I shake my head. “It’s not like that.”
“More like a sister?” Satch asks.
“Yeah?” I hitch my shoulder, but I’ll never think about Dani the way I think about my kid sister, Lacey.
“Was that supposed to be a question?” Nylah laughs at me. “You’re not sure how you feel about her?”
I groan and tip my head back. “It’s complicated, you guys.”
“You seemed pretty happy to talk to her.” Nylah wiggles her eyebrows at me while Carson swings his arm across the back of her chair and eyes me up, quietly demanding an explanation.
They’re not going to let this go, and there’s only one thing I can do to shut this conversation up.
“She dated my best friend in high school. We hung outa lot, so I know her, and she’s awesome. But it’s not like that between us. It never will be. She was my best friend’s girl.”
“You just saidwas.” Sienna points at me, and I internally cringe, realizing that none of the women at this table know, because I made the guys promise never to breathe a word.
They know better than to talk about Atlas.
When I first lost him, I was a wreck.
They kept me afloat. Stopped me from dropping out of college, leaving football for good. They offered me a place in Football Frat—anything to keep me grounded. And once I’d processed the worst of my grief, they knew better than to bring him up again.
But I have to mention him tonight.
It’s the only way to shut down this inquisition.
Clearing my throat, I dart a glance at Zander, whose expression tells me he already knows what I’m about to spill. “He died.”
I say it simply, because that’s the only way to do it.
“In my sophomore year at college, he—” I swallow. “He died.”
“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry.” Satch reaches across the table, resting her hand on my forearm and giving it a squeeze. “That must have been awful.”
“It was.” I nod. “Devastating.”
“For her too, I’m guessing.” Nylah gazes across the crowded room, obviously looking for Dani behind the bar.
“Yeah.” I can’t help looking for her too. “Broke her up pretty bad.”
“Was she with him when he died?” Why Sienna would ask that, I have no idea, but she’s right on the money, and I can’t picture Atlas’s pale, dead face right now.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I pinch the bridge of my nose and rise from my seat. “I’m gonna head home.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry,” Sienna rushes out.
I open my eyes in time to see her guilt-ridden expression and quickly shake my head.
“It’s all good,” I assure her, forcing myself to smile.
But it’s not good.
It’s heavy and painful and… I need to get the fuck out of here.
“We can give you a ride.”
“No, I…” Shaking my head, I step away from the table, pushing in my chair and glancing around at my buddies.
