Page 66 of Playing to Win
“What is it?” Javier asks, looking genuinely interested. Unlike Derek, who’s shaking his head repeatedly.
“I can’t even put my finger on it. But whenever we’re together, it’s like she calms me down and I feel at…ease. Yet I’m also amped up and unsure, if that makes any sense. It’s like I can’t wait to get my hands on her.”
“Sounds like you really like her,” Javier says.
“Yawn. Boring. Sounds like your typical crush,” Derek says, punctuating his statement with an actual yawn that he doesn’t bother to cover up.
His reaction has me shifting into pure hostility, which was probably his goal. “What the hell do you know about a typical crush?”
“Look, before I was a football god, I had my fair share of crushes over the years. And I’ve hadplentyof women crush on me. Just because you’re dying to fuck the youngest Maguire, doesn’t mean you’re in love with her, dumbass.”
I fucking knew Derek would reveal her. The schmuck.
“You don’t understand,” I start, but Derek cuts me off, talking right over me.
“I definitely understand, bro. I’ve been in your shoes and it fucking sucks, but that was a long time ago and I don’t let that happen anymore.” He pauses, his gaze full of all sorts of sympathy. This dude. He’s confusing. “What I’m going to say will hurt, but you need to hear it.” He pauses. “Move on. She’s not the one for you.”
“And how the hell do you know?” I toss at him.
“Because I justknow. Women like her, she’s really just like you. Like all of us. Well, maybe not you, Javi. Anyway, she can have her choice of men. Anyone would want to be with Ruby because of her dad and her uncle and every other motherfucker in that family who plays football. I’m sure that’s half the reason you’re attracted to her.”
“That isn’t it—”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Derek waves a hand, dismissing my protests. “You need to act like you don’t care about her.”
“What?” Javier asks incredulously. He turns to me, his brown eyes downright pleading. “Don’t listen to him.”
“No, you should absolutely listen to me. You need to act like this girl doesn’t matter to you. Play her off, brother. Don’t beg her to see you. Don’t chase after her. Make her come to you,” Derek explains.
“That’s what I’ve been doing since I started here. And there hasn’t been a single woman that’s interested me enough to want to pursue her. Until…Ruby,” I admit, somewhat reluctantly.
More snorting from Derek. “Do whatever you think works then, since you believe you’re so much smarter than me. I’ve said my piece. And when you come running to me crying that she’s dumped you, I’ll be the one who said I told you so.”
He grabs his controller and resumes playing the game, Javier reluctantly going along with him, though he sends me a sympathetic look.
“Don’t listen to him,” Javier finally says. “Follow your heart.”
Derek whacks the back of Javier’s head like the douche that he is and I stare at my phone screen, wondering what I should say to her. There’s a war in my head, and one of the voices sounds suspiciously like Derek.
Don’t go chasing after her. Let her come to you.
My fingers hover over the keyboard so long they start to ache.
Fuck it.
I’m just typing and sending. I can’t think about this any longer.
Me:You sure you can’t meet tonight? Doesn’t matter how late.
The moment I hear the whoosh sound of the text sending, I have major regret. I sound like a wimp. Like a fucking pussy.
Chasing after a woman who’s not as interested in me as I am in her. I’ve never had this happen before.
It’s fucking weird.
Almost depressing.
My phone dings and I grab it, reading her message immediately.
