But there’s no use causing trouble for no reason. Until I have something to worry about, I’ll let it slide. Tonight, all I’m worried about is impressing Kinsley on the field. I’m already confident in what we have off of it.

THE STANDS ARE practically shaking as the student section goes crazy. Rhett just scored his fourth touchdown of the night. Each time he crosses the line into the end zone, where a good portion of the entire student body is sitting, my classmates high five me, like I’m responsible.

“Kinsley, he’s never played this good! This is all you, I know it,” Becca gushes from her spot on the hard, metal bleachers. If my ass wasn’t already numb, I’d think it fell off.

“He’s having a good night, that’s all.”

“Pfft. Whatever. They’re all playing well, but this is something special.”

It’s been awesome watching Rhett play, even if I’ve cringed every time he’s taken a hit. When dirty number ninety gets near him, I can’t even look at the field. But after three more plays, our defense intercepts the ball, ending the game with a bang.

My eyes are glued to Rhett as I watch him celebrate the 42–7 blowout win. He hoists his helmet in the air, thanking the crowd for their support, but what he does next, surprises me. He faces the end zone where I’m sitting and points directly toward me, publically acknowledging that I’m his and he’s mine.

Becca sighs next to me with a wistful gleam in her eyes. “What I wouldn’t give for someone like him.”

“Um, hello? You have Jake.”

“No, you’re right. I do have him, but Jake doesn’t do that. Look at him.”

I snort, realizing the night and day differences between our guys. Jake’s running around half naked like the Incredible Hulk, his shoulder pads and helmet lying on the ground near the forty yard line, in a heap. “He’s excited, that’s all.”

“If we weren’t at a football game, everyone would think he was on drugs, Kins.”

“Then why are you into him if you don’t like the way he acts?”

She shies away from the question which isn’t like her at all. “What is it?” Staring at the bleachers in front of her, she’s hesitant. It makes no sense considering we’ve never kept anything from the other—especially where guys were concerned. She’s known my crushes for as long as I can remember. Even if none of them ever amounted to anything.

“Because he’s here. He likes me. And he’s really hot.”

“There are so many things wrong with that statement, Becca.”

“Oh, who really cares. Come on, Kins. Lets go see the guys!” Becca grabs my hand and tugs me toward the fifty yard line. Most of the student section is already crowded around the team like they’re a bunch of celebrities—and they are. That’s how big football is in this town.

Swallowed up in a sea of maroon and gray bodies, the stench of sweat mixes with the mild September air. It’s not my favorite combination, that’s for sure. It’s like being stuck in the locker room surrounded by smelly socks.

Becca finds Jake first, and he hugs her, sweat and all. Germaphobe Becca suddenly couldn’t care less about all the dirt on Jake’s body. That’s how I know she’s crushing on him—hard.

“Great game, Jake.” I stand on my tip toes to give him a hug, too. Just as I’m letting go, strong arms are around my middle, pulling me away from him.

“Get your own, Jake. This one’s mine,” Rhett says, playfully.

I turn around in his arms, and take him in. His shaggy brown hair is drenched with sweat. His jersey’s covered in grass stains with paint from the end zone covering his shoulders. The helmet he’s holding is dinged up, reminding me of all the painful shots he took tonight. Still, he’s six feet of athletic perfection.

“What’d ya think, Sunny?”

“You were awesome, Rhett! Seriously awesome.”

“You’re definitely my good luck charm. That was fuckin’ insane!”

He picks me up and spins me around—my laughter the only sound I hear despite being surrounded by hundreds of people. Being in his arms is my favorite place to be. “You’re huge with all this equipment on.”

Rhett leans down to peck my lips just as his parents make their way through the crowd. Rhett’s dad smiles warmly at the two of us, but his mom is giving me a once over, thoroughly.

“Mom, Dad, this is Kinsley West—my girlfriend.”

I reach out to shake their hands, his mom accepting with a half-smile on her face. But his dad bypasses my hand entirely, hugging me instead. “So, this is the girl that’s been making my son so happy.”

“This is the one,” Rhett adds.

His mom kisses Rhett’s cheek, doting on him like a proud mother hen. She checks each one of his scratches, making sure he’s not injured. “I’m good Mom, don’t worry so much.”

Rhett wraps his arm around me again and I look up at him, into the glare of the lights. “Ready Sunny? We have some celebrating to do.”

“Yes, but go shower. You stink!”

“I smell like victory, baby,” he replies, with the cocky tone he earned tonight. “Meet me at the locker room.”

Before I have a chance to respond, he’s jogging toward the school, already pulling his shoulder pads up and over his head.

“Focus Kinsley,” Becca whispers in my ear, after she catches me ogling my boyfriend.

Finally, I blink away the image of a naked Rhett, turning my attention to my best friend. “I thought I lost you.”

“Sorry. Jake wants me to go to the football party with him. Do you care?”

“Why would I care?”

She looks down at the sidewalk, kicking at the weeds popping up between the cracks. “Because he’s not your brother. And I don’t want you to tell him about Jake.”

Something is definitely bothering her. This isn’t the first time she’s brought up Wyatt today. “Have you talked to my brother since he’s been at college?”

Becca nods her head, still not looking me in the eye. “I have.”

“More than once?”

Again, a simple nod of her head. “We’ve talked a couple times. He’s called me and I called him once.”

“Really?” Wyatt calling to check on her doesn’t surprise me, especially after they spent so much time together when she was tutoring him, but her calling him is unexpected. “I don’t get it, Becca. If you care about him, why don’t you give it a try? Why bother with Jake?”

Finally, she gives me an honest answer. “Because it’s too hard being in different places. I want to trust Wyatt, but I’m not sure I could. Even if he promised he wouldn’t touch a single girl on campus, I’d always wonder if he was being faithful to me.”

“So, you’re going to call each other and torture yourselves instead of having a little faith?”

“It’s not torture. It’s like talking to a friend—that’s all. No different than when I call you.”

I laugh at the way she’s trying to convince both of us at the same time. She doesn’t believe her own words, I can tell. “It’s totally different and you know it. Just be careful with Jake. Don’t be with him because he’s the fall back guy. Be with him because you care about him. If you don’t, then you know you’re supposed to be with my brother.”

Becca nods her head. “I do have one confession.”

Now that she’s told me she’s been talking to my brother, I already know what she’s going to say. “You told my brother about me and Rhett, didn’t you?”

“I did. I’m sorry, Kins. I didn’t mean to cause trouble, but I couldn’t lie to him when he asked about you. Being in the middle isn’t very fun.”

I’m not mad at her. I can’t be. I would never lie to my brother either if he straight up asked me. It wouldn’t be easy to talk to him about Rhett, but I couldn’t keep it from him. “Until tonight I thought it had to be Carson.”

“Pfft. He wants you too much to break your trust. I still can’t believe you two share a wall and you manage to control yourself every night.”