“He did.” He washed his food down with a sip of beer. “Oh, look. The quarterback is about to throw.”
I focused on the game, James stepping backward and pumping his arm, scanning the field for an open player.
Tex shoved defensive linemen aside, one after another, his massive body tossing them like they were nothing.
God, he was strong. Would there be footage of his high school games online somewhere? I was a man obsessed now. But I wanted to know the Tex that Dante had known. “What high school did you go to?”
“Uh, what?” With a peek at me, he pointed at the field. “Look, Tex made an opening, and Malik is running the ball.”
I cut my gaze to the field, watching Malik grab a first down. Malik Thompson was one of Tex’s roommates. A man Dante had met, and I should have already met if I hadn’t been such a coward. With a frown, I ate more of my hot dog.
“Oh, you asked about our high school. We went to Bowie High School.” He bit off a chunk of hot dog.
I lodged that tidbit in my brain. I’d definitely look it up later. There must be footage of him on YouTube. I drank my beer and then stuffed the rest of my hot dog into my mouth.
As the gamehit the two-minute mark before halftime, ASU was leading by a touchdown and Virginia had the ball. Tex paced the sideline.
“Look at that ass.” Dante bit his lower lip. “That man always did it for me.” He sniggered.
My brows shot up. What the hell? He’d been making comments like this the entire game. Did he still like Tex? “Are you seeing anyone now?”
“Nope. I’ve dated a few guys since Tex, but none of them ever stuck.” He glanced at me. “How about you? Tex mentionedthe girl you were tutoring. Has there been any others?” He drank the last of his beer. “We should get more drinks during halftime.”
I fidgeted with the hem of my shirt. “No, no others. The girl I tutored was nice, but I didn’t like her that way. I tried, but…” I watched him out of the corner of my eye, his gaze fixed on Tex. Was he still looking at his damn ass? It wasmyass, not his. As heat swelled in my chest, I held my breath. Should I tell him the truth?
“Well, I’ll tell you a little secret.” He leaned in close.
“What’s that?” Did I want to know? My pulse sped up.
The West Virginia quarterback threw a long pass high into the air. As their wide receiver jumped for the ball, an ASU defensive lineman was on him, grabbing him around the waist as he came down, both falling to the turf. The clock ran out, and the crowd went wild, jumping out of their seats and throwing their hands in the air, making the ASU fork symbol.
“Holy shit, did you see that?” Dante hopped up and clapped. “Great tackle!” Tucking his fingers between his lips, he blew a loud whistle.
As the whistle pierced my ears, I winced and then rose, joining him with clapping.
Tex twisted around, his helmet tucked into his elbow crease, a wide smile gracing his face.
As his gaze caught mine, he waved.
“Yeah, that’s my man.” Dante waved back at him.
No, that wasmyman. Damn it. What the hell was the secret he almost shared? I gave Tex a small wave and my best smile. “Uh, what were you going to tell me?”
As the players left the field, the stands emptied.
Dante’s gaze raked over me. “Oh…” As his cheeks pinked, he said, “Someday, I hope I win him back.”
“Win who back?” My heart stuttered. Was he talking about Tex?
Students and ASU alumni filtered by us, shoving us against our folded seats.
“Tex, Travis. We had something special, but we were so young. I hope someday we’ll get a second chance.” He skimmed his teeth across his lower lip, his gaze dashing across my face.
Heat exploded in my chest. Not if I had anything to do with it. Holy fuck. As my nostrils flared, I took quick breaths, fisting and opening my hands. He had his chance with Tex. Should I tell him the truth?
“Come on, let’s get another beer.” He patted my arm and side-stepped toward the stairs.
What was I supposed to do with this information? I followed him up the stairs and onto the concourse, where long lines were forming at the beer stands. Was he expecting me to tell Tex? I stopped next to him.