BET

Chapter Seven

Kasia

"I won. Just admit it!" I say, propping my feet up on the couch and reclining back.

    Evelyn shakes her head. "You said after you agreed to go home with him, he told you he had to go tell his friends that he was leaving."

    I nod, confirming what I told them earlier about my night with Simon.

    "Then he walked over and you could see him talking to Keagan and the other one."

    "Mhm." I nod again, reveling in the feeling of my win.

    "Well did Keagan see you?"

    I look over at her and furrow my brows. "I could see him, so he could have easily seen me too."

    "But you're not sure. The bet was about their loyalty, so it only works if they all know you're trying to get with each of them."

    I smile, shaking my head and holding my hand up. "Not trying anymore, I have successfully got with two of them." I correct her.

    Evelyn rolls her eyes. "Either way, I can't agree that you won."

    "What?" I exclaim, sitting up. "You're just being a sore loser."

    She holds her hands up in defense. "We can drop it and call it even, but I just don't think you can win until they all clearly know you are getting with the others."

    I clench my teeth. "Fine. I'll just have to prove you wrong with the third one."

    "I told you we can just call it even." she says, defensively.

    "You underestimate how much I want to win." I say, standing up from the couch. "I'll sleep with the whole team if I have to."

    "Like that is a real sacrifice." Evelyn says, shaking her head. "I'm starting to get jealous with how much action you're getting."

    "Try the soccer team." I say sarcastically, grabbing my bag and throwing it over my shoulder. "For now, get up."

She furrows her brows at me. "What, why?" she asks.

"Because you're coming with me. You're going to watch as I prove you wrong."

She looks apprehensive, but she stands up and grabs her bags, following after me as I lead her out to my car.

-

    After Evelyn's challenge, I decide that in order to win, I am really going to have to take matters into my own hands. I drive over to the football field, stepping out of my car and squinting to see all the players on the field doing their practice moves. I throw Evelyn my keys as she steps out of the passenger seat, her eyes filled with confusion.

    "Kasia," she says, a warning in her voice.

    "Wait here." I gesture down to my car. "This shouldn't take long."

    I start to walk away from the car, leaving her behind.

    "What are you doing?" she calls after me.

    "Watch closely." I yell back to her.

I walk closer to the gate, trying to find any familiar faces through the jerseys and sweat. I spot Simon at the same time that he must spot me because he pauses the drills that he is performing. He glances around at his teammates before calling out that he is taking a break and jogging over to me.

Simon approaches the fence, slowing down into a walk and exhaling loudly. I watch as his normal scowl softens into a slight smile.

"This is a closed practice," he says.

"I'm not a rule follower, remember?" I say, referencing our game the other night.

He chuckles, the sweat rolling off of his skin. "Yet you remain on the other side of that fence where you're supposed to be."

I glance down, sticking my fingers through the holes in the fence and pulling against it like I am testing its durability.

"Why don't you go get something to cut through this fence and I'll slide right through?" I ask.

He smiles, biting his bottom lip and glancing back at the other guys quickly. "As much as I'd love to do that, it would be defacing college property."

Simon leans closer to the fence that separates us, his eyes peering into mine.

"Don't tell me you came all this way just to get me in trouble." he says.

I let my eyes wander over his shoulder where the other guys are still practicing. I see Keagan glancing over at Simon and I before he turns back around and throws the football down the field where another player catches it and then throws it back to him. My eyes scan over the other guys on the field and I finally spot their other friend, the quiet one that I am here for. I see my opportunity and I take it, looking back at Simon.

    "Actually, I was hoping you would introduce me to your tall friend over there." I say, nodding towards him.

    Simon's eyes narrow at my words, no longer a sly smile on his lips as he glances over his shoulder to where I point. He looks back at me and tilts his eyes to the side, that familiar scowl back on his face.

"Henry?" he asks.

"That's the one." I confirm.

I spot the slight jealousy in his eyes even as he tries to cover it up by clenching his jaw tightly and backing away from the fence.

"Well then, I'll go get him for you." Simon says, his voice sharp.

    When Simon turns away, I glance over my shoulder at Evelyn who leans on the hood of my car, her arms crossed. I see her shake her head as she watches the events before her. I look back just as Simon walks up to Henry and must tell him that I want to talk to him. They both glance over at where I stand on the other side of the fence and I wave.

    They talk for a few more seconds before Simon walks away, going back to the drills that he was completing before he walked over to me. My eyes move back to Henry who crosses the distance over to the fence where I stand.

    He is handsome, in a tall, awkward, and shy way. He isn't the stereotypical jock and if I saw him in any other setting other than he is right now, wearing a jersey and sweaty from his practice, I would assume that he isn't a sports guy. That is until my eyes skim over his body and I am met with arms that look like they could crush me in half, veins popping and sweat beading over his skin.

    I focus my eyes back up on his face as he pushes his long hair out of his eyes and looks around unsure, like there is something else around us that will reveal why I want to talk to him. Finally his eyes settle on me and he parts his lips to speak.