She tilts her head, letting out a quick breath, “Your mom knows about me?”
Fuck. Is that too much? Have I crossed into creeper territory?
“Of course she does. She knows about all my friends.” I tell the little white lie. Well, actually it’s not a lie. It’s just that I’ve only had time for football and Blair. There really aren’t any other friends to talk about. But I definitely don’t tell her that.
“Are you sure? You really have the space?”
I do my best to reassure her, “Yes. More than enough space. My family would love it, I promise.”
When she nods, agreeing to come, it’s like a spark ignites in my chest. It’s the first time I knew how much I wanted to bring her home. Even if we are just friends.
That Thanksgiving was one of my favorites. Blair walked in and fit like a piece of the puzzle we’ve been missing. My mom always joked about wanting girls but instead had two boys who turned out to be massive athletes who loved to be too rough. It was like Blair was exactly who she’d been waiting for.
Even now, almost ten years later, I remember thinking that, when I watched the two of them together. Blair had no idea how to bake, considering her mom never taught her, and she was enthralled with my mom while she was making her classic butterscotch apple pie.
We’ve had it every Thanksgiving since I can remember. Now, Blair makes it when she gets to my parents’ house. Her own tradition with the family who loves her like she’s one of us.
I can’t wait to be home with Blair for another holiday in only a few days.
Just then, she gets on the plane, looking for a place to sit. She catches me looking at her, and gives a tip of her chin, and a small smile. Only for me.
“Do you mind if I sit?” Zack says, while putting his bag in the overhead bin.
“Not at all,” I reply and Zack sits in the aisle row, leaving the middle seat open, the right move.
Once he’s buckled in and ready for takeoff, he looks at me and asks, “You and Blair, you’ve really been friends since college? Like good friends?”
I nod. “Yeah, I met her my sophomore year. We were both student athletes and sort of clicked.”
“I’m jealous. I don’t have any friends like that. Especially not someone like Blair. She’s fucking cool. I keep telling Emilie we have to get together, so she can meet her. Think the three of them would get along?” His voice climbs the way it does when he’s planning something he’s excited about.
By the three of them, I know he means Blair, Emilie, and Willow. Emilie is Zack’s wife and she works for Willow—she started as her assistant but now has a pretty high-up job at Willow’s music label. I know that if Blairhad the opportunity to meet Willow, she’d lose her shit—that’s one of her all-time favorite musicians. Everything I’ve learned about Willow, I’ve learned from Blair, up until being traded to the Cosmos where her fiancé Tripp Owens is on the team.
“She’d love it. Don’t tell her I told you, but she’s a bit obsessed with Willow,” I confide in Zack as he claps his hands together, rubbing them like he’s coming up with a mischievous plan.
He turns, scrunching his nose a bit and says, “You’re like best friends, huh?” I nod and he continues, “I love that. It’s like the universe needed you to have more time together this year or something.”
He’s right. I’ve thought a lot about how this season has panned out and it’s not anything I expected or even thought possible. But here we are.
He coughs, leaning closer to me. “This stuff with her dad. I can’t believe it. Hurts me to think about.”
What?The look I give him must show my confusion.
“What guy calls his kid after almost twenty years like that?”
Her dad called? What is he talking about? First a wave of adrenaline hits me, wanting to know what he wanted, what he said. When did he call? I know in this moment, I need to keep my face from giving me away. I can’t get into this with Zack.
I do everything I can to nod along and act like I totally get it.
“Yeah, I can’t imagine,” I say, turning to face the head seat in front of me, trying to end the conversation. Because honestly? I don’t know what to fucking say.
“She’s tough. That’s for damn sure,” Zack adds, in a way that shows the conversation is over.
I look out at the window, trying to get a grasp about what I just heard. Blair’s dad called her? She told Zack. She didn’t tell me. That’s probably what she was crying about yesterday. I flat out asked her if she wanted to talk about it and she wouldn’t.
But she told Zack.
Someone she just met?
