My lips twitched, and I wanted to kiss her. “You didn’t tell me about the money my grandma’s place earned, Dean did. And then.” I swallowed. “You were watching a horror film withCallum.”
She played with the strings on her sweatshirt, blinking slowly. “I didn’t intentionally keep anything from you about your grandma. I would never do that.”
“Wait, I’m not saying you would. I know that.” I gripped the back of my neck, sweating even more. This wasn’t going well. “You love my grandma.”
“Then what’s the problem? These aren’t reasons to be an asshole to me.”
“You’re right. They’re not.” I groaned, cracking my neck left and right. She stared at me, her large brown eyes gutting me with how sad she looked. “I like it when you tell me everything. The stuff with my grandma or watching a movie or sharing good news. Seeing you with Callum… I hated it.”
“I do share stuff with you, but the only times we’re together are at night, and obviously you know I enjoy our arrangement.” Her cheeks reddened, and she ran her toe along the floorboard, her gaze tracking the movement. “You sound jealous.”
“I might be.” I wanted her to look at me.
Shit.
She did, and so much disappointment lined her face. “Luca, you’re never here, and if you are, your door is shut. I’d love to hang out with you more, but that’s… a relationship, and we don’t do that.”
Sadness echoed her voice, gripping me in the chest and stabbing me with a thousand papercuts. “Lo—”
“Round two?” Callum appeared at the top of the stairs, his face hopeful. “We’re starting the next one. Dean’s coming too, wants to relax. Oliver is making his dad’s homemade popcorn recipe, so basically, it’s a fucking party. You in, Monroe or nah? It’s library night, yeah?”
Lorelei didn’t glance at me as she headed toward Callum, and even her strut looked sad. That didn’t seem like the walk of someone who intentionally was playing games with me. It seemed like I’d hurt her, and that gutted me.
My phone buzzed in my hand, pulling me from the mental turmoil.
Grandma: I love Lorelei. She sent me COOKIES. Why aren’t you dating her?
I didn’t have an answer because I didn’t fucking know anymore.
CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE
Lorelei
The good news didn’t last long. Well, the news remained good, but my mood had been shit the last few days. We didn’t have a game tonight, which would’ve been a fantastic distraction to the fact Mrs. G had lunches set up with Eric.
I accidentally stumbled upon them at a café near the football house. She laughed, because of course, Eric was charming when he wanted to be. Between seeing that and Luca’s complete disappearance from the house, I was in a funk.
The fact two jocks were the reason for my mood annoyed me. How dare they make me feel less than wonderful? Fuck that. I adjusted my scarf and hat, walking faster toward home. It’d be a rom-com kind of day.
“Lo, wait a sec.”
That voice.
Eric.
Fuck. Masking my face to indifference because we didn’t care about him at all anymore, I turned toward him.
“I thought that was you. I’d know that hair anywhere.” He laughed awkwardly and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I tried texting you.”
“I know, and I didn’t feel the need to respond anymore.”
“Fair. That’s entirely fair.” He scanned me, his eyes softening. “You look good.”
“I’m cold, what did you want?”
“Have a minute?”
“Not really.”
