Draw Play: A Sports Romance by Tia Lewis Read Free Book Online

freaked out on you like that.”
    “It’s all good. I guess you do pretty well if you’re good enough to be a tutor.”
    “I’m doing all right.” I kept my face turned from him so he wouldn’t see me blush. Here he was, trying to stay above a two-point-O. What would he think of my four-point-O?
    “There are your Sociology textbooks.” I pointed, watching as he piled thick books into an already full basket. He carried it like it weighed a feather. I wondered idly how much he bench pressed, then wondered what the heck I was doing thinking about something like that. That was something my roommate Jess would have thought about, not me.
    “You live in the dorms?” he asked.
    “Yeah, I can’t afford to live off-campus. I wish I could. I’m tired of sharing shower stalls with an entire floor.”
    “I bet it gets crowded in those stalls,” he joked.
    Was he flirting with me? No way. Not somebody like him. His testosterone probably ran through the roof. It was just a habit.
    Either that or he was making fun of me. My mood soured.
    “We tend to go one at a time, but I’ll bring that up as a way to save water.” I walked ahead of him, finding the French Lit textbooks. I took those since his basket nearly overflowed.
    If he noticed the change in my mood, he didn’t think anything of it. “Where should we study? I mean, I’ve heard of the dorm rooms being a little cramped. My house well … that’s a no.”
    Again, I wondered why he said it. My mind jumped to the worst possible conclusion: he didn’t want to be seen with me at his frat house.
    My heart clenched in total misery. I should have known Jake would be that way.
    “I’m sure the library still functions. You’ve heard of the library, right?”
    He took a step back, his blue eyes narrowing. “What’s the deal, man? What did I do wrong this time?”
    “Nothing. You’re fine. Excuse me.” I brushed past him, looking for the THA101 textbooks. Intro to Theatre. What a fucking joke.
    He followed me, whispering fiercely, “Is this how the semester’s going to go? With me wondering what I said that pissed you off? Because I don’t feel like playing games.”
    “You know what?” I tossed a theater book into my basket. “We don’t have to talk about anything outside of your course work. Will that make it easier?”
    He clenched his jaw like he wanted to say something, but then turned away with a huffing noise. I guessed I hurt his fragile male pride or something. It made me feel sort of powerful. I picked up the books for his course on nineteenth-century lit, then found the end of the line for the register.

    * * *
    W e waited in cold , stony silence. I asked myself how it happened—we had been getting along pretty well for a minute. Jake had even impressed me when he told me about helping his injured friend. I wondered if there was any such injury after all.
    I felt like such a nobody with him. Like the difference between us was only highlighted by our proximity. He was tall, hulking, looking like something out of a sports magazine in spite of the smudge of dirt on one stubbly cheek and the grass stains on his knees. I felt small, insignificant. I wished I could hide.
    What really upset me was the way people seemed to know him. Was I the only person on campus who didn’t know who this idiot was? Not only did they wave, they knew his name—and his jersey didn’t have a name on it. I turned my head away and rolled my eyes. He was probably soaking it up. If only they knew what a moron he was, they wouldn’t love him so much. Arrogant jerk.
    Only … when I turned back to Jake, while we unloaded the books on the counter, he didn’t look happy or proud. He looked sort of uncomfortable. Was it because I was with him, and he didn’t want them to think we were together? Did he not like them seeing him looking like something the cat dragged in? Or was he not as into his fame as I guessed?
    I told myself it didn’t matter and waited while the girl