The Other Game (The Perfect Game 4)

Aside from flirting with each other in class, I didn’t know much about Melissa. Not to mention the fact that we didn’t get much alone time, and the one time when we had been alone at the student union, it hadn’t lasted more than five minutes.

“We’ve been friends since high school.” She smiled. “I came here right after graduation, but Cass’s parents forced her to go to a junior college instead. She’s only been here since this year.”

“Why’d they make her do that?”

Melissa looked me square in the eye. “Money.”

I nodded slightly in complete understanding. “But your parents let you come right away?”

“Yeah. They don’t have money issues,” she said with a shrug.

“Are your parents still married?”

“They are. Are yours?”

The question rattled me. The fact that our parents had abandoned Jack and me wasn’t something I told most people. And my sharing that with Melissa would mean she not only knew something extremely personal and private about me, but about Jack as well. So I thought better of it.

“No, they’re not.”

“I’m sorry. That sucks. But I guess it’s rarer to have parents still be married than anything else, these days,” she said, and I nodded.

“Do you get along with them?” I wondered what it was like for her, to have rich parents who were still together.

“Oh my gosh, yes. They’re the greatest. We have the best relationship, honestly. My mom owns a PR firm in Hollywood, and I work for her every summer.”

“Is that what you want to do? Work for her once you graduate?”

She nodded. “Yes and no. I want in the family business, for sure. But I want to start my own firm in a different location. I think it would be cool to expand, but I think it makes my mom nervous. It’s okay, though.” She waved her hand. “I still have time to convince her.”

I loved seeing this side of Melissa, and hearing about her determination and ambition. It made her even more attractive in my eyes. Plus, I had to admit that the whole idea of Jack and me dating best friends was appealing. We used to joke when we were kids about how cool it would be if we ended up dating girls who were sisters. I think it was more me suggesting it than Jack, but he agreed that it would be fun. Two girls who were best friends seemed like the next best thing.

“What about you? I know you’re only a freshman, but any idea what you want to do?” She cocked her head to the side.

“No. I wish I did, but I just don’t know yet,” I admitted, hating how indecisive I sounded.

“That’s okay. I don’t think most people know what they want to be when they’re eighteen. Those of us who do probably aren’t normal.” She laughed.

“You’re definitely not normal,” I teased, and she narrowed her eyes at me.

“Ha-ha. You’re hilarious.”

I swallowed, thinking about her and Cassie again. “I bet it’s cool to have your best friend with you at college.”

“You would know.” Her cheeks pulled in dramatically as she sucked on her Slurpee. “I mean, I just assumed that you and Jack were that close.”

“We are.”

Jack had always been my best friend, and while we both had other acquaintances or teammates, it wasn’t the same as having a brother who shared your family history. We were bonded by blood, but stayed close friends by choice.

“But we still live at home, so it’s not like we’re out living on our own like you girls are.”

“Yeah, it’s pretty awesome to be living together, to be honest.”

I leaned my elbows on the table. “So, I have a question for you.”

“Another one?” She quirked an eyebrow.

“Yeah. How did I get lucky enough to have you in a freshman class with me?”