“Yes?”
“Those are my favorite.”
“Is that why you ripped my other pair in half? Is that how you treat your favorite things?”
“Well…if you are putting it that way, it was blocking me from a favorite activity, and we just simply couldn’t have that.”
“What is the point of asking this?” I sigh-laugh, shoulders relaxed into the booth and slow smile peeling at the corners of my mouth.
“Did I distract you?”
“Yes?” I repeat, same tone and all.
“Good. Stop getting in your head. All you need to do is give it your best, forget about everything else. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“Plus, you can tell them all about me.” I laugh. “No one can’t love me.”
“You’re so full of it.”
“And you’ll be full of me later.” Heat prickles my cheeks. The blush Elliot blended into my skin probably matches my hair now. “You’ve got this. I promise, baby. I believe in you.”
“Thank you,” I whisper.
I can hear Coach Mathieson yell in the background.
“Gotta jump, but text me after. I’ll check my phone in the locker room.”
Cooper hangs up, and I sink into the seat. I plop my earbud back in to try and drown out Izzy’s stupid voice, but all I can do is replay that stretch of high school.
FORTY-SIX
SUTTON
FIVE YEARS AGO
“Excited for your game tonight?”Dad asks me, turning on his turn signal to join the drop-off line in front of my high school.
He’s driving me today because Meave is on a college visit with Mom. She drives me right now—she’s a senior, I’m a junior—but not for long.
We were supposed to pick up Cooper and Jordan, but their dad decided to take them to breakfast and let them miss first period.
“Mhm.” I nod, twisting over in the seat to make sure I brought my bag with me. I won’t have time to go home before we have to get on the bus after school. “You’re coming, right?”
“Wouldn’t miss it.”
Dad has never missed a game, even if it means showing up late. He’s always there. I know I didn’t need to ask, but I like to. I like the reminder that I have people in my corner now.
When we are second from the drop-off area, Dad pulls out his wallet and hands me a fifty.
“Dad.” I sigh. “What’s this for?”
“Buy lunch, we both know what I packed is probably terrible.” It was, but he didn’t know I swapped out thecontainers. “Then get a smoothie, or whatever, for you and your friends before the bus.”
“Fine.” I give him a cheesy smile.
He rolls down the windows and turns up the music as we pull into the turnaround.
