Doing the right thing, I focus on football and not much else for the next couple of weeks. But when an opportunity presents itself, I struggle to be good.
“Zane?” Reed calls out on my way into practice and I laugh incredulously. He can’t help himself.
“You’re back?” I say excitedly, knowing that he’s not. “Congrats, man.” My lips pull into a smirk and he scoffs, jokingly rolling his eyes.
“You’re hilarious. I’m not here to practice; I’m here foryou.”
“How many times do I have to tell you—”
“Hayley knows Jenna,” he interrupts my joking and I freeze, racking my brain for who the hell that is. Jenna. Jenna.Wait…My eyes widen in recognition.
“From LA?”
“Yeah. She said you might want her number, but I wasn’t…”
He trails off when I curse under my breath.
“Shit. Don’t tell me she’s fucking with us. Hayls said she was genuine and—”
“No, it’s okay. I know her. I do. I want her number.”I shouldn’t. I really fucking shouldn’t.
I promised myself I’d leave Blair alone. She has my number. All she has to do is unblock me and use it.
But now Jenna’s reaching out and I have to wonder why.
And she knows Hayley?
Is that some kind of kismet? Is that even the right word? Either way, there’s no way I can let this gift pass.
“Give it to me. I’ll get in touch.”
“Done. I’ll get Hayley to send it.”
“Thanks.” I turn to walk away until curiosity gets the better of me. “How does Hayley know her?” I ask, trying to figure out just how coincidental it is.
Reed’s genuine smile lights up his face. “They’re working together on a miniseries in LA. Would you believe they onlyhave one scene together and still managed to figure out the connection?”
“Doesn’t surprise me. Girls can talk. They’re much better sleuths than we are.”
“You’re not wrong. But now that’s out of the way. How are you doing?” I inhale slowly, ready to tell him I’m fine until he continues on. “Have the media been hounding you?”
I pause, my breath caught in my throat.They haven’t. And I haven’t questioned it until now. “Surprisingly not,” I tell him, my mind in a spin. “Lucky me.” I force a smile and Reed laughs.
“Maybe they realized it was old news.”
“Here’s hoping.” I smile again, my cheeks hurting from the unnatural movement, when what I really want to do is scream.
Because…I seriously doubt the story has vanished.
And if it’s not me they’re hounding…
Who the fuck is it?
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Blair
My eyes glaze over as I stare down at the phone in my hand, guilt consuming me while I will it to stop ringing. Zane’s parents have been calling all morning, and I don’t know what to say to them. I don’t know how to help. Especially after seeing Zane. It feels like a betrayal of sorts. They should be talking to each other.
