I like coffee.
And I didn’t have enough for this encounter today.
I slowly set my phone back down. “I have photos from the last game.” I say the words like a confession. It’s so hard to accept responsibility in this life-imploding moment of failure. “No photos from any of the previous two games, because I lost my camera at the gala.”
“You didn’t back them up?”
“I didn’t,” I squeak out, careful not to disclose too much. I offer him a lazy one-shoulder shrug, but I don’t know how I manage to hide the fact that inside my chest I’m having an actual heart attack.
All my work is gone.
“That stinks.”
“Yeah.” My heart ticks up a notch as I try to protect the project as much as possible.
“Is that why you insisted on keeping bad photos?” He stuffs his hand in his Granite Ice jacket pocket and gives me a side-eye.
“Are we still hung up on that?” I grab my cell phone again and don’t stop until I have his photo. “Look.” My finger hovers over the garbage can icon as I hit delete. “Gone. Can you sleep now?”I roll my eyes to heaven at this pretty boy who can’t handle a less-than-perfect photo of himself.
“I sleep just fine . . . but thank you.”
“Alright.” I pull my brows up, feeling the exhaustion of this conversation seeping in. “Have a nice day.”
“Huh?”His feet stay cemented on my floor, and he makes no attempt to leave even when I cut a glaze to the open doorway.
“Well, I deleted your photo. You don’t have to worry anymore.” I grit my teeth, wondering how one person can be so concerned about his image.I have bigger issues going on.
He’s silent as he rocks back on his heels. He’s clearly cocky because of his superior athletic abilities. His presence has this vibe that I can’t place, but it makes my nerves twist, akin to nails on a chalkboard.
“I wasn’t here for the photo,” he asserts. “I came here to see you.”
“Well, you see me.” I look away, embarrassment still clawing its way up my throat. Of all the people to find me failing at life,does it have to be Noah Miller? I resist the urge to slam my head on my desk and pray he moves on.
“Maybe I came at the right time because I can help.” He gestures forward. “Maybe it’s not all lost yet. I can message some of the guys. I’m sure their families have photos they can send to you.”
“I can’t ask for help.” I grab my throat as my airway is tightening. “I’d have to admit I lost everything. Do you know how embarrassing that will be?”
“Look, ah . . .” His eyes pace my face before his lips bend down. “I don’t even know your name.”
There it is.
The biggest truth bomb of them all.
I’m invisible.
Not just to my dad, but to most people.
In high school, I skipped choir every day for a month to test this theory, hoping just once someone would notice my absence. Didn’t work. Since nobody ever noticed my presence, I wasn’t missed or even marked absent. I graduated with a record of perfect attendance.
I thought things would be different after high school graduation, but it’s just more of the same. I spent weeks stalking this team, going to all their practices and games, but nobody even noticed me.Like slamming my head against a brick wall, the sound of this truth bomb echoes all around me. I lower my gaze to the floor, warm tears welling in my eyes, but I shut my eyelids tight.
Stillness fills the room, seeping in a heavy cloud of tension.Noah dips his head, peering at my downturned face. “I didn’t hear you.”
I bury all my emotions, determined to hold my wounds deep inside. I nod, asserting myself with a strong breath. “My name is Paisley.”
“Nice to meet you, Paisley.” He pulls one side of his lips into a crooked smile, revealing his perfect teeth. “I can ask my teammates. It shouldn’t be hard.”
What is this encounter all about anyway?
