“Nice reference,” I say.
“FOCUS,” she says, and I can hear her snapping on the other end of the phone. “Someone was filming us and put it all over the internet! I guess she messaged him to see if he was open to ‘sneaking around,’ and he shut her down in true Jake Rodgers fashion, and so she went public with it all. And now the whole world thinks we’re dating.”
I make wide eyes at Poppy, who’s leaned in close to listen. “Oh. Uh,” I say.
“This is bad!” Scottie says.
“But you’re not dating,” I say.
“But Jake told the reporter who called up asking for a comment that I’m his best friend’s little sister and the woman of his dreams, and now the media iseating it up.”
“So just tell them you’re not dating.”
Scottie makes a sound of intense frustration I thought only Poppy could make. Poppy takes the phone.
“This sucks, Scottie,” Poppy says.
“THANK YOU,” she says. “My parents will think it’s a great idea!”
“You dating Jake?”
“No, mefakedating Jake. Everyone wants to help him rehab his image, and I already know they’ll think ‘falling in love with the girl next door’ will help him do that.”
“Oh my gosh. Thatreallysucks!”
“Right?”
“You don’t have to do it.”
“I know. But he’s going to ask, and I’m going to have to,” she says, which makes no sense, but Poppy’s nodding. “You don’t know Jake like I do. Baseball is all he has. It’s everything to him.”
Poppy looks at me, and I blink. “He has more than that,” I say.
“No,youhave more than that,” Scottie counters. “Baseball didn’t save you like it saved him, Fletch. Hehasto have this.”
Poppy frowns. “But you’re worried what Lucas Fischer will think.”
Scottie makes a huffing sound. “I don’t know.”
“Maybe you could talk to him.”
“I can’t tell anyone. If I do this, I have to do it right. If the truth comes out, it will destroy Jake. I won’t risk hurting him.”
“But won’t that hurt you?” Poppy asks.
Scottie’s silent for a long moment. When she speaks again, her voice is thick. “Maybe.” She clears her throat. “But he’s family. You get it.”
There’s something raw in her voice—a vulnerability I haven’t heard from her before. I guarantee neither has Lucas.
“You’re a good friend,” Poppy says. “What can we do?”
“Nothing. I just needed to vent. Don’t worry about me, guys.”
“You sure about that?” I ask.
“I said I’ll be fine, Fletch,” Scottie says. “I’mthe pushy one, remember?”
Poppy catches my eye, and she has so much tenderness on her face, I sigh. “Yeah, yeah. But maybe you can stage a big breakup before Spring Training,” I say. “Brutally break hisheart. It’ll make him even more sympathetic, and it’ll give you something to look forward to.”
