Over My Brother's Dead Body, Chase Andrews(8)
Author: Piper Rayne

 

“Nah, I’m sor—”

 

I raise my hand. “You don’t have to explain. I should go up anyway. Kiwi’s probably looking for her dinner.”

 

When I go to move past him, to my surprise, he grabs my wrist. His hand is so large it’s like a bear paw. I stare down at it, and he runs his thumb over the inside of my wrist. I look up at him, but he doesn’t say anything. He looks as though he wants to, but maybe he doesn’t know what to say?

 

“Miles invited me to practice tomorrow, so maybe I’ll see you there.”

 

After he continues not to say anything, I smile, giving him an easy out for our awkward encounter. He nods and drops my wrist.

 

I beeline to the elevator and stab at the button. I’m not sure what that was between us, but one thing is clear—I don’t want to know either.

 

 

 

 

 

Six

 

 

 

 

 

Chase

 

 

 

 

 

Lee and I toss the football back and forth while Coach Baker talks to the coaching staff before our drills and scrimmage.

 

I spotted Twyla in the stands as soon as I came out onto the field. Of course I did, because she’s like a goddamn beacon to me. I force myself not to look in her direction. I was a complete asswipe after our run-in yesterday in the lobby, but I was caught off guard, and when she asked where I was headed, I clammed up. It’s going to take me time to realize she’s staying across the hall from me, and we’ll have run-ins in the common areas.

 

My hands are up to catch Lee’s pass when Miles runs in front of me, intercepting the ball.

 

“What the hell was that?” I put my hands on my hips.

 

“I need to talk to you.” He tosses the ball back to Lee and holds his finger up in a one-minute gesture to him.

 

Oh great, what could this be about?

 

My eyebrows draw together. “What’s up?” Please tell me Twyla isn’t complaining to her big brother about how rude I was to her yesterday.

 

“I wanted to ask you to do me a favor.” He glances over my shoulder at Twyla sitting in the stands.

 

When I look back too, she looks uncomfortable. Her eyes bobble around, then concentrate on her phone.

 

“Depends.” I cross my arms.

 

“I’m wondering if you could take Twyla to the gala as your plus-one.” He smiles wide, showing off those prince-like pearly whites that make the fans put him in the boy-next-door category.

 

I just about choke on my tongue. Is Miles seriously asking me to take his sister on a date?

 

The Kingsmen hold a big fancy charity gala every year, and though I don’t hate doing charitable work, I do hate getting dressed in a penguin suit and parading around, talking to a bunch of people I don’t care for and taking pictures for the press.

 

I scowl. “You can’t take her?”

 

Miles shakes his head. “I already asked someone, otherwise I would.”

 

“What? You have some secret girlfriend no one knows about?” I arch an eyebrow.

 

He shakes his head again. “Just this girl I’ve gone on a few dates with. It’s not serious, but I don’t want to screw it up by uninviting her in case it could lead somewhere. I asked her before Twyla moved to town.”

 

“How do you know I don’t have a date?” I give him my best stare-down. They all assume, but I could be dating someone.

 

He laughs. “You never have a date. In fact, in all the years we’ve played together, I’ve never seen you date anyone.”

 

He has a point. I mostly do hookups and never with football fans because who needs the goddamn headache? And I’ve never brought a girl I’m hooking up with around the guys. It would give her the wrong impression—that what we were doing meant something.

 

“Why is it so important to you that she goes?”

 

He sighs, and concern washes over his features. “I don’t want her sitting at home by herself while everyone she knows in town is out having fun. She follows all of us on social media and she’ll see us in all the tagged photos. She’s had a crappy couple of months and I’m trying to help her get out of the funk.”

 

I run my hand over the back of my neck and look at the ground. The idea of Twyla sitting in that condo, upset and pining after her ex, makes me want to deflate a football with my hands. Still, I’m not convinced I’m the one to show her a good time.

 

But the image of Twyla crying at Brady’s engagement party resurfaces, and I already know my answer.

 

“Fine. I’ll do it. It’s not a real date though.”

 

Miles laughs. “Yeah, no shit. That’s why I’m asking you. Anyone else on the team and I’d have to worry that they’d try to sleep with her.”

 

The idea of Twyla and me in bed together is enough to keep me from responding to his comment. “Can we please get back to work now?”

 

He claps me on the shoulder. “Thanks again. Oh, and will you do me another favor?”

 

“You’re pushing it.”

 

“Keep an eye on her? Let me know if there’re any guys skulking around that I should know about.”

 

The corners of my mouth pinch together, and I nod. Just what I want to do—playdate and babysitter to the woman I’m doing my best to avoid, for both our sakes.

 

 

 

 

 

After we finish our drills, Coach tells us to head to lunch. I walk to the sidelines to grab a drink before going into the training facility to eat, and as I’m squirting water into my mouth, Miles steps up beside me.

 

“What now?” I set down the water bottle.

 

“I’m gonna go talk to Twyla about the gala, c’mon.” He nods in the direction she was sitting, which is empty. She’s now walking down the stands.

 

My gaze flicks back to meet his. “You mean she doesn’t know you hooked her up with a date? I assumed you’d already OK’d it with her.”

 

He waves off my concern. “It’ll be fine. She likes you.” Then he walks toward her.

 

I grumble and follow him. Great. What if Twyla doesn’t want to go with me? What if she’d rather go with any guy on the team other than me? I’m not an idiot, I know I’m not exactly Mr. Personality. But I don’t get any time to voice my concerns to Miles because before I know it, we’re standing in front of her.