Play With Me

three…
    “How about it,
Matthews?” Ryan Hunter said as I passed him. “Will you opt for the team or
not?”
    I stopped,
stunned that he was serious about it. My eyes fastened on the easy smile he
cast me. “I—”
    Tony’s hands on
my shoulders gently pushed me forward. “You shouldn’t tease her. She’s just not
made for soccer.”
    My heels dug into
the ground. Not because he tried to save me from answering, but because of her snortling laugh behind me. “Know what?” I turned to face Tony with a determined
glare. “I think I’ll just give it a shot.”
    “You’re shitting
me.”
    That didn’t
require a reply, but I raised my brows at him anyway.
    “Cool, so you’re
on the list. We meet at ten on the field.”
    I turned to
Hunter’s amused tone and gave him a polite smile. “I’ll be there.”
    A ball cap
shadowed his face as he lowered his chin, but I could feel his gaze skim down
to where my cut off jeans ended then travel slowly farther down my naked legs
and back up. “Bring shoes.” He smirked and winked at me.
    This sent a
shiver skating down my neck. Tony shoved me out of the café before I could
figure out why.
    We walked most
of the way in silence, until we were close to home and I exploded right in his
face. “I can’t believe you did that!”
    “What?” He
looked at me baffled like a toddler who was robbed of his sucker.
    “You let that girl
insult me and didn’t say anything.”
    “You had
everything under control. And she didn’t really insult you.”
    “Oh, right. You did! You called me an elephant.”
    Tony took my
hand and pulled me with him. “You know it wasn’t meant like that. I don’t see
why you’re throwing a fit now. You never liked soccer. When did that change?”
    “Today. Now I love it.”
    “Yeah, I can see
that. So badly that you want to be a player.” He rolled his eyes. “Please, tell
me you’re not doing this because of Cloey.”
    I’m doing it
for you, idiot. But it would have taken more than a
crazy afternoon to tell him that. I gritted my teeth. “The girl can get lost in
her closet full of Barbie dresses.”
    Suddenly, his
arm was wrapped around my shoulders, and he pulled me close to his side as we
walked on. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re jealous of her.”
    “We have been best
friends since we grew out of our diapers,” I moaned, being slightly comforted
by his embrace.
    “And I promise
we’ll still be when we need them again.” His laugh rocked me with him. “Cloey is
just a girl who likes to play soccer. But you’re the only girl I know who can
watch E.T. without bursting in tears.”
    Even though
there was this obvious note of admiration, I couldn’t help but feel a chill
sneaking around my heart the way he said it. Like I was one of the guys and not
a delicate girl like Cloey. I wiggled out of his embrace, and a snort
escaped me.
    Tony quirked his
brows. “What?”
    “Nothing.”
    “Are you mad at
me?”
    “No,” I
grumbled.
    He waited a
second, eying me with skepticism. “O kay . Is this one of those moments
where you say no but actually mean yes?”
    “No.”
    He slapped his
hands to his face then slowly dragged them down, glancing helplessly at the sky.
“You know I don’t speak this language. Just tell me your problem.”
    “There is no
problem!” I ran up the path to my house, slamming the door behind me.

 
     
     
    CHAPTER
    2
     
     
    AT NINE THIRTY
the following morning, I answered the door and found Tony outside. Hands braced
on the doorframe and head hanging, he cast me a sheepish grin as he looked at
me from under those incredibly gorgeous lashes.
    “Still mad?”
    I swallowed. The
endless speech I had prepared for him the previous evening—including words like
ignorant, idiot, and dumbass—had slipped from my mind. “Never again call me an
elephant,” was all that came out in a low grumble.
    “Promise.” The
silly boy pouted and even crossed his heart.
    I smiled. “We’re
good then.”
    Tony’s metallic
green mountain bike leaned against our low picket fence. I grabbed mine from
the shed, and we cycled to the high school soccer field together. Close to
fifty girls and boys from tenth to twelfth grade had gathered in front of one
of the goal posts. Someone was handing out numbers as we joined them. Already a
member of the team, Tony didn’t have to participate in the tryouts. But I lined
up to get mine.
    “Forty-seven…Matthews,”
Ryan Hunter shouted to Susan