“No, I can’t do that. Anyway, he’s with all his frat bros, they’ll be cocooning him. I’m the bad man right now.”
“Wait until Carina finds out you’re in love with a frat boy. You’re basically living her American rom-com dreams right now. Go get a boombox and stand outside his bedroom window, it’ll work even better if he lives in a frat house. Ooh, or you could put an Otis Redding song on and slide into the record store where he works and do a whole routine.”
I see a few guys from the team start to spill into the lobby.
“I’m hanging up now, crazy.”
Noah laughs. “Let me know how you get on.”
“Okay.”
“And, Eli? Don’t stress about the future and being the best and all that, okay? It’ll work out how it’s meant to. Just don’t give anything up that you’ll be sorry you lost when the tennis thing’s over, yeah? Trust me. There are guys on my team who are on their third trophy wife and still talk about the one they left when they hit the big time.”
Ben appears between Nate and Archer and my tongue feels suddenly too big for my mouth. I manage a goodbye before hanging up the phone.
Ben glances over, spots me, and quickly looks away.
27
BEN
The day after we get back from Palm Springs, I come downstairs to find the guys all staring at me. Nate shoos them away and tries to act natural, but I can tell they were all talking about me before I walked into the room.
I have a day off from practice and classes and plan to spend it wallowing in front of the TV. Maybe my brothers will feel sorry enough for me to let me have aStar Warsmarathon.
I'm curledup on the coach with a tub of rocky road ice cream, hallway throughThe Empire Strikes Backwhen there’s a knock on the door.
My heart jumps into my throat at the possibility of Elias standing behind it. But when Archer sends one of the pledges to go and get it, I hear the voice and my heart sinks again.
Despite the pledge’s protests, Priestley bullies his wayinto the house until he’s in the doorway, looking at me with a raised eyebrow.
“Are you sick? You look like shit.”
“Hello, Priestley. It’s nice to see you, too.”
He frowns at me. “What happened? Why did you guys let Stanford win at Indian Wells?”
“Maybe if you’d deemed tennis important enough to keep playing, we might have won,” Archer snaps back. I can tell he’s enjoying not having Priestley as his president anymore. I have to remind myself that I don’t have to answer to him, either.
“I thought you guys had it covered with that hot shot from Germany?”
My face flushes and I hope Priestley doesn’t notice.
“And Ben’s obviously sick. Look at him, he’s probably got a fever.”
“He’s not sick,” Archer says. “It’s a broken heart.”
I let my head fall back on a groan.Thanks a lot, brother.
Priestley’s face is like thunder when I lift my head.
“Who?”
“The German hot shot,” Archer says.
“Okay, that’s enough, leave Ben out of it. Priestley, what are you doing here?” Nate interrupts.
Priestley keeps his eyes on me a second longer before turning to Nate. That unwavering confidence wavered a little there, but now it’s back.
