting to tell me how I wasn’t good enough for a girl like her.
And maybe he’d be right.
I shoved the thought aside. I’d learned years ago not to let my dad’s view of me shape how I saw myself. If I did, I might really believe I was the screw-up of the family.
But did a screw-up work his butt off every day to train and be the best?
No. My dad just didn’t understand that there were other ways to succeed than through the military.
“Besides,” I said, settling back into my seat. “I don’t think she sees me that way.”
As if on cue, she looked over at me. She couldn’t have heard me, I was too far away and the music was too loud. But when her eyes met mine, she gave me this smile that was so…sweet. Not flirtatious or anything, but kind of…shy.
I stared at her in shock because I’d never seen that smile before, and I’d been watching her all night.
Like a creepy stalker, as Tristan so nicely pointed out.
I’d watched her laugh and talk and…and I’d never once seen her smile like that. Like she was vulnerable and shy and hopeful…like she was connected to me, even from far way. She smiled like maybe she was thinking about me the way that I was thinking about her.
My breath caught in my lungs, and it felt for all the world like I’d been sucker-punched. All I could do was stare back at her…like a creeper.
A second later she dipped her head and dropped her gaze, her attention reverting back to the group of girls she’d been talking to.
The moment was over, but I knew I hadn’t made it up. Something had happened.
And there it was again—that weird sensation that made my gut churn.
Hope.
Tristan gave an exaggerated sigh beside me. “Dude, you’re pathetic.”
I tore my eyes away to fix him with a glare that would have sent any of my teammates running. Tristan just grinned back at me.
He was loving this.
Well, two could play this game. “How’s Allison doing?”
His smug smile fell, and he looked away uneasily as he wiped his palms on his jeans. “Fine, I guess. Why?”
Now it was my turn to smirk. “You plan on asking her out anytime soon or are you just too chicken?”
He narrowed his eyes as he glared. “I’m going to ask her out—”
“Uh huh.”
“I’m just waiting for school to start up.”
“I see.”
He shifted in his seat. “I’ll ask her to the football game.”
“Okay.”
“She likes football.”
“Mmhmm.”
His tone was defensive while mine oozed disbelief.
Tristan muttered a curse under his breath before turning to me with arched brows. “Fine, maybe I’ve wussed out a couple times. But at least I don’t make up excuses to put off asking out a girl I’ve liked since middle school.”
I opened my mouth to protest and shut it just as quickly. It was possible he had a point.
Tristan seemed to get that he’d made his point because he reached over and patted my shoulder. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go hang out with someone who’s not creepily watching a girl from the shadows.”
I let out a snort of amused exasperation. I wasn’t being that bad. I looked around and realized I’d been sitting by myself staring at Hannah for way too long.
Yeah, okay. Maybe I was that bad.
I got to my feet and headed over toward her before I could talk myself out of it. I mean, it wasn’t like I was going to ask her out or anything, I just wanted to talk to her and maybe…
Kiss her.
Nope. No. I tried to shove that thought right out of my mind, but it was impossible not to think about kissing her when she smiled at me all warm and welcoming as I moved to join her and the other girls.
“Having fun?” I said.
Her smile grew as she nodded. “I am. You’ve got a great group on your team.”
I dipped my chin in acknowledgement. “Yeah, it’s a good group. They’re excited you came to join the dark side.”
She widened her eyes. “Wait, you guys are the dark side? I’m afraid I didn’t agree to play for any Sith lords, so if you’ll excuse me…” She started to hand me her soda like she was about to jet, and I found myself laughing at her geeky Star Wars reference.
“You are such a dork.”
She laughed at the insult. “Guilty.” She jabbed a finger into my chest. “But you started it.”
I tried not to overreact to the feel of her. Seriously, one little touch of her finger, and all I could think about was how it had felt to have her pressed against me on my bike. How g
ood she’d felt with her arms wrapped tight, and…
There I went again. Totally overreacting.
I cleared my throat. “All I meant by the dark side was—”
“Yeah, yeah,” she said with a wave of her hand. “You guys are our rivals, you live on the bad side of town, your Caleb’s arch nemesis…blah blah blah.” She arched her brows, all innocence. “Did I leave anything out?”
I couldn’t fight the smile as I shook my head. Leave it to this girl to just throw it out there that this was the bad side of town—no sign of judgment in her tone, just honesty.
The girl was so alarmingly, awesomely honest.
“So you’re cool with all that?” I asked. “Playing for the enemy?”
Sadness flickered in those big brown eyes of her, and I wanted to hurt whatever—or whoever—made her feel any pain. She sighed even as she gave me a small smile. “You know, I’m not really sure who the enemy is these days.”
“Well, it’s not me.” It just sort of came out because it seemed like she needed to hear it, and it earned me a huge, beaming grin that made me feel like the king of the world. My chest puffed out like I was a freakin’ peacock.
It was definite. I had no control around this girl.
Which is why she’s trouble.
Even knowing that, I couldn’t bring myself to walk away, not when her skin seemed to glow in the flickering firelight, and her eyes danced with happiness.
I did that.
I wasn’t sure I’d ever felt cockier in my life than I did knowing that I’d been the one to drive away her sadness and make her smile. “Honestly, I can’t believe Caleb let you go.”
Once again…the words just came out.
She laughed and tilted her chin up. “Yeah, well, his loss is your team’s gain, right?”
That wasn’t entirely what I’d meant, but I was glad she hadn’t read more into it. I couldn’t believe Caleb had let her go, from his team…or as his girlfriend. The thought was shocking. Unless… “Wait, did you break up with him or did he break up with you?”
She pursed her lips, her brows drawn together in annoyance. “That’s a bit personal, don’t you think?”
I didn’t answer. I supposed that was my answer right there, but after a heartbeat she sighed. “Fine. He dumped me. And then he kicked me off the team. Happy now?”
Not really, actually. I would have preferred that she’d been the one to wake up and realize she was dating a stuck-up elitest jerk.
But she wasn’t anymore.
“I’m sorry,” I said softly. And I was—I mean, not that she was single or that she was no longer Caleb’s. But I was sorry she was hurting.
She shrugged. “It sucks.”
Simple. Honest. Straightforward. Exactly what I’d expect from this girl.
“I can’t believe he’d kick you off the team.” I shook my head. “I thought Caleb loved soccer more than anything, and you were an anchor on that team.”
One side of her mouth hitched up in rueful amusement. “Yeah, well…I thought he loved me and soccer more than anything, but apparently neither of us holds a candle to her.”
I winced. “Her?”
She just heaved a sigh. A huge part of me wanted to drive straight over to Caleb’s house and beat the crap out of him.
Another part of me wanted to shake his hand and thank him for being such a complete and utter dope.
“It’s partly my fault, I guess,” she said, her tone thoughtful.
I arched my brows. “How so?”
She scuffed a toe of her sneakers in the dirt at our feet. “I should have listened to Jordan.” She sounded like she was talking to herself and her focus was on her feet until I took a step closer until I was so close I could reach out and touch her.
“Who’s Jordan?”
Her head shot up. I tried not to be offended that she seemingly had forgotten I was standing right there. “Oh, she’s one of my sporty-spice friends from summer camp.”
“You go to summer camp?”
She shifted. “I have.”
“Fine,” I said, trying not to laugh at the image of a young Hannah playing capture the flag. “So what did this wise friend Jordan tell you?”
Hannah looked right at me. “That I should never date a teammate.”
Ouch. Yeah, that was a direct hit.
Not that I thought she was trying to tell me anything, but because what she said…it was the truth. Dating a teammate only ever led to trouble.
Trouble I couldn’t afford.
Hannah sighed and muttered under her breath again, “That’s a mistake I won’t be making again.”
Irrational anger had me clenching my jaw so I wouldn’t say something I didn’t mean. Thanks to Caleb, this girl wouldn’t even look in my direction. I didn’t stand a chance.
Good. I shouldn’t even be thinking about dating this girl, let alone be bummed to discover she wasn’t available.
The voice of reason tried to be heard over an age-old jealousy and the feeling that once again I’d been cheated out of having what I wanted.
She lifted her head to give me another rueful smile. “Maybe he was right that it would have been awkward…” She trailed off with a shrug. “I don’t know.”
“Why are you letting him off the hook?” I didn’t mean to sound so annoyed, but I hated the fact that she was chastising herself and not raging with fury over Caleb.
She blinked in surprise at my tone. “I’m not letting him off the hook, I’m just saying he might have had a point.”
I looked away, trying to get my anger and jealousy under control. Caleb had dumped her and taken her team away from her and yet here she was, still trying to defend him.
Her phone lit up and she read a text message.
“Is that him?”
She looked up at me. “What? No. That’s my friend Rose. She’s coming to pick me up.”
“You’re leaving already?”
She smiled. “I’ve already been here for hours,” she said. “My mom will worry if I’m not home soon.”
“I could give you a ride back.” Man, I hated how I sounded—angry and needy all at once. I hated this feeling…this feeling like I was so close but watching her slip through my fingers.
This feeling like I was being rejected.
“Thanks, but Rose is on her way.” She gave me a small teasing smile. “Besides, I’d rather not show up on the back of your bike. That would only cause trouble.”
Jealousy came swift and fierce. “You mean you don’t want Caleb to see you with me.”
She still wanted him.
She blinked. “Actually, I meant my parents, but yeah…Caleb, too. I’d rather tell him in person that I’m joining your team rather than have him find out because he sees us hanging out together.”
“He doesn’t deserve that kind of consideration,” I said. “Not after he kicked you off the team.”
“Maybe not,” she said with an easy shrug that seemed to make light of the whole situation. “But that’s how I want to handle it. I don’t want to do to him what he did to me…even if he might deserve it.”
I clamped my mouth shut, not trusting myself to speak. She was too good for him…always had been.
“Anyway,” she said, her voice getting lighter. “I’m glad I still get to play this season. So…thanks.”
I didn’t want her gratitude.
I definitely didn’t want to be her consolation prize.
“I can’t imagine it’ll last, though.” My tone was caustic, but I couldn’t stop myself.
Her eyes widened as she studied my face. “What do you mean?”
I arched a brow, feigning calm when my insides were threatening to boil with rage. “I mean, I can’t imagine Caleb will let you play for his enemy.”
She blinked rapidly, her lips parting. “He’s not letting me do anything,” she said, annoyance creeping into her voice as she crossed her arms. “He doesn’t have a say over who I hang out with or what team I play for.”
“Not anymore,” I finished as if it was a given.
Even in the firelight I could see her cheeks turning pink with anger. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
I moved in closer, anger and frustration and jealousy over the unfairness of it all making reason impossible. “It means he kept you on a tight leash when you were together. And from the sounds of it he still has you under his thumb.”
She backed away from me, stumbling a bit as her brows drew down. “That’s a horrible thing to say.”
Guilt speared through me, but I shoved it aside with a shrug because yet again she was sticking up for him and I clung to that anger. “But true. He obviously took you for granted.”
She shook her head. “You don’t know the first thing about me, or him, or our relationship.”
I threw my hands out to the sides as I took a step back as well. “I just call it as I see it, Hannah.”
She opened her mouth and it looked like she might protest, but whatever she was going to say was cut off by the sound of a car honking behind her. She turned around and then whipped back. “That’s my ride,” she said, her voice cool and her expression one I recognized from the field. Unflappable. Unreadable. “I’ll see you at practice, Owens.”
“Don’t be late, Crowley.”
Chapter Nine
Hannah
“Don’t be late, Crowley.” I muttered it under my breath as I shoved some books into my locker.
Several practices had passed since that team gathering, but I was no closer to forgetting about River’s nasty words that night. We’d all but ignored each other at practice, our interactions limited solely to the business of soccer. Which was a good thing because I was still stewing over his hurtful words. He’d made it sound like I was some spineless, sniveling little girl who took orders from Caleb. It wouldn’t have been so bad if up until that moment he’d shown any sign of being a jerk. But no, he’d been all sweet and nice and supportive one minute and then—Bam! Jerkface here, at your service.
I adopted the most annoying voice I could as I repeated his words again. “Don’t be late, Crowley.”
As if I’d ever been late to practice. I slammed the locker shut in aggravation.
“Who are you talking to?” Rose asked.
Playing the Enemy: The Trouble With Tomboys #1 Page 7