Yeah, that’s it, the Press Box.Alex replied.
As the chill of the evening air bit into me, I glanced up at the glass-fronted VIP rooms that sat at the top of the main stand. I could faintly see two figures in there, but from that distance, you couldn’t tell who it was.
I was oblivious to the stream of people who were making their way out of the stadium.Where are you?
My brother replied,I’m just outside in the corridor. She said she’ll only be ten minutes. She’s taking ages. I’m so bored.
I glanced around the area for Harper, but it was hard to see through the bodies of people. Go home already, the game is over, I felt like shouting.
Wait there.I thumbed back. Raising my head, I half-heartedly thanked some college girls as they told me what a great game we’d played. They clearly weren’t watching me.
OK.Alex acknowledged my instruction.
“Phoenix, where are you going?” I heard Harper call out as I wound my way through the droves of people. Relief sank into me as she ran over. I stopped and pocketed my phone. “Aren’t we meeting the others at the beach?” Her pretty features were twisted in confusion.
The crowd had thinned out, but there were still plenty of people around us. I gave her a reassuring smile and took her gently by the arm, walking us both towards the tunnel that led into the main building. “My mother’s here with Alex.”
“Your brother, Alex?”
“Yeah.”
She gave me a disbelieving look and glanced around. “Really? How do you know?”
When we were both out of the way, I released her arm and turned to stare down at her. Even with my head clouded with thoughts of my mother, I could appreciate how beautiful she looked in my top. “Because I saw them by the tunnel during the game. I have a feeling that something’s wrong.”
“Is that what was bothering you during the game? I thought you weren’t yourself.”
“Yeah.”
“So, she came to see you play? Isn’t that a good thing?” Harper said, misunderstanding.
“No. She didn’t come to see me play. She’s here for a meeting, something to do with Mayor Summers. I saw her talking to a member of his staff just before the snap.”
Harper’s eyes widened, and what little color she had in her face drained away.
“Hey, what’s going on?” I asked, taking her by the arms, concern for Harper soaring above anything else.
She swallowed, her eyes scanning my face, before she pulled away and dropped to her haunches. Sliding her backpack off one arm, I watched as she started to rummage through it.
“I have something to show you.”
“What?”
“Just a sec,” she rasped, appearing distressed. As she pushed to her feet, Harper thrust a small photograph under my nose.
“What’s this?” I said, stepping back and taking it from her shaky fingers. I didn’t like that she was upset.
I scanned the image of a player wearing the Epic Eagles colors. He was receiving an award.
Harper’s eyebrows inched towards her hairline as I glanced at her and then back at the photo.
“It’s a picture of Dominic Summers when he was your age,” she explained, pointing towards it with a flustered expression.
“So?” I replied, turning it over and looking at the back.
Harper snatched the picture back and pushed it into my face again. “So,lookat it.”
Craning my neck, I pushed her hand down so I could focus on it properly. “I don’t understand.”
