Hidden Play: The Return 《COMPLETE》

Chapter 2

By Friday, I'm ready to put my fist through a wall. I brusquely move through the cafeteria, ripping out three Gatorades from the fridge and refusing to engage in pleasantries as I hand over my money to the cafeteria's cashier.

I don't know what I was expecting coming into this week. Maybe that things would be different. Or, at the very least, a small step in the right direction in terms of improvement. But since our 'agreement,' things are getting progressively worse.

Zion's attitude at school reminds of how he treated me when I first started here. He sneers whenever I interject, he's a complete dick at practice, and to top it all off, he's kicked it up a notch in his 'act' with Callie.

Oh, and to top it off?

Zion has been ignoring my texts. Completely. I've sent him one or two throughout the week, all met with static silence. I'd like to say that I didn't pay attention to whether or not he read them, but I did. And he did.

Enough is enough.

My temper begs me to fire off a text, ending things with him before they ever really had a chance to explore the possibility of an 'us.' The image of another man's legs wrapped around Zion's torso gives me pause, though. Even if he's being a complete asshat, he's not sleeping with anyone else (per our lame-ass agreement). Selfishly, that nugget of knowledge is worth more than my pride at the moment.

I pull up a chair next to Casper. His clear, blue eyes study me wordlessly as I open up my first bottle of Gatorade (aka nectar from the gods). He's been around me enough to know I'm in a mood. He's also smart enough to surmise it deals with our team captain and that now is not the right time to ask.

"Casper," I nod in greeting, wiping the Gatorade remnants from my lips. "What's new, man?"

His endearing dimple pops into view, and it's enough to calm me a degree. Despite our rocky past, Casper continues to be my one and only true-blue friend on the team. An uncomplicated breath of fresh air. I remind myself to be careful. Just recently he confided in me that he met someone new at a party, but our pseudo-breakup is still fresh enough to cause a lingering pain. I can practically hear Gigi chiding 'tread lightly, little bro' in my ear.

He glances around the table and shrugs. "Same old. Already counting down the days until break."

"Yea? Got any good plans?"

"My family is pretty simple when it comes to the holidays, but the annual ski trip always breaks up the monotony."

"Ski trip?" I ask, frowning.

"Oh yea, man. It's wicked," Mike chimes in with a mouthful of pizza. A glob of sauce falls to his chin, wobbling every time he chews. What a lady killer. "Tons of smokin' hot chicks in tight yoga pants, spiked cider, and hot tubs. Can't go wrong."

I quirk an amused brow. "Yea. It'd be a real shame to pass up seeing hot chicks in tight yoga pants."

Casper snorts beside me and attempts to stifle it behind his bottle of water. Mike nods and raises his pizza to me in cheers. The irony is lost on him.

"You think you'll go?" Casper asks me.

His tone is hopeful. What I can't decipher is whether or not there's still romantic feeling in it. 'Tread lightly, little bro,' rattles between my temples. Casper's question catches the attention of my pseudo-boyfriend from across the table. It's the first time I've gotten his undivided focus since last weekend (well, aside from him scolding me for missing a three-pointer at practice last night).

Even after all we've been through, having his eyes on me has a noticeable effect. Blood rushes up my neck and into my cheeks. My thoughts become fuzzy, my pulse racing and my hands beading with sweat. It would have been so much easier if I had fallen for Casper. The two of us would probably be in a serious relationship by now, uncomplicated and unassuming.