And then he went and died.
I curl in on myself, the ache inside me turning to a sharp pain that makes me feel like I’ve been stabbed through the heart.
My knees buckle and I sink down, crouching on the sidewalk in a little ball and no doubt looking ridiculous.
But I can’t move right now.
I can barely breathe.
I should call Tobin or Jed. They can come and get me.
And mop up your tears yet again? Don’t put them through that.Besides, they never really get it anyway.
“Tyrell would,” I whisper, staring down at the dirty concrete beneath me before slowly rising back up.
Tyrell would get it.
And I have his number now.
Pulling out my phone, I unlock it and find his name, gazing at the numbers until they start to blur.
Just call. He won’t mind. He’ll understand.
My thumb hovers over the green circle, and I know I’m right.
He’s the only one who will get just how damn hard it is to move on from a guy like Atlas.
CHAPTER 8
TYRELL
If you’d asked me when I first got to Nolan U if I’d be sitting in the living room of Football Frat watching a nearly three-year-old perform her version of ballet in a pink fairy costume, I would have told you, “You’re crazy, man.”
But here I am, with my ass stuck in this chair, smiling like this is the cutest damn thing in the world.
Because it is.
She’s just started singing too, and her sweet little voice—pitchy and off-key—is hilarious.
Grady starts to quiver beside me, biting his lips together and trying not to laugh out loud as Zoey’s voice crescendos into the room.
I have no idea what the words mean. I think she’s just making this up on the spot.
She finishes with an enthusiastic twirl that makes her fall over, then jumps up, raising her arms in the air and saying, “Thank you, everybody. Thank you.” Then she bows, letting us know it’s time to clap.
And we deliver.
Zander and Wily are the loudest of the lot as we cheer on our little girl.
Damn, I’m gonna miss her when I leave, but the ones to feel the biggest hole will be Carson and Grady. Carson complains about living with a toddler, but I glance at his face now, and that adoring way he looks at her… yeah, he’s gonna be a wreck when she goes.
We still have no idea where Zander and his little family are gonna end up. The draft can’t come fast enough.
“Okay, we’re out. Good job, Zoey Bird.” Carson raises his thumb, and she waves excitedly while he wraps his arm around Nylah’s waist and leads her from the room.
“Time for bed, lil’ missy.” Zander stands and is rewarded with instant protests from his daughter.
“I’m not tired!”
