“I’ll bury him myself.”
I sigh. “I’d rather he tear my heart to pieces than get hurt.”
“That’s what scares me.”
“How’s your dating life?”
“I’m still in the asshole stage we discussed earlier.”
“Kate was nice.”
“She was.” He gives me a sad smile. “She’s also way out of my league.”
“That’s doubtful when you’re you.”
“I could have fought for her, convinced her to go on a date, then lost her because I wasn’t ready yet, or she can be someone who makes me smile and doesn’t hate me.”
“So not out of your league so much as?—”
“She is. But you’re not the only woman who can’t see how amazing she is. Kate has a lot more armor, but…you don’t convince her to give you a chance unless you’re ready to take it.”
I smile at Clay, because he is, but I think about how often Noah has had to convince me to take chances on us, which gives me hope. That I hate, because hope will only break my heart.
Chapter Forty
Noah
Captain’s Orders
“Let’s go Blues! We’ve got this!” Tanner cheers while the rest of us in Owen’s dad’s hotel room boo. The Coyotes have always been my team, ever since my dad first introduced me to football, but a lot of the guys are just cheering for them because Dallas James went to Wynchester.
Every time they show a close-up of the quarterback, I can’t understand how I didn’t realize it sooner. Dallas’ hair is darker, sure, but their faces, their smiles…he’s a boy version of Savannah.
By the end of the game, every single one of us is at the edge of our seats, drinks and food forgotten, yelling at the screen as if they can hear us. When Sav’s brother catches the ball in the end zone, everyone – including Tanner – jumps up and cheers.
“Dude, that’s Savannah!” Donovan says, drawing my eyes back to the screen.
“She got tickets? Sick.” Tanner gives her props.
“I don’t know what kind of tickets get you on the fucking field,” Donovan argues.
“That makes absolutely no sense. Crazier than when you thought you saw Willow Hayes in the WAG box, so forgive me if I have some doubts.”
“I swear it was Sav,” Donovan insists.
“What would she even be doing there?”
“No way. Do you think…no, she would have…”
“What?”
“Do you think Dallas James is her brother? Like, are we complete idiots for missing that?” Donovan turns to me.
“She hasn’t said a thing,” Colt argues. “I’d be telling everyone if my brother was in the NFL. She was nearly stopping strangers on the street to tell them Izzie got MVP at her game.”
The debate is going strong, but I must be terrible at hiding my thoughts, because as soon as anyone looks at me, they stop talking and look like they’re going over every interaction they’ve ever had with Savannah, just like I did when I found out.
I’m about to argue that it wasn’t her, or give some shitty excuse that won’t fool anyone about her winning a contest or something, but the cameras go back to the star rookie celebrating with his family, and you can clearly see Savannah with her parents and her other brother, who looks exactly like her and Dallas, only with sandy blond hair.
