Page 55 of Trick Play
Stopping in my tracks, I look him over. “Hey, Gray,” I whisper, trying to keep my tone light. “What are you still doing up?”
He scoffs. “What do you think I’m doing? I’m waiting up for you.”
I skirt around him to my bedroom door, unsurprised when he follows me. “Okay. But why?”
I set my phone and keys on the corner of my dresser, opening a drawer and pulling out clean PJs.
Gray waits until I’ve placed the clothes on my bed before answering my question with one of his own. “Where were you?”
“At a friend’s house,” I answer, sitting on my bed as well, because apparently I won’t be changing right away. Fine by me. My shirt still carries the lingering scent of Cal, and I’m okay with not taking it off immediately. Though I think I’d prefer to watch a few episodes ofDerry Girlsbefore going to bed over having a stilted confrontation with my brother.
His jaw ticks again, his lips pressed in a flat line. “A friend’s house,” he repeats.
I nod slowly. “Yes, Gray. A friend’s house. You know—friends? Those other people who aren’t related to you that you enjoy spending time with?”
“Which friend?” he demands.
And I’m officially done with this interrogation. Rolling my eyes, I stand. “None of your business, Gray. Don’t you have practice tomorrow? Or a morning workout? Shouldn’t you be in bed?” I poke him in the side until he starts budging toward my open door.
But he stops in the doorway, glaring down at me. “You were withhim, weren’t you?”
I raise an eyebrow. “You’re going to have to be more specific.”
His eyes go wide in shock. “Is there more than one? Seriously?”
Rolling my eyes again, I huff. “Gray. Are you asking if I was having a threesome? And do you really want the answer to that question?”
He makes a choking sound, glancing all around like he’s trying to figure out which way is up and which way is down. Then he shakes his head, planting his hands on his hips in a fair imitation of Dad when he’s in full lecture mode. “Piper, he’s not a good guy.”
“Says you.”
“Yes.” He nods. “Says me. I’ve spent a lot of time with him. And if he’s sharing you around—”
I hold up my hand and cut him off. “Nope. Stop. Right there. Number one, I’m not anyone’s property to be shared. I’m not a cake. IfIchoose to sleep with more than one person at a time, that’s one hundred percent my business. I didn’t realize you were such a prude. And number two, given that I’m not anyone’s property, that means you don’t actually get a say in who I do or do not spend time with, including your teammates that you don’t get along with particularly well. Good night, Gray. Get some rest. You’re clearly overtired if you think that waiting up for me to lecture me is going to get you anything positive.”
He takes a step back in response to me grabbing the door and starting to close it on him, but stops it with a hand, and unfortunately he’s big and solid enough that I can’t outmuscle him. “Did it ever occur to you that he might be using you?”
Giving up on using the door to shove him out, I rub my forehead with a sigh. “Using me for what? Sex? That’s kind of mutual.”
Gray makes another choking sound that makes me smile, but I hide it behind my hand, straightening my face before meeting his eyes. “No,” he finally says. “Using you to get at me.”
I roll my eyes. It’s an involuntary reaction to the ridiculous arrogance of that assertion. “Right. That’s right, Gray. It must be about you. Because a hot guy couldn’t possibly be interested in me on my own. Sure, I’ll text him right now and call everything off.”
“Really?”
I could seriously slap that hopeful look off his face. I content myself with throwing my hands in the air and scoffing. “No, Gray. I’m not going to break up with a guy I’m not even really dating just because you think he could only be interested in me to get at you.Good night, Gray.”
“This isn’t over, Piper,” he says as he steps into the hallway, letting me close the door behind him at last.
“Fantastic,” I mutter, frustrated that my dumbass brother has ruined a perfectly good afterglow. Sighing, I flop down on the bed. If this is the way my brother reacts to me hanging out with a guy, I’m glad I’ve kept it from my parents. I can’t even imagine how bad their reaction would be.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Piper
I get to find out their reaction the very next day, when my brother decides to spill all my beans at our family Thanksgiving dinner.
“So, Piper,” he says, and I know from his tone of voice that this isn’t going to be good.
