Page 72 of Trick Play
I shut down all my feelings, though, pasting on my cockiest smirk. Let him suffer. I might not know the details, but he’s the reason she showed up at my door in tears. Her parents played a role too, I know, but she’s at least talked to her mom once or twice since then. As far as I know, she’s still refusing to talk to her brother.
Which makes me think that he’s the instigator between them.
“And why am I sniffing around after her?” I ask, making sure my voice is loud enough that everyone listening can hear. He wants to turn this into a show? Then let’s make it a full-on production. I had friends in high school who were in theatre. I learned a few things from them about staging a show, and this whole thing feels entirely planned. His goal is to make me look like the bad guy here, but he’s the clear aggressor.
“You fucking piece of shit,” he spits. “Everyone knows you don’t poach your teammates’ girlfriends, and little sisters are always off limits.”
I make a show of glancing around and finding Simon. “Does everyone know that? Really?” Gesturing at Simon, who grimaces at me—sorry, dude, you brought this on yourself, though—I continue. “Simon, who’s both my best friend and my roommate, beyond being my teammate, is currently in a relationship with my little sister. Simon, have we fought over that?”
“Hold up, hold up.” Trey reaches Kilpatrick and pulls him back. As our starting center, Trey’s got a lot more mass on him, rivaling Simon for size, though I’d put my money on Simon for grappling ability. Either way, these guys have literally covered my ass in the pocket more often than they’ve done Kilpatrick’s, even if he is the starter this year.
“Gray,” Trey says, his hands on Kilpatrick’s shoulders, forcing him to look at him. “Leave it, man. You get in a fight, Coach will have your ass on a platter. You want to play out the rest of the postseason?”
Jaw obviously grinding, Kilpatrick jerks a nod.
“Great.” Trey pounds his shoulders and gives him a gentle shove out of the way, where he turns to face me, hands on his hips. “And Cal. You’ve spent over half the season being a little bitch.” He holds up one hand as though to forestall a protest I’m not making. “Don’t try to deny it. We all know it’s true.” He gestures around the room and the circle of guys still watching. Pointing a finger at me, he levels me with a glare. “Did you or did you not start checking out Gray’s little sister onlyafteryou found out he was related to her. And before you lie,” he says when I open my mouth to respond, “remember that I’m well aware she was at football parties and various practices all semester, and you didn’treallyget interested in her until after you knew exactly who she was and you’d found out about Simon and your sister, which we all know you weren’t exactly thrilled about.”
I grunt in response, which he takes as agreement.
“Fine. I rest my case. Maybe don’t do that shit, yeah?”
Grinding my teeth, part of me is tempted to just leave it, because I don’t think anyone would believe me, but the part of me that can’t stand unfairness in any capacity won’t let me stay silent. “It’s not like that, man. Not anymore,” I say quietly. I don’t care about the rest of the team, but Trey and I have been friends as long as Simon and me. We maybe haven’t been as close, but I care about his opinion of me.
He stands, hands on his hips again, his eyebrows raised, inviting me to elaborate.
Sighing, I drop my arms. “Fuck, man. She’s …” I shake my head. “She’s it. Y’know? It’s … serious. It’s not about her brother, even if maybe I started showing obvious interest in her in an attempt to piss him off. If I were still doing that, don’t you think I’d rub it in his face right now? Especially with him coming at me about something unrelated?”
Trey grows thoughtful, rubbing a hand over his chin and nodding. “Yeah, okay. If your goal was to fuck with Kilpatrick, you’d definitely be the one to bring it up. And probably before now.”
“Exactly.” I’m not entirely comfortable with that assessment of my character, but if it means Trey believes me, then I’ll let it go.
Decision made, he purses his lips and nods again, this time more firmly. “Alright, assholes, let’s move along. Show’s over.” He claps his hands together, drawing the attention of the guys still left. Probably half the team has cleared out, including Kilpatrick. Shit. So he didn’t hear any of that exchange. Though I’m not really sure it would make much difference. He’s decided I’m the bad guy, that I’m the reason his sister won’t talk to him.
Simon’s in the hall herding people along, reassuring them that he and I are fine, that while I wasn’t thrilled about him and Ellie getting together, it had more to do with the fact that they lied to me than anything. Which is a generous interpretation of events, but I appreciate him covering for me.
Trey claps a hand on my shoulder. “Dude. Number one, bad form. I get where you’re coming from but, duuuude. That’s fucked up.” When I open my mouth to protest, he holds up a finger. “But. I’m happy for you, man. If you and Piper are really a thing, then you’re absolutely right that your relationship is worth fighting for, even over the objections of her brother, who’s mostly against the idea because you and he don’t get along.” He leans in close like he’s about to tell me a secret. “Maybe try not being such a dick to him. If you’re serious about his sister, you’re gonna have to try to get along with him. Those two are pretty close.”
Swallowing down my objections and corrections, I nod. “Thanks, man. I hear you.”
He pats my shoulder before letting go. “I’ll see if I can talk Gray around for you. At least get him to give you a chance.” He points at me as he walks backward out of the room, leaving me on my own. “You’re lucky we’re friends, man. Otherwise I would’ve let him kick your ass.”
Laughing, I shake my head. “No you wouldn’t have. Not with a game coming up.”
He shrugs. “Sure. Maybe not today. But after the season?” He holds up a fist. “All bets would’ve been off. You treat that girl right, or we still might have to do that, you got me?”
I laugh again, but this time it’s more forced. “I got you.”
I guess it’s good to know that Piper has more people looking out for her than just me. Even if Trey is threatening to help her brother kick my ass.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Piper
Dani pokes her head through my bedroom door after knocking quietly on the doorframe. “Um, Piper?” she says tentatively.
Which is weird. Dani’s never tentative. Pushing away my laptop, I rub my eyes and sit up straight. “What’s up?”
She steps into the room, tapping her phone into the palm of her other hand. “Um, so, I was texting with Eli.”
