Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 104745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Preppy bastard.
When I come out of my room, my older brother’s girlfriend is coming out of hers. She stops to lean against the door, arms crossed. “Where you headed off to all showered and looking sus.”
“I look sus?”
Her eyes narrow. “Um, yeah—you always look like you’re up to something.” She pauses. “So what are you up to?”
My teeth bite down on my bottom lip.
I think I can trust her with my secret. Although Drew knows I’m on the dating app as him, he just isn’t aware I’m about to go on an actual, in-person date as him.
“I have a date.”
Ryann’s brows shoot up. “A date?”
Why is she asking it that way? In that tone? “It’s not unheard of.”
“Uh, yes, it is.” She laughs. “I didn’t realize dates were your thing.”
Because they’re not. They’re Drew’s. “Actually, this is more of a scouting mission.”
My roommate’s face contorts. “Scouting mission? What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“It means…” My voice trails off. “I’m doing recon work on behalf of my brother.”
She still looks confused. “Explain.”
“I’m going on a date for Drew.”
“For Drew?”
“Yeah.”
“Like—for Drew or…as Drew.”
“Both.”
Ryann uncrosses her arms and throws them up. “Are you serious? Stop it. You are not doing a twin switch on some poor, unsuspecting girl.”
“In my defense, Drew has no idea I’m doing this. The guy has time to go out with random chicks from his dorky chem lab but not time to go out with someone from a datin’ app.”
“That is not for you to decide!”
“I beg to differ,” I tell her. She wouldn’t understand, but I try to explain. “Look. Somethin’ is goin’ on with him lately. I can’t quite put my finger on it. He’s…restless. Almost like he isn’t interested in anything anymore except studyin’. It’s like he doesn’t even want to…”
I can’t bring myself to finish the sentence. I can’t get myself to say, “It’s like he doesn’t even want to play football anymore.”
Lately, I’ve had the nagging feeling that my brother wants to do something different with his life but doesn’t have the balls to tell me.
If I can get his personal life on track, then his academics and athletic life will be background noise.
Ryann watches me silently, expression blank. Whatever she’s thinking, she’s wrong: I should absolutely butt in to Drew’s business and help make him happy. He clearly doesn’t know how to do it himself.
“So what I’m hearing is, deep down inside, you’re a softy.”
“No. Not deep down. My outside is a nuggety layer.”
“False. Most of the time, you’re too busy being a hard-ass to have a nuggety layer, but whatever helps you sleep at night.”
Speaking of hard-asses… “Have you talked to Dallas lately?”
Ryann smiles at the mention of her boyfriend. “Of course. He hurt his shoulder training yesterday, but it should heal just fine. Minor bruising.” She hesitates. “Want me to mention that he should come and visit?”
Hell no. If Dallas comes to visit, he’s going to get all up in my business, get all judgmental and shit, then he’ll go running to Duke and get me in trouble for meddling in Drew’s personal life.
“We’re good. But thanks.” I adjust the collar on my shirt; it feels as if it’s suffocating me. The last time I wore a shirt like this was during an award banquet at the end of last football season.
Ryann laughs. “I didn’t think so.” She looks me up and down. “Who is this girl you’re going on a date with?”
My lips purse. “She’s in one of Drew’s classes, but they matched on a datin’ app.”
“Then why are you going on the date?”
“He won’t commit.”
“And you don’t think that this is a him decision and not a you decision?”
“Like I said, I know what’s best for him.”
“Do you honestly think you can fake being Drew for a night? The two of you are night and day—this girl is going to know as soon as she meets the real him that she wasn’t dating the real him.”
I run that sentence back in my brain, making it make sense.
“You don’t think I can pull off being Drew for a night?” I scoff. “Please, this ain’t my first rodeo.”
“No, I actually don’t think you can pull off being your brother for an evening—just because you look alike doesn’t mean you act alike. Anyone that knows you can tell the pair of you apart.”
“Well, good thing Daisy don’t know us.”
“Don’t know you?” Ryann rolls her eyes, criticizing my grammar. “Drew wouldn’t have said that.”
Okay. Her being nitpicky is the last thing I need right now.
“Climb down out of my ass for a second and tell me if this shirt works with these pants.”
Ryann glances me up and down. “You’re wearing jeans.”
I shrug. “Yeah.”
“Jeans go with everything.”
“How the hell am I supposed to know that?”
I can tell by the look on her face she’s refraining from more snarky comments.