I laughed once, but it hurt. “I miss him so much it hurts. I miss his kitchen, his stupid responsible dad voice. I miss Isla and watching movies and the way he looks at me like I’m not too much.” I pressed my fingers under my sunglasses, trying to stop the tears before they started. “And I know that’s not enough.”
“But at least give him a chance. Hear him out,” Wren said.
“I’m with Wren on that,” Billie said with a shrug.
I looked at her in shock. It was the last thing I thought she would say to me. Moving on was more her style.
“What? I can be emotionally mature by accident,” Billie snickered.
Liv climbed out of the pool and wrapped herself in a towel. “Do you love him?”
My heart tripped. The answer was there. “I’m falling in love with him,” I whispered.
Billie’s face softened in a way that almost undid me.
“But things are more complicated than I originally thought. At first, I assumed if I chose him, I’d lose something else. My internship. My dad’s trust. My reputation. I worked so hard to be in that room, and now I feel like everyone will only see me as the coach’s daughter who slept with the captain. But now I see it’s more than that. Hunter is still hurting because of what his ex did to him, and I don’t know if he’s ready to take a chance on me.”
Taylor’s phone buzzed beside her. She glanced down, and her face changed.
I noticed immediately. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” she replied. She was hiding something.
Billie sat up. “That was not a nothing face.”
Taylor sighed. “It’s Hunter.”
My whole body went still. “Why is Hunter texting you?”
Taylor hesitated, which made my stomach drop. “He asked if you were with me.”
Heat rushed to my face. “So now he’s checking up on me?”
“No.” Taylor shook her head quickly. “Not like that.”
“Then like what?”
“He wanted to make sure you were okay before he spoke to your dad.”
The pool area went silent. I sat up so fast my drink almost spilled. “What?”
Taylor looked apologetic. “That’s all he said.”
“He’s gone to speak to my dad?” My voice came out too high.
“I think he’s going to, from the sounds of it.” She nodded.
I stood, panic already crawling up my throat. “I need to call him.”
Wren’s voice stopped me. “Do you?”
I turned to her.
She held my gaze. “You’ve had a week of space. Maybe this is him finally taking action. Showing you that you matter to him.”
That hit because it was exactly what I wanted. The missing piece.
Billie stood and gently took the cup from my hand. “Sit before you pass out and ruin the vibe.”
