We’re supposed to be going out for pizza and talking final plans for her birthday, but I’m annoyed now, and my head is pounding. “I’m bailing, I have to wait for my mom. Call me if you need me, though.”

“Are you sure?” Macy asks. “We can wait or you can meet us later?”

“I’ll only be a buzz kill, and who knows what kind of mood she’ll be in.”

“How you gonna get home?” Carley asks.

“She can drop me on her way out. You guys go, I’m fine.”

They nod, move in for a hug and then they’re gone.

A half hour later, when the parking lot is near empty other than the cars of the senior players, the clean-up crew, and traveling team’s bus, my mom sends another text.

Mom: found the cash in your drawer, so I won’t be stopping by. Be safe, have fun.

“Ugh.” I roll my eyes at my screen, shoving it in my pocket as I kick off the fence.

Love you, too.

“I make you that sick, Little D?”

My head snaps left to find Nico walking out from the other side of the building, his football bag hanging from one hand, protein shake in the other.

“Parents.” A tight laugh leaves me, and I glance away with a frown. “They’re... annoying.”

“I heard that,” he says, and my stare moves back to his. “Where’re your friends?”

“Gone. Where are yours?” I sass back, glancing behind him, but nobody follows.

“Getting chewed out by Coach.”

“Yet here you stand.”

“I don’t make mistakes,” he says straight faced, giving a simple shrug.

“Right.” I nod and keep past him. “Well, see you tomorrow.” I guess.

“There’re no cars in the parking lot the way you’re walking, Davenport,” he calls out after a few seconds.

I spin around as he steps closer to his truck.

“Because I’m doing just that, Sykes. Walking.”

He tosses his bag in the back, leaning his forearms on the bed. “I’m taking you home.”

“Thanks, but I’m okay.”

“I didn’t ask you.”

My head tugs back. “Excuse me?”

He ignores me, walks around his truck and pulls the passenger door open, his eyes cutting back to me. He lifts his chin expectantly.

This guy.

“I said I was fine.”

“And I said I wasn’t asking,” he snaps back, stern-faced. “You’re not walking home alone in the fuckin’ dark.”

“I’ll survive.”

“You’ll get in.”

When I don’t move but cross my arms, his eyes narrow farther, his words as sharp as his gaze.

“I’m going the same way. I live right fuckin’ behind you.” He’s annoyed. “We don’t even have to talk. In fact, I hate talkin’ after a game.”

“As opposed to what, your usually chatty self?” I joke.

He blinks. “Game’s over, your friends are gone. Let’s go.”

That’s right, the game just ended...

“You know what,” I think out loud. “I’ll wait for Trent, have him drive me.”

Nico frowns. “Trent got a ride with someone else.”

He moves his hand to the rim of the door, eyes on me as a cloud of warning settles over him.

He won’t ‘allow’ me to walk.

With an annoyed growl, I cave.

It’s not like I wanted to walk home, I’d have brought my own car had I known the night would end like this. Still, riding with Nico isn’t the ideal way home.

He makes me anxious... or something.

I walk over, slide into the seat and glare up at him when he blocks me from reaching for the handle to yank it shut. “Happy?”

“Why would this make me happy?”

“Because you win.”

He lowers, bringing his face even with mine, and I pull in a lungful of air.

“I always do.” His voice is a sultry whisper. “Might wanna get used to that, D.”

He slams the door.

Cocky bastard.

I begin buckling as he steps around to climb into the driver’s seat.

Right as Nico shifts the truck into drive, the rest of the team spills around the corner, but we’re out of the parking lot before they reach the curb.

My phone rings a minute later.

Great. My mom decides to come now?

I don’t look but answer as I bring it to my ear.

“Yes,” I drag out, aggravated.

“Demi?”

I pull it from my ear, glancing at the screen and my eyes widen.

Oh shit.

“Hey,” I say, internally cringing as I clear my throat.

Nico’s frown slides my way, but I pretend I don’t notice.

“It’s Alex.”

A light laugh leaves me. “Yeah, I realize that now. Sorry, I thought my mom was bugging me again.”

He’s quiet a few seconds before he asks, “Are you still at the school?”

I turn away from Nico. “No, I just left.”

“Oh.”

Oh?

“I didn’t see your car,” he says.

“Yeah, I got a ride home.”

“Huh.” He pauses. “I was thinking, maybe I could stop by a minute, you know, if you’re going home right away...”

I squish my lips to the side to fight a smile. “I am. I was supposed to hang at Krista’s awhile, but I decided not to.”

“Cool.” Alex is quiet a moment. “Text me when you’re there?”

“I will,” I tell him, nodding even though he can’t see me, and hang up.

“Who was that?”

Nico fires off, maybe even before the call is ended, and my head snaps toward him.

I scowl. “Thought you didn’t like to talk after a game, or you know, ever as far as I’m concerned?”

A bored glance is his response.

Now that I’m closer to him, and there’s a little light in here from his dash, a small bruise beneath his right eye reveals itself.

That wasn’t there in class today...

I don’t know why, but after an uncomfortable minute of silence and convincing myself not to ask him about his battle wound, I decide to answer his question.

“It was Alex.”

“I told you he was talkin’ to someone else.”

Another instant response...

His grip on the steering wheel tightens.

I glance from his hands to his face. “You mean the same person you’re more than talking to?”

“I’m not.”

His eyes, dark and full of something indefinable, meet mine for a short pause before he focuses his frown on the road.

Nico licks his lips but doesn’t say another word, and low in my gut, there’s a sudden pull.

A minute or two later, he’s parking in front of my house, not bothering to look over or acknowledge my thanks as I step out.

He does wait until I’m in the door to drive away, though, which was more than I expected.

As soon as I’m locked inside, I quickly send a text to Alex letting him know I’m home.

I find my way to my bed and lie there wondering why Nico decided to share he was no longer sleeping with Sandra and accidentally fall asleep.