The Friend Zone (Game On 2)
“Shouldn’t you be napping?”
“I’ve napped enough. I may puke sometime in the near future, but I’ll be sure to let you know when.”
Making a gagging face, I swing my legs over the side of the bed. “Brilliant. I’m going to shower this airplane funk off me.”
Fi’s voice follows me as I escape to the sanctity of my bathroom. “Glad you’re home, Iv!”
“Glad to be home, Fi,” I call back.
“I dare you not to think of that sexy mountain of man while you wash your lady bits!”
I slam the door on her evil cackle.
* * *
Gray
“So.” Drew’s voice comes at me from beyond the loud pounding of my heart in my ears. “Tell me about this Ivy.”
I glance at my best friend. I’m at his house because I’m finally getting my truck back. Anna borrowed her mom’s car, which is automatic, and he no longer needs mine. I made a half-hearted protest that he could keep the truck longer, but truth is I’ve missed the old girl. Drew, on the other hand…
The fucker is kicking back on a sun chair, drinking some fruity drink Anna made for him while I bust my ass sprinting back and forth between two cones set ten yards apart. Fucking shuttle drills. My thighs burn, my lungs are on fire. And still I go faster. I grunt as I crouch down to touch a cone before launching back up to book it to the next.
“She’s not…‘this’ Ivy,” I pant out. Dip, touch, turn, sprint. “And what’s to tell? She’s…” I touch the next cone. “My friend.”
“Hmmm…” Drew takes a pull on his straw—Jesus, the drink has an umbrella. I swear he put one in it to fuck with me. It’s forty degrees out here, and he’s acting like he’s on a beach somewhere. “And yet you’re attached to your phone like it’s become your second dick.”
“Don’t see a problem with that.” I grunt. “Two dicks, twice the fun.” One. More. Set. Fuck.
Drew watches me with that stare of his that always sees more than it should. There’s an evil light in his eyes that looks way too pleased for comfort. “Yeah, as much as I’d love to discuss your disturbing, multi-dick fantasies—and believe me, we really ought to discuss that issue—I’d rather talk about your new girlfriend.”
I race through my final drill, panting as I grab my bottle of Gatorade then guzzle it with enough zeal that sticky rivulets of drink run down my chin and drip on to my bare chest. Sweat stings my eyes and I ache all over, a hum of sensation that causes me to shake. Is it sick that I love the feeling, love pushing my body to the brink? It’s as close as I can get to the aftermath of hot sex without the awkwardness of “thanks babe, see ya” getting in the way.
Drew tosses me a towel while the bottle is still at my lips. I pluck the towel from the air without looking then use it to wipe my face. When I chuck the damp towel back at him, Drew lurches to his feet, the long cast encasing his left leg making the move awkward.
Though I’d never admit to it, the sight hurts me. Until a brutal sack broke his leg, Drew was our starting quarterback and the team’s undisputed commander. The injury ended his season. And as much as I hate to think it, I’m afraid our team will be lost without him. We were a well-oiled machine, a fucking brilliant team. Now what? The conference championship game is next, and our mojo is all off.
Worse, I hate seeing Drew hobbled because I know how much it tortures him. But Drew seems to be getting on all right lately. Much of it having to do with his girlfriend, Anna. According to Drew, being in love does that for some guys. Personally, I think it’s the steady diet of sex with a hot girl, but what do I know?
Which reminds me… I toss away my empty bottle and give him a look. “Ivy is my friend, who happens to be a girl. Not my girlfriend. Big difference, sweet cheeks.”
“Ha.” He grabs a football from the ground beside his chair. “You do realize that when a guy has to define that difference, he’s usually lying to himself.”
I snort. “You just want me to be all cow-eyed in love like you are. And then you won’t look like such a sap in comparison.”
He grins. “Nice try, Gray-Gray. Now spill it.”
Jogging to the back of Drew’s yard, I get in place for him to throw me the ball. I might have gone to practice at the school’s stadium, but I want to keep Drew company, and the more I can get the football in his hands the better it is for him.
“She’s fun, easy. I like talking to her.” I take off running, halt, turn, and catch the pass Drew drills into my hands. Tucking the ball tight against my side, I turn again, run back to my starting place then toss it back to him. “And, no, I don’t want to fuck her.”
This is mostly true. Mac has a natural sexiness that I’d have to be deaf, dumb, and blind not to notice. But I’m not going to even entertain thoughts of sex and Mac. No. Way. That would make me a dirty, low bastard, and I don’t want to be that with Mac.
Drew palms the ball. “I didn’t ask that.”
I catch another pass, this one launched far over my head, forcing me to leap high. “You were thinking it.”
Drew laughs a little. “Yeah, okay, I was. But only because you usually want to fuck any girl who comes into your orbit.”
“Okay, fine,” I admit, starting another route. “You got me, I am a sex god.” I talk over Drew’s obnoxious snort. “Truth? Had we met before the texts, I’d have tried something. She’s funny and smart and hot. Who wouldn’t want her? Shit, I don’t know, man. I just like her. I really like her. She’s the first person I want to talk to. Every day.”