I mean, I’m not surprised because this is you we’re talking about, but they’re your teammates, Big Beef!
Big Beef? And why is she not surprised?
“She asked me if you were a serial killer when you first hired her,” Moxie says.
I gape at him. “What?”
“I told her you were safe, even if your temperament suggests otherwise.”
I come across as unsafe? But she let me into her house! If she was afraid of me, why would she hire me? Desperation, probably. I think back to our first interactions and instantly hate the churning that starts up in my gut as I do. I can’t have been that bad. Can I? It’s not like I’m using her for my own gain and giving her next to nothing in return… Cursing under my breath, I turn my attention back to my phone as another message comes through.
Savannah:
I agree with Moxie. You need to be nicer.
Finally I get a chance to reply, though I’m too worked up over all of this to have a mature response.
Logan:
You should tell that to your cat.
Savannah:
He’s nice to you.
Logan:
And I’m nice to you, aren’t I?
Savannah:
Sometimes.
“Sometimes?” I repeat out loud, scowling at my phone as I type out a text that says the same thing. I can admit I was brusque those first couple of times we met, but I’ve been perfectly civil since then.
I scroll up to our texts before tonight and wrinkle my nose at the cold tone in my messages. Civil isn’t the same as nice. Reckon Savannah doesn’t have a single reason to like me when the focus has always been on myself, and I hate that more than I should.
Moxie stands; it’s about time he left. “Remember, Logan. I need a reason to move you back to the starting line.”
“I don’t need a bloody reminder,” I snap back. Then close my eyes with a grimace.
“Good to know.” His voice has a cold edge to it I’ve never heard before, and when I look at him again, there’s no trace of his usual friendliness. “You’re out for the next game. No argument. If you want to play after that, show me you’re worth it.”
I’m the best rugger he’s got, but that’s not what he means. He’s going to hold me to this ‘being nice’ thing. Though I can’t say that I blame him, how am I supposed to be what he wantsme to be when the team’s going to hate me no matter what I say? When time is passing faster than I want it to? When I still don’t have a way to talk to Lola and give my parents some peace? When Savannah isafraidof me and thinks I’m too full of myself to be nice?
“See you in the morning, Callahan,” Moxie says like he didn’t just knock me flat on my back, then he leaves.
And the hotel room is painfully quiet until my phone buzzes again.
Savannah:
Face the facts, Big Beef. You’re prettier on the outside, even if you do have some positive personality traits hiding deep down.
A tiny spot of hope bursts to life. Maybe it’s not too late for me.
Logan:
You think I have some positive traits?
