Page 26 of Your Play to Call

Fun fact, I’m a terrible liar. No one has any idea about my date with Willow. We successfully kept the press and everyone out of it. I’m about to blow this wide open.

“Nothing. It’s nothing.” And what wouldn’t come at the worst possible time is a notification from my other phone, my real one. Zack doesn’t miss a beat.

“Wait. Is that a burner phone?” he gives me shit and peeks into my locker.

“No. Not a burner phone.” I try to buy some time because I don’t really know what to call the bonus phone. “This is a secure line.” I shrug my shoulders with the bonus phone in my hand. I check to see who’s left in the locker-room. It’s just the two of us.

“Why in the hell wouldyouneed a secure line.” His eyes are bugging out as the words fall out of his big mouth. He reaches for the phone and I let him grab it. As much as I want to keep this to myself, I’m dying to tell someone.

I know he sees her name because his eyes are like fucking saucers.

“Don’t make this a big—”

“You fucking did it. You went out with her. How the hell was it?” He punches my shoulder.

“Good. Incredible. I don’t know. We’ve been texting and FaceTiming like high schoolers. I could listen to her talk about anything…” My voice trails off and I feel like a chump. “I feel like I’m out of my league.”

“Youplayin the fucking league.” He laughs at me before slapping his knees in dramatics. “You’ve got it bad. When are you seeing her next?”

When I don’t say anything, Zack rolls his eyes.

“I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but don’t fucking fumble this thing with Willow.”

“Did you really just use a pun—"

“I did. And it seems like football might be the only thing you grasp in that thick skull of yours.” Zack laughs at me before physically knocking on my head. “Go have some fun. Quit being so boring.”

“I’m not boring.” I straighten at the thought. “Wait, do the guys think I’m boring?”

“Tripp, man, they don’t know you. All you do is workout, run drills, show up to practice early, leave late. Maybe it’s time to loosen the reins a bit?”

Well, that blows. Not exactly what you want to hear. It stings but I know Zack is right. I’ve always been all football. I fill any and all free time with training sessions or recovery. That’s how it’s been for as long as I can remember.

“I’m aware that this sounds stupid, but I don’t know how to do… this.” I gesture to the bonus phone.

“You’ll figure it out.”

I’ll figure it out. Maybe. Maybe not.

“Hey, man. Can you not say anything?”

Zack mimics locking his mouth and throwing away the key.

Chapter 17

Willow

No Willow, No Problem.Dexter Stone seen Kissing Supermodel

This is the headline I’ve been sent, tagged in, and inundated with all morning. Every rendition of the article includes Dexter draped over a gorgeous model. The smile he wears, his hand on her thigh, and her mouth on his neck is lemon juice on the cut you forgot about.

Seems like Dexter has no issue being out with the cover of Sports Illustrated. You’d never find a photo like this of the two of us. The second Dexter thought there was a camera in the vicinity, he’d act like we were middle schoolers at our first “boy-girl” dance. Once, I tried telling him it made me feel weird, but he twisted it into how he was doing what was best for me. To this day, I still can’t explain why he didn’t want to be seen with me.

“Quit subjecting yourself to those pictures,” Emilie says while peeking over my shoulder. “That man is not worth it.” Some people might be annoyed at the nosiness, but not me.

“I know,” I lie.

“Do you? Because it looks like you were questioning why it’s different with her…” She tucks her red hair behind her ears.