The waitress returns with my Diet Coke and Mom's margarita. "Just in the nick of time," she mutters, swallowing down half of it in one thirsty gulp. "Have you spoken to him yet?"I shake my head. Like Beck, he's reached out. And like Beck, I've avoided his calls and texts. There is nothing he can say or do that will change the disgust and disappointment coursing through me. If he wasn't happy in his marriage, he should have done something about it instead of sneaking around behind Mom's back."As furious as I am with him," she says, "I don't want to cause a wedge in your relationship. No matter what happens between us, he is your father, and he loves you."It's almost a relief when our lunch arrives. Mom needs something solid in her stomach to counteract the tequila. She's been snacking on the chips and salsa, but it's not enough.I use my fork to push around the beans and rice on my plate. "I'm not ready to talk to him right now. He didn't only walk out on you, he walked o
"You really said that?" Alyssa gapes before shoveling the last of my enchilada into her mouth. It's been sitting untouched in the refrigerator for days. "To Dr. H?" she mumbles around a mouthful of tortilla, cheese, and chicken.I swing away from her as she sits on the couch in our living room. "Yup.""Damn, girl!" she hoots, slapping her thigh. "You are seriously my hero!"I tunnel my fingers through my hair and groan. Days later and I'm still reeling from the encounter in the bathroom at El Toro."No, I'm not." I spin toward her again as I continue to pace. A mixture of nerves and nausea makes it impossible to sit still.My bestie shakes her head. "Are you kidding me? Everyone on campus has heard the rumors about Hayes. It's about time someone called her out on her bullshit.""I've heard the gossip, too," I admit, "but I never suspected there was any truth behind it." I blow out a slow breath. "If I hadn't seen it happen with my own eyes, I still wouldn't believe it." Wh
The spiral I throw lands perfectly in Colton's hands. Whatever problem he had been struggling with earlier in the season seems to have worked itself out.Thank fuck, because that's the last thing we need right now. We have four games under our belt and eight more to go. It's still early, but we have an undefeated record.When Coach blows his whistle, signaling the end of practice, I unsnap the chin strap and pull off my helmet, letting it dangle from my fingers. Colton jogs toward me, meeting me as we head off the field.Grinning from ear-to-ear, he holds out his hand for a fist bump."Looking good out there," I tell him. "Nice to see you got your groove back.""Damn right I did, baby!" He flashes a grin as relief oozes from every pore of his body. "And not a moment too soon with the Alabama game coming up."Already I know it'll be a tough one. Both mentally and physically. We're neck and neck with Alabama. After next Saturday, one of us will be first in the conference, and I
Summer before freshman year of college..."Get your butt over here," my best friend squeals from the window where she's taken up sentinel, "you need to see this!"That's a negative, Ghost Rider. I'll take a hard pass. I have zero interest in spying on a yard full of drunken classmates who are partying it up at my neighbor's house. Reluctantly, I glance up from the toes I'm painting with a pale pink polish. Coney Island Cotton Candy, to be precise.When our gazes lock, Alyssa waves me over. She's practically vibrating with excitement. Kind of like a schnauzer."Everyone is over there!""Not true," I mutter, lacquering my baby toe with an impressively steady hand. "We're right here." And that's exactly where I plan to stay."Yeah, that's kind of the problem." She steeples her hands together before shaking them at me. "Please?" she begs. "Can't we go over there for a little bit? Just a little? That's all I'm asking."That's all she's asking...ha!I'm calling bullshit.Alyssa
A dozen outfit changes later, Alyssa settles on a black knit tank and white skirt that showcases her sun-kissed legs to their best advantage. Alyssa has been taking dance classes since she was three years old. She's toned with long, lean muscles."Damn girl, you look hot." Not that her crush will appreciate the effort. Alyssa needs to move on. I'm thinking a twelve-step program would help kick the Colton Montgomery habit."I would gladly live in your closet if you'd let me." She grins before doing a little twirl. "It's my happy place."A reluctant smile quirks my lips.My mother is a card-carrying shopaholic and has the Amex Black Card bills to prove it. She buys clothes like our house burned to the ground and nothing could be salvaged. Even with racks of space, my wardrobe is bursting at the seams. Three-quarters of the stuff has never seen the light of day. Alyssa is lucky we're roughly the same size so she can borrow whatever she wants.Now that she's dressed and ready to
Believe it or not, before our parents left town for a long weekend in New York, Archie asked me to keep an eye on their son. His actual words were-make sure no one dies.As if I exert that much control over Beck?Yeah, right. Beck doesn't listen to anyone, let alone me.Exactly what am I supposed to do?Tattletale?Facetime his parents so they can get a first-hand glimpse of the ensuing pandemonium?As much pleasure as that would give me, it's not going to happen. I might be a lot of things (a rule follower and a goody-goody, if you listen to Beck) but there are lines that can't be crossed, and snitching is one of them.This will be one more antic Beck gets away with. I suppose that's the beauty of being Beckett Hollingsworth. He doesn't give a shit about anything other than football.The Neanderthal sport is his life.By the time Beck was a freshman in high school, he'd already drawn the attention of Big Ten college coaches. They couldn't wait to get him on their roster. If he
Instead of finding a dejected Alyssa crying in the corner, I'm amazed to discover that she's clawed her way to the front of the pack. Who knows, she may actually have a shot of getting picked from the crowd.This could be a real game-changer for her.Guess that means I'm stuck here. I look around the patio, searching for a place to park my ass. The Hollingsworth property is about an acre in size, which is the same as ours. The space around the pool is gated with a black-iron fence and tall arborvitae that spear into the dark night sky. Toward the back of the gate is an unoccupied lounge chair with my name on it. I'll hang out there for forty minutes before dragging Alyssa's panty-less ass back to my house.Before I can take three steps, a deep voice cuts through the raucous noise of the party."Well, well, well. Look who decided to make a cameo appearance tonight."I swing around, knowing exactly who I'll find.Beck.As difficult as it is, I try not to notice how delicious he lo
Landon Mathews, the guy I was attempting to lure Alyssa with, settles on the lounger next to me. We had calculus together last semester and often compared notes. Even though Landon is a football player, I don't hold it against him. He's proven himself to be a good guy. And, in my experience, those are far and few in between."Hey, Mia." He hands me a brand-new Solo cup overflowing with beer. "You look like you could use a little pick me up."I could use a lot more than that, but this will do."Thanks." Our fingers brush as I take the cup from him. Unlike when I touch Beck, no spark of attraction ignites in my blood. It's yet another reminder that you can't help who you're drawn to. Not wanting to dwell on that disturbing thought, I lift the glass to my lips and take a swig."I wasn't expecting to see you here," he comments.Does everyone think I'm a killjoy?It would seem my image needs a little rebranding.I jerk my head toward the house next door. "We're neighbors.""Oh ye