because her cousin was taking some chick from another team and she didn’t want to go alone.” He turned the page and gazed at the photos of drum kits. “Robby is a good guy. I’m sure he made sure none of the perverts at the party tried to hook up with Ally.”
“ Well, that’s good,” Lila said, her eyes still on her nails. She chipped a huge hunk of Shimmering Red off her nail and flicked it to the floor. “I’m glad you have someone to babysit your girlfriend for you.”
Huffing, he slammed the magazine shut. He twisted to face her, anger swelling in his gut. “Look, I don’t need anyone to babysit my girlfriend. I trust her – I know she wouldn’t do anything like that or cheat or anything. I just wanted her to have a good time without having to worry about some guy hitting on her.” He paused for a moment to catch his breath. A smug smile slipped on his face. “She is quite beautiful, in case you haven’t noticed, and attracts a lot of male attention.”
That seemed to do the trick as Lila cleared her throat and slid out of the booth. She stood by the table for a moment then flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Yes, she is beautiful. I just hope for your sake she’s not so beautiful that she can’t stand to be without a man for a long time.”
Cole pushed to his feet, his eyes darkening. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
RJ, fresh from a nap, stumbled into the area, his eyes growing at the anger rolling off Cole’s body. He glanced between the two before taking hold of Cole’s arm. “What’s going on, kids?”
“ Nothing,” Cole said as he jerked his arm out of RJ’s grasp. He stalked to the sleeping quarters and hopped on his bunk.
“ You okay, Cole?” Parker asked as he paused his handheld game. “You look pretty ticked.”
“ It’s nothing,” Cole muttered, pulling his legs on the bed and folding his arms under his head. “Nothing.”
“ Hey, bro,” RJ said as he stood by Cole’s bunk. “What’s that Lila chick up to? She’s got you all kinds of riled up.”
“ Nothing, really,” Cole admitted as he heaved a huge sigh. “She’s just trying to wind me up – saying stuff about Ally going to that party with Robby Redden.”
Parker sat up and kicked his legs over the side of his bunk. “Cole, man, I could tell from the moment I met that girl that she was the type to stir up trouble. She’s the type to go after what she can’t have so she’s got her eyes set on you.”
“ Never going to happen,” Cole said with a snort. “Ever.”
“ We know that,” RJ said as he playfully punched Cole’s arm. “But she obviously doesn’t. Just ignore her. Besides, Ally asked you if you’d mind if she took Robby to that party. She would never have done that if she would have thought for a second it would upset you.”
“ I know,” Cole said staring at the ceiling. “And I didn’t mind at all. Robby’s a good guy.”
“ And Jamie was with them, too, wasn’t he?” Parker asked.
“ Yeah,” RJ said, yawning and scratching his head. “He was with some girl he met that played for one of the other teams.”
Parker laughed and fell back on his bunk. “Bet that went over really well with Ally.”
Cole smiled and closed his eyes, imagining Ally’s reaction. “I think she was all right with it as long as James didn’t offer this girl any tips. You know how competitive Ally is.”
RJ moved Cole’s legs out of the way then jumped on the bunk. “I love her to death but sometimes that girl is too competitive. Remember our family softball games at Thanksgiving?”
“ Would you guys shut up or take the conversation elsewhere?” Ren shouted from the lower bunk, putting a pillow over his head. “Some of us are trying to sleep.”
Cole sat up and smirked at RJ who smirked back. They both slipped noiselessly off the bunk and paused next to Ren’s bunk. Cole counted down with his fingers and when he reached one, they yanked the pillows, blankets, and
“ Well, that’s good,” Lila said, her eyes still on her nails. She chipped a huge hunk of Shimmering Red off her nail and flicked it to the floor. “I’m glad you have someone to babysit your girlfriend for you.”
Huffing, he slammed the magazine shut. He twisted to face her, anger swelling in his gut. “Look, I don’t need anyone to babysit my girlfriend. I trust her – I know she wouldn’t do anything like that or cheat or anything. I just wanted her to have a good time without having to worry about some guy hitting on her.” He paused for a moment to catch his breath. A smug smile slipped on his face. “She is quite beautiful, in case you haven’t noticed, and attracts a lot of male attention.”
That seemed to do the trick as Lila cleared her throat and slid out of the booth. She stood by the table for a moment then flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Yes, she is beautiful. I just hope for your sake she’s not so beautiful that she can’t stand to be without a man for a long time.”
Cole pushed to his feet, his eyes darkening. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
RJ, fresh from a nap, stumbled into the area, his eyes growing at the anger rolling off Cole’s body. He glanced between the two before taking hold of Cole’s arm. “What’s going on, kids?”
“ Nothing,” Cole said as he jerked his arm out of RJ’s grasp. He stalked to the sleeping quarters and hopped on his bunk.
“ You okay, Cole?” Parker asked as he paused his handheld game. “You look pretty ticked.”
“ It’s nothing,” Cole muttered, pulling his legs on the bed and folding his arms under his head. “Nothing.”
“ Hey, bro,” RJ said as he stood by Cole’s bunk. “What’s that Lila chick up to? She’s got you all kinds of riled up.”
“ Nothing, really,” Cole admitted as he heaved a huge sigh. “She’s just trying to wind me up – saying stuff about Ally going to that party with Robby Redden.”
Parker sat up and kicked his legs over the side of his bunk. “Cole, man, I could tell from the moment I met that girl that she was the type to stir up trouble. She’s the type to go after what she can’t have so she’s got her eyes set on you.”
“ Never going to happen,” Cole said with a snort. “Ever.”
“ We know that,” RJ said as he playfully punched Cole’s arm. “But she obviously doesn’t. Just ignore her. Besides, Ally asked you if you’d mind if she took Robby to that party. She would never have done that if she would have thought for a second it would upset you.”
“ I know,” Cole said staring at the ceiling. “And I didn’t mind at all. Robby’s a good guy.”
“ And Jamie was with them, too, wasn’t he?” Parker asked.
“ Yeah,” RJ said, yawning and scratching his head. “He was with some girl he met that played for one of the other teams.”
Parker laughed and fell back on his bunk. “Bet that went over really well with Ally.”
Cole smiled and closed his eyes, imagining Ally’s reaction. “I think she was all right with it as long as James didn’t offer this girl any tips. You know how competitive Ally is.”
RJ moved Cole’s legs out of the way then jumped on the bunk. “I love her to death but sometimes that girl is too competitive. Remember our family softball games at Thanksgiving?”
“ Would you guys shut up or take the conversation elsewhere?” Ren shouted from the lower bunk, putting a pillow over his head. “Some of us are trying to sleep.”
Cole sat up and smirked at RJ who smirked back. They both slipped noiselessly off the bunk and paused next to Ren’s bunk. Cole counted down with his fingers and when he reached one, they yanked the pillows, blankets, and
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