Heat swirled in my chest. Apparently, being smart wasn’t enough for him. “Is there anything else you want? I’m actually in a…” I inhaled deeply. “I’m tutoring someone right now.”
“Oh, no. I was just checking in. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Sure. Bye, Dad.” I waited. Was he drunk enough to tell me he loved me?
“Yeah, bye now.” The call ended.
Nope, not drunk enough yet. With a heavy sigh, I strolled toward the main room.
Travis…or Tex…stood in the doorway to my bathroom, just outside my bedroom. “Sorry, but I heard some of that. You told your dad we met in class? Why didn’t you tell him you’re tutoring me?”
THREE
TEX (TRAVIS)
Something wasn’t right here. Would he tell me what was going on between him and his father? I eyed him as I planted my hands on my hips.
Hanging his head, he darted past me and into the main room. “It’s complicated, okay?”
I followed and grabbed his elbow, stopping him. “Talk to me. I can be a good listener.” I didn’t know why, but I wanted to help him. Something inside me craved it—and to be more than just a student he tutored.
As he turned, he freed a harsh huff. “My dad doesn’t think I have any friends. I do.”
“Yeah, like Evan Crosby?” I hooked a brow. “And Sara?” My chest stung for a second. “Are there more?”
He pressed his lips into a thin line. “No, not right now.” His gaze found mine, and his brows wrinkled. “If I told him you were my friend, then it would impress him more.”
“So, you feel you need to impress your father?” It was a common issue for so many guys I knew. Hell, wasn’t Grey caught up in that nonsense too? I loosened my grip on his arm and let my hand fall to my side. “Tell me about him. You know,since we’re such good friends now, right?” I gave him a lop-sided grin.
With a smirk, he shook his head. “He’s just…” He plopped onto the end of the couch and raked his fingers through his long brown bangs. “He’s the opposite of me. Where he’s very outgoing, I’m not. I prefer to choose my friends wisely and only have a few.” He flashed his eyes at me.
“Okay. If I could be one of them, I’d be honored.” With my chest warming, I sat beside him. He was letting me in and damn, I liked it.
As his gaze crept to mine, his eyes grew glassy. “Thank you.” He rolled his lips. “My dad doesn’t see my intellect as an asset. He thinks I’m book smart and street stupid. Does that make sense?” He set his hand on his thigh. “My dad also loves sports.”
I stared at his hand and nodded. I wanted to hold it. Would he let me? “What’s your dad’s profession?” I tore my gaze from his hand and studied his gorgeous face. Did he have any idea how attractive he was?
“He sells medical equipment. Machines they use in surgeries to make it less invasive. That’s about all I know.” He scoffed a laugh. “I don’t even think he knows much about them. For him, it’s all about the relationships he builds with the doctors.” He wrung his hands in his lap.
“Okay, so you and your dad value two very different things, and you wanted to impress him by telling him you have a friend on the football team.” Oh…now the hockey friend made sense. His father loved sports, so he’d kept in touch with Evan. Me being a football player was an advantage for me. Hot damn. A smile tugged at my lips.
“My dad said you go byTex. Is that true?” He lifted his chin, focusing on me.
“Yeah, everyone calls me that. It’s only because I’m from Austin.” I inched closer to him. God, if only I could touch him somehow. But right now, he might freak out. “It started in football camp where I met JJ Matthews. He’s on the Cardinals now,and he’s from Scottsdale. I told him a story about my ex-boyfriend, Dante, and his family ranch.” After a chuckle, I said, “A bull almost mauled me after he escaped his pen and JJ started calling me Tex.” I tsked. “I think JJ wanted me to have a nickname because he had one. JJ’s real name is Jordan.”
Colton’s lips curled into a faint grin. “Yeah? When did you date Dante?”
Funny, he bypassed the bull story in favor of knowing more about my ex. “We dated in high school and for about a year after I moved here for college. Like most long-distance relationships when you’re that young, it fell apart, and we became friends.” I watched him relax, his shoulders dropping and posture not as straight. I lifted my hand and brushed a lock of hair from his brow.
He leaned into my touch for a beat and then swallowed hard. “I’ve never been with someone that long. I’ve never had time for it.”
“With football and school, I haven’t either.” But maybe it was time. I’d make time for him. Hell, all my friends had found partners in their senior year, and Malik and Grey would be official soon. Could I ask if he were?—
His phone buzzed on the coffee table. “Shit.” He picked it up and tapped the screen. “It’s Evan.” As he rose, he took a deep breath. “Anyway, I think we’re done, aren’t we?” He tapped more on the screen and then rubbed his neck.
“Yes, we are.” I shouldn’t keep him any longer. I slipped my laptop into my bag and lifted it as I stood. “So, next week maybe we could grab the beer we’d talked about?” I touched his forearm. “Then you won’t be lying to your dad.”
“Yeah, sure.” His phone buzzed again, and he typed more. “I’ll see you out.” He stepped toward the door and opened it.