The Relationship Pact – Kings of Football Read Online Adriana Locke

Categories Genre: College, Contemporary, New Adult, Romance, Sports Tags Authors:
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Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 84952 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 425(@200wpm)___ 340(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
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“Athletes,” we say in unison.

I sigh as dramatically as I can.

My weakness for the fit and delicious specimen who runs, jumps, and throws balls or hits pucks started in junior high school. It’s not a revelation.

I had the biggest, most annoying crush on a boy who played centerfield on my cousin’s all-star baseball team. I was twelve. He was older than me and had a swagger about him that appealed to me on a level I didn’t know existed. He was a little headstrong and a whole lot cocky—just enough to seem forbidden. My thing with athletes—and probably bad boys, if I’m honest—started that summer.

My brain shuffles through the memories of my last few boyfriends.

There was Charlie—the hockey goalie with sweet eyes and it’s-not-cheating-if-it’s-not-penetration code of conduct.

Benny was next. He was a minor league baseball player who firmly believed my place was in the kitchen. But not barefoot. He liked me in expensive heels.

There was Christopher—a sports manager who was career-driven and egotistical and couldn’t shut up about his day long enough to ask me about mine.

And, as if I had to prove to myself that I could do worse, I chose Sebastian Townsend. The golfer-turned-sports agent from Atlanta decided my take on monogamy—that cheaters should have their reproductive organs removed—was harsh, and I should cushion my expectations. Apparently, men are bees, and it’s their job to pollinate the flowers of the world.

It’s safe to say he didn’t support the idea of one bee plus one flower equals happiness. He also didn’t love—i.e., became enraged—at his theory working in reverse. Was one flower supposed to hope the one bee pollinating her had decent skills? Maybe she should be as free as the bee?

He took offense.

I’m not sure who ended it with who that night, but it went down rather spitefully … about as petty as Sebastian is tonight.

When I look back up at Bellamy, she’s shaking her head. “Don’t.”

“Don’t what?”

“Don’t let him get in your head.” She gets to her feet and towers over me in her nude-colored heels that are entirely unnecessary for a friend’s birthday party. “Sebastian is a twerp. I know all of his little smug grins and bullshit waves, with his new girl shrink-wrapped to his side, are getting to you tonight.”

“They are not.”

“So, you’re swearing off all men out of the blue? Riss, you like dick. You’re not going to go all cold turkey like that. It’s because he got to you tonight.”

I get to my feet in a rush. “He did not get to me tonight. He pissed me off. That little line about how … shameful, or whatever word he used, it must be to show up to our friend’s birthday party alone pissed me off.”

“Yeah. Of course, it did. It was by design.”

Anger pulses through me. “He used the word dreadful. It must have been dreadful to have to bring Bellamy as your date. I didn’t even get a chance to tell him I wasn’t here alone or with you as my date. Even though you are. But you know what I mean.”

“Either way, fuck him! I’m a great date.”

I smile through my annoyance. “He also told me not to worry. He told people our break-up was mutual and not that he had to let me down easy.”

Bellamy balks. “It was mutual.”

“Oh, trust me. I know. I was there.”

“That little twerp.”

I turn away from her and look in the mirror.

My reflection stares back at me. In my eyes, I see the truth. Sebastian didn’t get to me tonight. I did.

I’ve known for a while now that I needed a break. Ever since Christopher ghosted me because work always came first, I’ve learned that something had to change. I’ve just refused to give it too much thought—probably because I didn’t want to be here, standing in front of my reflection and knowing I have no one to blame for this mess of a love life other than me.

They say doing the same things while expecting a different result is ridiculous. That’s what I’ve been doing. Dating different packages of the same contents over and over again. And somehow, I expect it to work.

I know better. I’m not a stupid person.

Theoretically, at least. The past doesn’t speak well for me in this case.

Seeing Sebastian here tonight was fine. But having him try to rattle me on purpose and not have a moment to say anything back makes me disappointed in myself—almost as disappointed as I am that I dated him to start with.

No more. No more Sebastians for me. Period.

“You’re a raccoon,” Bellamy says out of nowhere. “A beautiful, thoughtful, slightly naïve but generally intuitive little raccoon.”

“What?” My fingers go to the area beneath my eyes. “I paid a lot for this mascara. If it’s getting all over my face, I’m taking it back for a refund. I’m sick of overpriced cosmetics that don’t work.”


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