“For Knox.” I emphasize his name.
“And his brother.”
“Is your last name Masters?”
“It might as well be. Plus, I can help you. I know how to cook.” Matty gets off the sofa and waltzes into the kitchen.
“You do?”
“Yeah. What did you bring?” He starts to dig through the sacks.
“Steak and potatoes.” I grimace. “Not very original.”
“If you don’t mind, I’ve got a good way to cook steaks. I like to baste them in butter.”
“Baste? That word sounds professional to me.”
“My dad’s a chef,” Matty admits. “I might have picked up a few things from him.”
I slide the steaks over. “Have at it, but I’m still pretending I cooked tonight.”
“No problem.” Matty knows this kitchen better than I do. He pulls out a cast iron pan and sets it on the burner. “Salt and pepper are in the cabinet by the sink.” He points to the cabinet and I trot over to pull out the spices. “You salt and pepper the steaks while I get the rest of this ready. What do you think for potatoes? Scalloped or regular baked?”
“I planned to put them in the microwave,” I confess.
Matty looks at me like I’m a heathen. “Yeah, I’m making scalloped.”
He instructs me on peeling and then slicing them while he adds more salt to the steaks.
“If your fan club could see you now, they’d be standing outside the door in a line like teens waiting for 1D.”
“What makes you think they aren’t already? I had to beat them off with a stick on the walk from Union to here.” He flashes a grin and I realize that Matty Iverson is gorgeous. His blue eyes a shocking contrast to his jet black locks, and he has a wide, infectious smile. It doesn’t hurt that he’s as ripped underneath his V-neck sweater. When Knox is around, all I can do is look at him.
“The defense played great last week,” I tell Matty. The team won twenty-four to fourteen. The offense still struggles but the defense was stifling. They are still undefeated and with only five games left, their national championship hopes were running high which is why I need to do the right thing with Knox now even though the only more painful thing would be to take
“Jack had a great game. We really need him on offense. I swear he’s the only one who can catch sometimes.” Matty bends over and throws the potato, cheese, milk, and bread mixture into the oven.
“Excited about tomorrow?”
“Yeah, the Cougars are a good team but we’re better.” He picks up a towel to wipe off his hands and looks at me with chagrin. “I worried about you and Masters at first. I thought he might get distracted and not as sharp on the field, but he’s elevated his play.”
I didn’t doubt that for a minute. Once Knox steps on the field, you can tell the only thing on his mind is eating the quarterback for lunch. There’s nothing but steely determination in his eyes. “He’s hungry for it.”
“No kidding. He watched every post-game interview, every minute of the championship celebration last year because it made him angry.” Matty winks at me. “We like an angry Masters. Besides he wants to win it this year.”
“I know. He’s declaring.” Ace knew it so I figured most of the team did as well.
“He’d be a fool not to.” His lips quirk up in a rueful smile. “I’m happy for him. It makes sense because if he stays another year, he risks injury. His draft stock is high this year so there’s no reason to wait, but shit, I’ll miss playing with him. So yeah, this year, we’ve got to win it. If we don’t win the title, our careers here will be a bust. All the potential and nothing to show for it.”
He shakes his head and the dread I managed to shelve the other night slides into my stomach.
“You’ll win.” I try to project as much confidence as I can.
“Knock on wood.” Matty bangs the cabinet above his head.
My phone buzzes. I pull it out and read the message from Knox. “They’re on their way.”
“Great. Let’s get these steaks seared.” He throws a stick of butter into the pan followed by the steaks. The smell of deliciously cooked meat fills the kitchen and I try not to gag as my guilt churns in my stomach. I busy myself with cleaning up the kitchen and avoiding Matty’s gaze. I don’t need him seeing how upset I am and then grilling me on what’s wrong until Knox shows up with his brother.
“We need biscuits,” Matty declares. He grabs my arm and pulls me over to the stove. “Keep spooning the butter over the steaks. I’ll be right back.”
He disappears down the stairs. Alone, I can only think of Jack’s words and how stupidly I’ve jeopardized everyone’s future. Not just Jack. Not just Masters. But Matty and Hammer and every other guy on this team who has sacrificed so much to have their perfect season.
I shouldn’t have come here. I should have called Knox and said it was over. Lingering over the corpse of our relationship is bad for everyone. I press my hand against my abdomen, but the knot won’t go away.
By the time Matty returns from wherever he disappeared to, the lump in my stomach has grown to the size of an elephant.
He’s got something clutched in his big fist.
“You’re making biscuits from scratch?”
He slaps a roll of refrigerated biscuit dough onto my palm. “Ta da!”
“Thank God.” I smile weakly.
“Why’s that?”
“Well, finding out you made biscuits from scratch would have totally demoralized me, so I’m glad to find out that you are merely mortal when it comes to this.”
“No one makes them better than the little puffy dough man.”
“Hey, there you are.” I turn to find Knox and his brother standing at the door. Both of them are staring at me.
I know what this is. This is “The Test.” Knox wants me to show him I can tell them apart, like I do from the pictures. It’s the one chance I have. The one action I have never wanted to take. Already the hollowness of losing Knox sets in, but I love him too much to kill his dreams with my selfishness.
I glide to both of them and then place my hands on the first brother’s shoulders. His arms close around me and when I lift my face for a kiss, he dips down to press his foreign lips against mine. Over his shoulder, I can see Knox’s eyes—the confusion, disappointment, the hurt.
I close my own because I can’t see that pain. I close them and keep kissing Ty until his tongue slicks against my mouth.
I pull away because I can’t go that far.
“Hey.” I point to Knox. “This is the infamous Kintyre?”
Ty’s grip around my frame tightens—probably in frustration and disappointment.
Behind me, Matty is silent. He’s curious about the test, but he doesn’t know I’ve failed.
I wait for Knox, but it’s Ty that responds. “Yeah, honey, this is my brother.”
Knox stares at me, willing me to pick up on the mistake. He’s never called me honey. Baby, sweetheart, but never honey.
I smile blindly back at both of them and wait for Ty—acting as Knox—to introduce me to my boyfriend. As he drags Knox forward, I wonder how long they’ll play the twin switch and how many times they have done it before. Would Knox actually let Ty sleep with me?
The thought disgusts me. I want to swipe my hand across my mouth to erase the kiss. Doing anything more intimate with Ty would be soul sucking.
I don’t know how anyone can’t tell the difference. I’d know which was Knox and which was Ty blindfolded. Ty’s hands feel different around my waist. His fingers are thinner and shorter. His body is more bulky. His smell is different. I can’t let this stranger touch me for one more second or I’ll get sick, so I pull away.
I clear my throat. “I failed, didn’t I?”
Knox steps forward, his expression wavers between confusion and unhappiness. “You kissed my brother.”
I give a half laugh and choke back my tears as I grab my purse. “At least it wasn’t with tongue. I’m going now.”
“Wait,” he calls, but I push by both of them, grab my coat, and leap out of there.