“Because, he had a headache, right?”
“Oh, right, yeah. Well, I’m sure it’ll be better by today. Probably just needed some sleep.”
Nate waits until everyone’s left to get ready for classes and practice before dipping into the pocket of the sweater Evan’s wearing. I look away, feeling like I’m encroaching on a private moment.
“Here,” Nate says.
When I look at him again, he’s holding out his phone.
“What is it?”
“A phone number.”
“Who’s?”
“Mackenzie’s cousin.”
My face heats up instantly. “But he’s never even seen me.”
“I showed him pictures.”
I have to bite my tongue to stop from complaining. Nate’s only trying to be a good friend. He can’t know how much it hurts me—the way he keeps trying so desperately to set me up. It feels like being palmed off.
“He thinks you’re really cute.”
“Yeah,” Evan agrees. “He does.”
“You should give him a call,” Nate says. “He’s really nice. And good-looking.”
“Hey.” Evan complains, but he’s smiling.
I hold in a groan and tell them I’ll think about it before rushing upstairs to avoid their PDA.
I put the number in my phone to appease Nate before grabbing my racket bag and heading to practice.
I’m actually pleasedto see Elias already changed into his tennis clothes in the locker room. He’s sitting in front of his locker and lacing up his shoes. His head snaps up at our entrance and he smiles at me.
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
My stomach flutters a little and I push it down.Stop being silly. I just like how he seemed to see things even Nate doesn’t notice. That he took a genuine interest in what Nate and I are doing—or trying to do—with our business. I also kind of, from a shallow point of view, like how tall he is and how good he looks in tennis clothes.
When we get out onto the courts, Coach Sanchez pairs me up with Elias again and tells us he wants us playing for one of the two doubles points in the match against Yale this Saturday. Nate and Archer will play for the other doubles point. Nate and I have never been official doubles partners, but I had assumed we might be this year. I try to dampen my disappointment as I step onto the court with Elias.
We take one side of the net while Nate and Archer take the other. It quickly becomes clear that while Elias may be an excellent singles player, he has no idea what he’s doing when it comes to doubles.
His frustration is evident after the third time we bump into each other trying to go for the ball at the same time.
“That was on my side of the court,” I tell him, as gently as I can.
He looks like he’s gritting his teeth as he apologizes.
“Have you played doubles before?”
“A little.”
“You guys ready?” Archer shouts over the net.
