I snorted. Our university wasn’t known for its swimming. “Those guys wouldn’t last a day in our football program, let alone the NFL. It’s not our fault that the school sets us up to be worshipped, and it doesn’t mean we don’t work for what we’ve achieved. Hell, I spend almost as much time in the weight room as I do my apartment.”

Her gaze slid down my bicep like a physical touch. “I can tell.”

I resisted the urge to flex, just barely, but my voice still came out embarrassingly pouty. “What makes the swim team so special?”

Her eyes returned to mine with a smirk, and I realized she’d been teasing me the same way I’d been teasing her. I rubbed at the tightness in my chest. When was the last time I’d felt this aware of another person off the field?

She tucked one leg under her so she could angle to face me, losing all pretense of disinterest. “Those guys may not be as violent as you, but I’ve seen them out at the community center playing with the kids, donating their time.” She held up a finger when I opened my mouth. “Yes, even during their season.”

I tapped my knee as I considered her words. The community center mostly dealt with kids, and I’d missed hanging out with my younger sister the last few years. She’d been on my mind since I’d visited home during our tiny summer break. I used to spend a lot of time with her while our parents were off doing their thing, but high school football and college football were two different beasts. Especially since I lived a couple of hours away from them.

Chloe would have agreed with Em completely. This was my last season to prove myself, but I’d missed years of living by dedicating all my time to the team. Even in the NFL, players were involved in more than simply playing. Could I afford to take the time to prove Em wrong? Did I want to?

I studied her—the paint-stained sweats, the studious notes she’d taken on her syllabus, the glittering stars, the smug expression. Oh yeah. I wanted to. My obsession with this girl couldn’t be healthy.

“There’s more to playing a sport than physical aptitude… even swimming.” I added with reluctance.

She let out a snorting laugh. “I’m aware of that. There’s also the flexing and the groupies.” She nodded at the blondes who had switched their interest to a preppy guy several rows down.

Thank God I hadn’t flexed when given the chance. “Ha ha. I doubt anyone in this class is out volunteering in their free time. They have priorities just like athletes.”

“I volunteer—at the community center.” Her raised brow dared me to argue with her.

“Are you saying the volunteer work won’t help your future career?”