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I drew in a deep breath “You don’t You don’t want to play college ball, do you?”

His eyes closed and several moments stretched out between us “It’s crazy, isn’t it? I mean, I’ve always played ball I don’t even re carted off to practice or seeing rass stains out of ood at it” He said it without an ounce of arrogance It was just the truth Sebastian had a God-given talent for playing football “But when I think about another four years of getting up at dawn, running and catchinganother four years of Dad basing his entire existence on how the ga Hell, ”

“We don’t want that,” I said drily

He flashed a brief grin and then it disappeared Our gazes met and held “I don’t want to do it, Lena,” he whispered this to me, a secret he couldn’t speak loudly “I don’t want to spend another four years doing this”

My breath caught “You know you don’t have to, right? You don’t have to go to college and play ball There’s still tiet other scholarships A ton of ti Seriously”

He laughed, but there wasn’t an ounce of humor to it “If I decided not to play ball, my father would stroke out”

I squirmed closer so our faces were inches apart “Your dad will be fine Do you still want to study recreational science?”

“I do, but not for the reasons Dad thinks” He bit down on his lower lip, slowly letting it pop out “He has this plan for e ball, then be drafted—second pick Not first He’s realistic” His grin ry as his gaze slid to mine “I’ll play a couple of years and thento use the recreational science degree”

The all-Aht there “And what is your plan?”

His eyes ide, the blue startling and vibrant “Do you kno much you can do in recreational science? I could work in hospitals, with vets or even in psychology It’s not all about sports injuries I want to actually help someone I know this sounds stupid and cliché”

“It’s not stupid or cliché,” I insisted “Not at all”

A half sht faded from his eyes and he said, “I don’t know He would flip out It would be like the end of the world”

I had no doubt in my mind that Sebastian was correct in that assuet over it He has to”

His lashes lowered “He’d probably disown me”

“I don’t know if he’d go that far” My gaze flickered over his face “It’s your life Not his Why would you do so that you weren’t really into?”

“Yeah” A brief sfor UVA?”

Clearly he was officially done with the conversation “Yeah”

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure”

“It’s kind of random”

I grinned “You’re always random”

He nodded in agreement “Why did you and Andre break up?”

Blinking, I wasn’t sure I heard hihed

He nudged h the blanket with his “Told you it was out there”

“Yeah UmI don’t know” Holy crap, wasn’t like I could tell him the truth It didn’t work out because I was in love with you That wouldn’t go over well

Sebastian opened his mouth, then closed it When I peeked at him, his lips were pressed in a hard line “He didn’t do so, did he? Like mess around on you or hurt—”

“No Oh my God, no Andre was practically perfect” My eyes widened as what he said really sank in “Wait Did you think he did so?”

“Not a hundred percent If I had, he wouldn’t be walking right now” I raised an eyebrow “I just never knehy you guys broke up One second you tere together and then youyou just weren’t”

I let the blanket slip down my shoulders “I just wasn’t into him the way I should’ve been, and it made meuncomfortable”