I did not expect this, especially after my latest interview blunder. I swear, I wasn’t looking at her boobs. Really. “Thank you. I’m honored.”
Coach smiles and places one hand on his hip. It’s his calm but serious speech stance, usually reserved for those moments just before a big game. “You really stepped up for us last season. We have a lot of new guys looking for leadership, and I think you’re going to be a great addition to that.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Blythe continues her wide smile as she starts talking rapidly, “We’ll be putting out a statement, and I’d love to get a few signed jerseys that we can give away on our social media pages. We’ll want to do a couple of interviews as well.”
Another groan slips out before I can stop it. Jack laughs.
“I’m sorry,” I say, “I am thrilled to help lead the team, but the strong, silent type might be a better role for me.”
“Your last interview was… unfortunate,” Blythe says, her smile not faltering. “But these will be controlled, and I will prep you in advance.”
It doesn’t look like I have a choice, so I slap on a professional smile. “I appreciate it, Blythe.”
She takes a step back. “I’ll be in touch next week. Enjoy your weekend.”
“Congratulations,” Coach says when she’s gone. His posture relaxes. “I’ll see you boys tomorrow at my house.”
“Looking forward to it,” I say.
Jack follows me back into the locker room. “Are you ready to celebrate tonight?”
“Do I have a choice?” I sit on the bench in front of my stall, still holding the jersey. Jack is hosting a team party, and the way the invite was worded didn’t make it seem like it was optional. I’d go either way, but after being gone last weekend, then a long week of camp, I’d prefer a chill night at home where I speak to no one.
“No, but since you’re the man of the hour, you do get to pick up the booze. I’ll send you a list of everyone’s favorites. It shouldn’t get too crazy tonight, and I keep most of it stocked, but it’s always good to have a surplus. Especially with the rookies.”
I shake my head. My first official duty as an alternate captain is to pick up the booze for the party? Yeah, that sounds about right.
Ash goes with me to the liquor store. I read from the long list of all the guys’ favorites.
“Where do you think they keep MD 20/20?” I ask as we wander down the aisle, tossing various liquors and beers in the cart.
Ash doesn’t respond, and I stop and look back to find him staring down at his phone.
“Talia?”
“Yeah, she just got back in town,” he answers while still smiling at his phone.
“What’s her favorite drink?” I ask with a sigh. Might as well add another item to this long ass list.
He finally looks up. “I don’t think we’ll be doing any drinking tonight.”
“Jack will kick your ass if you duck out at his party.”
“I’ll come for an hour or two.” His thumbs fly over the screen in his hands. “She needs a couple of hours to unpack and all that.”
“It doesn’t bother you that she was just with someone else?” I ask. Ash is a lot of things, a pushover isn’t one of them. I can’t understand why he’s settling for someone that is clearly not invested in him. He’s a great guy. If he was hooking up with other people too, it’d make more sense to me, but he isn’t.
“What about you?” He tucks his phone in his pocket, walks in front of me, and holds up a bottle of MD 20/20. “When’s your next bonefest with Scarlett?”
I nod for him to put the bottle in the cart. He does and grabs three more, too.
“I don’t know. I haven’t talked to her.” She sent a single text in response to mine: I had a good time, too.
His brows raise. “Seriously? I thought you were into this chick? I believe your words were, ‘She was a dream.’”
“I stand by that.” Although as the days have passed, I’m starting to wonder if I didn’t actually dream the whole thing. It feels like a month ago instead of seven days. “I’ve been a little busy. When do you think I possibly could have seen her this week?”
“You slept at home every night this week, didn’t you?”
“I’m not inviting her over to fuck. I want to get to know her.” I smirk. “Then fuck again.”
Ash huffs a laugh as he sets a case of craft beer in the cart. “Well, don’t wait much longer. If she’s half as awesome as you made her out to be, she’s not sitting around waiting to hear from some college dude who lives with his parents. No matter how sexy you are.”
6
I WAS SO WRONG ABOUT HIM
SCARLETT
Jade lies on my bed, flipping through a magazine while I get ready for dinner with my parents. A meal with Mom and Dad wouldn’t usually require such dedication to my appearance, but tonight I have to tell them that I dropped out of college. Again.
I don’t have the type of parents that will yell and scream or disown me, and I’m thankful for that, honest, but the disappointment and worry etched into their features over the past couple of years is starting to wear on me. First, it was when I dropped out of my study abroad program to travel with Rhyse and then again when I came home a blubbering mess after we broke up.
I get it. I gave up everything for him. I was all in. So all in. And it didn’t work out. I was shattered, and they were rightly concerned. But this decision isn’t a reaction to the breakup. If I took nothing else away from my time following Rhyse around the world, I discovered just how much I love taking pictures. Something that had always been a hobby before became a passion.
I’m in a dress my mom bought me and wearing my hair in two long braids—a hairstyle my dad likes (He’s never actually said that, but he always tugs the ends and smiles when I do.).
I do not want to be this daughter, the one still living at home at twenty-one, figuring out life and disappointing her family. Even if they’ve never voiced it, I know my parents expect me to be like my older sister, Cadence. She is the perfect daughter and sister. She went to college, got a great job, found a nice guy, and got married. I’d hate her if I didn’t admire her so much. Which is why I invited her tonight. She knows about my plans and is supportive.
Also, she has the bigger news. She’s pregnant! Mom and Dad can’t be upset when they’re getting their first grandkid, right? Right?
“Still nothing from hottie Leo?” Jade asks. “I’m surprised. Tell me again how you left things.”
Laughing, I indulge her for the third or fourth time this week but give her the short version. “He said he had a great time, and then we kissed some more until the Uber driver was about to leave my ass.”
“And the text?”
“Said that he was busy, but would call.” Which he hasn’t.
“Then he’ll call. He will. I know it.”
“Doubtful. It’s been a week since he sent that text, and I haven’t heard from him,” I say with an air of indifference. I’m faking. I went to sleep the morning after, or morning of, technically, since we stayed up all night, convinced he would text, but so far nothing.