“Past,” I mumbled with a shrug. “Family stuff I’d rather forget. My dad… kind of hates me. So does my mom.”
“I see. My family’s not that great either.” Dakota leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. “I get those reminders, occasionally. When things get quiet up here.”
I glanced over at him as he motioned to his head.
“I started talking about it sometimes with the guys,” Dakota continued. “They’re not all great with the emotional stuff. David’s downright terrible. But they try their best. You know who’s great at it?”
I raised an eyebrow, ready for his answer.
“Weston,” he finished. “He’s good at being in my corner. Kevin is good at keeping me accountable. David is good at keeping me realistic.”
“You’re lucky.” I smiled at him. “I can literally count on one finger who’s there for me. You have so much support.”
“You could too.” Dakota leaned to bump his shoulder against mine. “Just ask. Anyone. Someone.”
I sighed and tugged at a loose thread on my shirt. “I wish it was that simple.”
“It is,” Dakota said. His tone was low and honest. When I met his gaze, I saw an offer. “Ask Weston to be in your corner, he’ll be there. Ask me to sit with you on stone benches, and I’ll be there. If you get to know the guys more, they’ll offer the same. We all have strengths. You just have to know who to call. It’s a group effort. A team.”
“I’m no one’s teammate,” I reminded him.
“Only if you box yourself in.” Dakota shrugged. “You can be on my team… if you want.”
My eyes pricked with tears. I quickly blinked them away because I felt silly. I felt like a kid on a playground finally getting invited to join in a game of tag.
“You just have to do one thing,” Dakota admitted.
My mouth turned downward. “What’s that?”
“Gotta be there for us too. The way you know how. Whatever way is comfortable.”
I felt my shoulders relax. “I think I could try.”
Dakota smiled. “Perfect. Welcome to the team.”
Chapter 27
I paintedtwo small blue squares on both cheeks and then, with white eyeliner, I wrote twenty-four. After I finished the rest of my makeup, I made the mistake of going into the kitchen to grab a drink.
Taylor gathered some of her closest friends for game day. They were decked out in blue and white, ready to cheer on tonight’s ‘eye candy.’
“Oh, Coco. You’re finally going to a game,” Taylor squealed and wrapped her arm around my shoulder. My water splashed, dampening the front of my sweater. “You should join us! Marcy went back home this weekend. So, we have an extra ticket.”
“Um,” I said as I grabbed a paper napkin to dab my sweater. My mind couldn’t lock on an excuse fast enough.
“We’re right up front,” Elena said. She wore all black ,save for a blue headband. Her makeup was dark around the eyes and her lips painted a dry, blood red. She looked like a teenager going through a goth phase. The two other girls wore light colors and puffy pastel jackets. They looked thrilled to have me on board. Suspiciously thrilled…
“Yeah, seats right front,” Taylor repeated. “Close enough to see the jock cups.”
Her friends giggled. I coughed on the water as I tried to sip. I just needed to quench my thirst in peace. Was that too much to ask?
“Um, sure,” I told Taylor quickly without giving it much more thought. She finally let go of my shoulders to clap.
“Perfect! This is going to be so fun.” She danced around the island with energy I could only dream of possessing.
“Are you invited to the after-party?” One of her friends with a ponytail of brown curls asked as she popped gum on the side of her mouth. They all looked at me expectantly.
And there it was, the real reason I was invited. I was half-surprised, usually girls like them at least pretended to be my friends for a few hours. It was borderline offensive. Didn’t I deserve to be buttered up just a little? What happened to the fake person code? I’m sure they were supposed to offer one gift and one listening ear for at least twenty minutes.
