“Some joke. Would you like it if I went and did the same to Freya?” Pecan derides. “I just bet she wouldn’t be in your face about that.”
Alec’s witty retort is to sniff.
“Anyway, listen to the locker room.None of us want to play with him.”
“He’s a solid player!” Then, with his back to me, he snaps, “You’d better bring your A game after the break, Zach. Seeing as we’re down a man that we couldn’t afford to lose.”
I didn’t miss Coach saying that Derek was suspended. Not tossed off the team permanently.
This stench is going to come back around on us. I can feel it. Unless whatever D’s planning will get rid of his ass for good.
As it stands, I need to get back to Denny.
I already knew I loved her, but seeing her in the crowd tonight, surrounded by new friends, a brave face plastered on, made me love her even more.
She’s so strong.
I know I don’t deserve her.
I know I’m the reason for this bullshit.
But Denny’s mine.
Anyone who chooses to ignore that will regret it because if this breaks us apart... doxxing will be the least of Dyers’s worries.
THIRTY-SIX
ZACH BRADLEY LOVES ME
“Oh,baby, you should have called me!”
I pinch the bridge of my nose, wishing I hadn’t picked up the phone. “Pecan, huh?”
“Of course! Dammit, Denny, why didn’t you tell me? I shouldn’t have had to hear about this from Helmie!”
Staring at my feet, I mutter, “I didn’t want to talk about it. It only happened this afternoon and I’m already sick of the subject.”
“That makes complete sense,” she soothes, clucking her tongue. The sympathy in her voice clogs my throat with emotion.
Maybe that’s why I didn’t want to talk to her about this.
I have to be strong. I need to put on a brave face. I had that meltdown in the library but now, I have to rise above andfixthis.
There’s no rising above anything when your mom calls and she’s being all sympathetic and?—
I sniffle. “It really sucks, Mom.”
“Those bastards.”
“Singular.”
“I doubt that very much,” she blusters. “Those morons always function in pairs. Just wait until your father hears about this. He’ll be furious too.”
Even as my brow furrows at the wording, I mumble, “Furious because he’ll be embarrassed his kid was humiliated at his alma mater.”
She hesitates. Just long enough that I know she’s thinking the same thing. “Sweetheart, if that’s true, then…” Her words falter. “I’m sorry I didn’t divorce him sooner.”
My fingers squish my Magic 8 Ball cushion. “You didn’t want to divorce him at all.”
