Page 56 of Trick Play
“Yes, brother dear,” I say in my most saccharine voice.
He rolls his eyes.
“Kids,” Mom puts in, a clear warning in her voice.
But Gray ignores her, the asshole. “Which friend were you with last night?” He places a bite of turkey in his mouth, looking at me expectantly as he chews.
“I told you already,” I say, trying to give my words just enough of an edge to get him to shut up without tipping off Mom and Dad that something’s up that they should be more interested in. “One of my friends is staying with her brother for the break, and we hung out for a while.”
Gray’s brows draw together like he’s pondering my response. “What’s her name again?”
“Ellie,” I answer, my voice clipped. I glare at him, trying to force him to drop this conversation with the power of my mind.
Mom and Dad look back and forth between us, their brows wrinkled in identical expressions of confusion. “Piper texted us last night that she’d be out late with her friend,” Mom says.
“It’s just interesting,” Gray says, his attention seemingly focused on the food he’s scooping onto his fork. “Because Ellie and her boyfriend stayed at Trey and Brandy’s house for at least an hour after you disappeared.” He glares at me. “I also noticed that yourfriend’sbrother left at about the same time as you. Do you know anything about that?”
The question is asked with such faux innocence, such malicious planning, that all I can do is gawp at him, my mouth opening and closing.
How could Gray do this to me? Didn’t he come here to help shield me from Mom and Dad’s over-attentiveness in the wake of what happened at SCU? Why would he throw me under the bus like this?
“Piper?” Dad asks. “What is he talking about? If you weren’t with your friend, where were you?”
I swing my attention to Dad, glancing between him and Mom as I scramble for an answer.
But before I can say anything, Gray answers for me, driving the nails deep into the coffin of what freedom I’ve managed to hang onto. “She was with Cal, the second-string quarterback who’s had it out for me since I showed up at the first team meeting back in August. He hates me. And he’ll do anything to take my place as the starter. Including, it seems, screwing my sister to get into my head.” He pulls his napkin out of his lap and wipes his mouth before standing. “I just thought it would be good if everyone knew the truth.” He skewers me with a significant look before leaving the room.
I stare after him, moving to stand, but Dad’s flinty voice stops me. “Sit down, Piper. You have some explaining to do.”
Turning back to face my parents, I notice that the color has drained out of Mom’s face, and she’s holding one hand over her mouth, pressing it to her lips like she’s trying to stop herself from releasing a flood of words she won’t be able to take back.
But I stand anyway. “I’m not sure what else there is to explain,” I say, my voice unfortunately hoarse, not steady and firm like I want it to be. “I thought the point of me living on campus was so I could have as normal of a college experience as possible. That includes dating, right?”
“Piper,” Mom says around her fingers. “Yes, but—”
“But nothing,” I interrupt, much to my father’s displeasure if the flash of irritation in his gaze is anything to go by. “Either I get to have a normal college experience, or I’m your prisoner, disallowed from having a social life. Which is it?”
We stare at each other in stony silence for a moment. “Well,” Dad says at last, “it seems the latter, since you can’t seem to make good choices.”
But before he can finish whatever else he was going to say, I’m leaving the room, unwilling to listen to him. I’m twenty years old. I won’t be held prisoner by my parents.
Taking the stairs two at a time, I head straight for Gray’s room, banging on his door once before shoving it open. “What is your fucking problem?”
“What’smyfucking problem?” he spits, anger making him swell to his full height like he’s trying to intimidate me. Ha. I know too much about him to find that intimidating. Plus, I know Gray would never hurt me. Not physically, anyway.
He steps closer, but I hold my ground, uncowed. “My fucking problem is you hellbent on self destruction.”
That has me faltering slightly. “I’m not—”
He cuts me off with a sharp chop of his hand. “Cut the bullshit, Piper. I’m trying tosaveyou. You won’t listen to me, so maybe you’ll listen to Mom and Dad.” He points at me with one shaking finger. “You forced my hand. I told you to stay away from him weeks ago. And then you show up atmyteammates’ house atmyinvitation so you can spend all afternoon with him hanging off you and eye fucking you only for you to leave with him as soon as possible without offending Trey and Brandy. And you have the audacity to ask whatmyproblem is?” He pounds his chest for emphasis. “What’syourfucking problem?”
I step back, blinking in surprise at his vehemence, his anger. “What? That’s not …” I shake my head, searching for the right words. “He’s not whatever you’ve decided,” I say quietly. “He likes me, Gray. And I like him. Besides, it’s not like we’re running off to get married or something. We’re barely even dating. We’re just … enjoying each other’s company.”
He scoffs, loud and angry. “Enjoying each other’s company.”He makes air quotes with his fingers, mocking my choice of words. “Is that what we’re calling it now?”
Lifting my chin, I cross my arms. “We’re fucking. Is that what you want me to tell you? He comes to my dorm, or I go to his place, and we fuck. A lot. And it’s fan-fucking-tastic. The best I’ve ever had.”
Another scoff. “Like you’ve been withsomany guys.”
