I roll my eyes and he lifts his palms.

“So... he wasn’t hurt by it, like at all?”

He studies me, inquisition in his eyes.

“Are you falling for him?” His tone’s suspiciously full of surprise.

My muscles grow tight. “We’re... dating, Trent.”

He’s quick to shake it off. “No, yeah. I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m sorry.”

I eye him and after a bit, Trent licks his lips, looking at Nico a long moment.

He hangs his head, a deep exhale leaving him as his attention slides back to me. “It hurt him, Dem, yeah, but not in the way you’re thinking. It’s more complicated than you realize, it was a low ass blow from Josie. Don’t ask me anything else, all right? Please.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s not my place, and when you look at me like this, all genuine and with honest curiosity and concern, it’s real fucking hard to deny you.” His eyes widen. “Always has been.”

A light laugh leaves me, and I drop my stare to my cup. “You know, I always thought you were a bit of a blabbermouth, like your girlfriend.”

He laughs goodheartedly.

“But now I know you’re not.”

He winks, then walks away, a tray of Styrofoam cups full of margaritas to be handed out in his hands.

My focus shifts toward the living room where Nico sits on the couch across from Carley, but something keeps me locked in my chair a few moments longer.

I didn’t get to see Demi at school today because she was gone on a field trip for some leadership bull. I texted her twice but when all I got was one-word answers, I turned my phone off and did my best to forget the fact she was on a two-hour bus ride, where she should have had plenty of time to talk. The same bus dickhead Hammons was on.

Now, though, I’m annoyed as fuck, doesn’t help she stayed locked in her room all weekend. I know because her light stayed on around the clock.

We’re chillin’ at Thompson’s and Demi’s been nothing but quiet all fucking night. At least, where I’m concerned.

She seems to be in there chatting with everyone else just fuckin’ fine.

“What are you pissy about?”

Carley calls me out, and my eyes snap to hers.

“What are you talkin’ about?”

“The I might murder you in your sleep look on your face.” She folds her feet in the chair.

With a frown, I unscrew the cap to my Mountain Dew. “Nah, I’m just chillin’.”

“Liar.”

The bottle pauses at my lips, my eyes moving to hers. Slowly, I take a drink and then shift toward her. “What makes you say that?”

“You’re making faces at her like you’re angry, but your jerky movements are a clear sign of frustration. Something about her both stresses you out and intrigues you.” Carley narrows her eyes. “I like you and I think you’re good for her, but I can tell you’re hiding something.”

“Oh, yeah?” I give her a bored look. “What am I hiding, Carley?”

“I don’t know, but I do know Demi. Not everything around her is as black and white as it may seem...” She trails off.

“What are you tryin’ to say?”

“The gist of it? Don’t make her life outside of home suck, too.”

What the fuck does that mean?

Carley stares a moment, only looking away when Demi walks up, dropping beside me.

Without a word and leaving several inches between us.

What the fuck?

She was playful, confident – sexy as fuck – a few days ago, we didn’t get to hang this weekend, sure, but suddenly today, after a couple hours with that prick, she’s taken a page from my playbook and gone silent?

Fuck this.

I set my drink on the glass coffee table with a hard thud and shoot to my feet.

“I’m out,” I announce, my eyes falling to hers. “You ready or you gonna get a ride from someone else?”

She frowns.

Yes, we’ve only been here for a little over an hour.

No, I don’t give a shit.

“I planned to ride with you.”

So get up. Leave with me.

She stares a moment and right when I’m positive she’s saying bye to me, she turns to Carley.

Carley smiles at her. “Text me when you leave for school in the morning if you want me to grab you a coffee.”

Demi nods as she stands.

She could easily walk past me and out the front door. She doesn’t.

She grabs my hand, gingerly lacing her fingers into mine, but there’s something in the way they hold on that has my skin tingling. Her tired eyes meet mine.

Fuck me, my chest muscles pull, and I discreetly clench my teeth.

Movement behind us lets me know Carley has walked out, and I can’t stop my feet from shifting closer.

I lift my right hand, using my pinky to brush her hair from her face, allowing it to fall through my fingers at the curve of her breast.

Her chest expands, the edge of her shirt feathering across my knuckle.

“What’s on your mind?” she whispers.

I don’t know how or when I moved, but suddenly she’s sitting on the edge of the couch looking up at me with low, heady eyes.

My hands drop, sliding up her sides and her chin lifts to keep our eyes connected.

“You mad at me, D?”

She shakes her head.

“You sit by Alex on the bus today?” I ask, unable to cover the aggravation in my voice.

She shakes her head again.

“Did you want to?”

She licks her lips. “That why you’ve been giving me angry eyes all night?”

“Yes.”

My instant response has her chuckling but just as quickly, a question crosses her face.

I’ll bet she’s asking herself what it means, why I’d be angry, or say I was, for her getting closer to who she’s supposed to be getting closer to with this little deal of ours.

“What if...” she whispers.

“What, Pixie?” I lean in, my grip tightening, and she sucks in a deep breath. “What if... what?”

Her lips part the slightest bit, so I take them.

I drop my mouth to hers, my dick twitches in my jeans when hers opens even more and my tongue is awarded with the full taste of hers, but it’s quickly deflated when laughter and mocking noises echo around us.

She tugs back, a small frown on her face as she looks at me before it’s wiped away and a forced chuckle escapes her.

Some of my teammates walk by, clapping me on the back like dicks, but it’s Alex who my eyes zone in on and the stupid fuckin’ smirk on his face.

I look back to Demi who focuses on her fingernails until a few of the guys say hi to her as they pass.

Demi gives them tight waves, then slowly slips past me and out the door.

I wait for them to disappear around the corner, then drop my head back. A sigh leaves me and I walk outside to meet her.

I never got my answer.

What if what?

I juke left only to slant right for a quick, short pass, and then Coach blows the whistle.

“Good, good. All right, blue squad off, white on,” he calls, lifting his hands for me to pass him the ball.

Other than the O-line, the rest of the team steps off the field so second string can get a couple reps in.