“Sounds like you got a lot on your plate. You have time for schoolwork, basketball, and a club? Dude, you’re at Briggs. You can slow down with the extracurricular activities. You don’t have to impress some acquisition counselor. What about the girls? You keep that pace up and you’re liable to miss out on all the real extracurricular fun. I went to WB. I know all about the fun. Believeme.”
“I’m good.” A goofy grin buoys to my face. “In fact, I’m real good.” I start in on how Sunday and I met all those years ago, how it morphed into a love-hate relationship, the hate primarily belonging to her. And then like some windup toy with no shut-off valve, I start in on what happened last December, how her brothers are going to snap my neck, how she thinks she slept with Eli Freaking Gates, how I don’t have a soul I feel safe enough to spill my guts to. “Sorry, dude.” I pinch my eyes shut. “I don’t know what the hell justhappened.”
“I think I tapped you, and you busted loose like a piñata.” He winces. “Man, that’s a lot. Are you okay? I mean, I can tell you’re tense. Look, I know we just met, but sometimes a stranger is the only person you can really trust in situations like these.” He gives me his card. “You shoot me a text, and I’ll meet you here anytime. Heck, I’ll meet you at the Black Bear. In fact, I’ll be doing some work with the owners, so I’ll be there a lot in the coming weeks and over the summer. They’re part of the program I’m working on.” He slouches in his seat, his features looking grave as he inspects me. “Shit. Let me know if there’s anything at all I can do foryou.”
“Don’t tell anyone. That’s a great start. And who knows? I might take you up on the Black Bear. God knows I feel like weights just lifted off me.” I shake my head as I look to the bar. “But I promise, I didn’t drag you all the way out here to make you feel sorry for me.” I offer a sheepish grin. “I dragged you all the way out here so you can feel sorry for my girlfriend.” I start in on Sunday’s other debacle—the financial pickle with theshelter.
“Price match a hundred grand.” He leans back in his seat, and I can tell I’ve made him sick to his stomach. “I’ll be honest, if it were anyone else, it would be a hard and fast no. But I like your sister. Nolan and Misty are like family. Lex says she practically raised Rush and Sunday.” He shakes his head slowly. “Dude, you are in some deep, deep shit. I think you can use a lucky break or twelve. I’ll take this back to the board and see what we can do.” He stands toleave.
“It’s a tax write-off. All funds go directly to theshelter.”
Shep closes his eyes with a look that suggests he’s well aware. “Don’t worry about pitching me a spiel. I’ll put in an extra good word. I’ll see you around.” He gives a quick pat to my shoulder before takingoff.
At least that seemed to go well. What the heck was I thinking outlining all of the magnificent ways I’ve fucked up lately? My stomach wrenches at the thought. Little Fish comes to mind, and I can’t help but curve my lips the right way. That’s my kid. He or she is very much wanted, and I refuse to think of him or her as a mistake. Nothing I do with Sunday feels like a mistake. In fact, it feels as if it were always meant to be thisway.
It feels likedestiny.
Now if I can only convince her brothers ofthat.
Something tells me Ican’t.
Baby Bump in the Road
Sunday
One more freaking thing todo…
Vlog, but for God’s sake no giveaways. I swear, Satan keeps putting boxes in my path just to watch me vomit. And my God, is this ever going to getbetter???
Call the student store and demand to speak with a manager. It’s not a lot to ask that there be a minute maternity section in the vastness of all that dead open space. Especially when coeds such as myself are moved to shop for a “friend.” And perhaps suggest they look into firing that sorority sister eyeing me with judgment as if I were thefriendin question. A congenial staff is apparently an impossibility to come by thesedays.
Work on building up a stash of those cupcakes I keep noshing on from the caf. The red velvet surprise are to die for. And I will kill if needed to fulfill my nightly cravings forone.
Find Seth and take him up on that bodily massage he offered by way of histongue.
Burn to-dolist.
As much as I appreciate the fact Izzy has been syphoning me her wardrobe discards as she grows out of them, I can’t help but note they look so very—well—maternity-inspired. As slimming as they are, they still screambaby on board, so for the most part I’m only utilizing the cute jeans and jeggings she’s gifted me. The bright blue dress with the Peter Pan collar is a clear throwback to the eighties, and seeing that it still has a tag on it, it was out of bounds for even Izzy. Nope, not for me. I’ve relegated myself to wearing old baggy sweatshirts, most of them hand-delivered by my newly minted boyfriend himself. Just the way he’s doingnow.
“Thank you!” I pull him into my dorm and seal my mouth over his with a lingering kiss. This is all I really want to do on this lazy Friday evening. But duty calls and I’ve got regularly scheduled programming to tendto.
Seth pulls back and examines me with sleepy eyes. “You lookbeautiful.”
“Thanks, but half the janitorial staff has more fashion sense than me these days. My viewers are leaving me by the droves, and I pinpoint it directly on the fact my hair looks like an oil spill no matter how much I wash it, my face looks as if a flock of chickens pecked at it, I’m bloated, have bona fide luggage under my eyes, and I have to take a piss every thirty seconds while trying to enthusiastically talk about the latest greatest freebies the cosmetics giants are freely sending my way. And soon, I’m guessing, that well will dry up,too.”
Seth bounces a smile. “At least you haven’t lost your ability to see the bright side. Do you mind if I hangout?”
I pull him over to my bed. “As if I was going to let you leave. Trixie headed out with Rush, so we have the place to ourselves. I just have to shoot a quick video. Feel free to take a nap or watch me inaction.”
“Take a nap?” he balks. “Honey, if you’re in the room, I’m sleeping with you.” He gives a quick wink while hopping on my bed and kicking off his shoes. “Do your thing. I’ll drool in the corner.” He folds a pillow under his chest and falls on his stomach as I ready myself on the floor. I swear, it takes me ten times longer to get up from any sitting position, let alone the carpet. Soon I’ll have to shoot it from my bed, which means I might actually have tomakeit, lest my viewers see how I really live and ditch me for far more tidier cosmeticspastures.
I pull up my newest box of goodies—unopened because who likes to be surprised better than me? I flip on my phone and set it in the cradle and turn iton.
“Hey, guys—it’s Sunday Knight! I hope you’re ready to kick off the weekend with a bang, but before you head out and set the world on fire with that Better Than Sex Mascara on point, I thought I’d give you a sneak peek at some of the goodies I scored at the post office.” I slice the box open with a pair of scissors, and Seth catches my eye as he strips off his jacket. I give a sly smile his way without meaning to. It’s a hard and fast rule to shoot these videos when I’m alone so I don’t fall victim to distraction. God knows I’m liable to fall victim to—oh look,shiny!
I abruptly look back to the camera and try my best to shake all thoughts of Seth Baker out of my head as I unpack item after item, giving each one their due. But Seth must be roasting in here because he’s just peeled off his flannel, and I can’t help but note the way his T-shirt stretches taut over his chest. My God, how does he get that cotton to stretch over those muscles? That man is made of iron and steel like no other. Seth is the beefiest basketball player on the entire team. He looks far more football than he does basketball, but I guess that’s what makes him sopowerful.
“Sunday,” he hisses my name low and nods to thecamera.
