Page 42 of Lavender and Linebackers

“What’s your niche?”

“International cooking made simple.” She grins. “Oh my gosh, there are so many great cultures of food. I make seven dishes on Saturday, and I change my clothes for each one. I edit them on Sunday, pair them to themed-appropriate music, and then post one every day of the week. This week is Peruvian food.”

I glance at the table again, and sure enough, there’s a ceviche, a roasted chicken dish, a beef and rice dish with a fried egg on top, a beef stew, a potato casserole, stuffed peppers, and I think those are donuts.

“Wow. I don’t know what to say. What type of brand deals are you getting?”

She gets up to grab my plate and starts scooping each dish onto it.

“I got a new line of pans. I got a sauce blender, it’s like a cross between a single-serving smoothie maker and a blender, and a fancy wooden cutting board.”

“I don’t know what to say. This is all great. I’m proud of you, and I’m certain if Alice knew, she would be too.”

At that, her movements slow, and she looks at me cautiously. “So how’s it going with her? You know I saw you both together at the game.”

“Yes, you know we have to do those media moments together.”

“Yes, but how’s it going?”

I hate this question.

“What do you mean? It’s not going at all.”

Over the years, we’ve never really talked about Alice. She became an off-limits subject, and my mother respected my boundaries. I mean, she gets it, though. She was the one who followed me home after graduation, and she’s the one who found me a complete and utter mess.

“I just thought that maybe now, since the two of you are spending more time together, you’d put to rest what happened four years ago.”

Four years ago.

I try my best to never think of that day. Every time I do, a wave of embarrassment sweeps over me, and I hate it.

It was graduation day. We were sitting side by side, you know, Monarch and Monroe. I had been waiting for this day for what felt like forever. There was nothing anyone could do to ruin this day for me.

This was the best day of my life.

As we neared the end of the ceremony, I slipped my arm around the back of my seat so the guy behind me could grab my phone. After the graduation rehearsal, I sought him out to see if he would help me, and of course he said yes. Remember, I was a king on campus.

From there, most everything was a blur. Dean Rivas said, “Congratulations, seniors. You have officially graduated.” Caps started flying, a sea of navy graduation gowns started rolling all around us as people all across the gymnasium were on their feet and cheering, but I only had eyes for Alice. She was jumping up and down, laughing, and just as I knew she would, she threw herself into my arms.

“We did it!” she shouted, and I laughed. She was so happy and so beautiful. I picked her up until her feet were dangling, and I breathed her in. That was going to be our moment. It was finally here, and I knew together we were ready to move on to our next chapter.

I loved this girl. Loved her in a way that there was no beginning and no end to me that didn’t have her. She meant everything to me, and I was ready to tell the world.

I lowered my head, and our lips had barely brushed before her hands were on my chest and shoving me away.

“No, Ryder.” She gasped while staring up at me. The laughter in her was gone, and her expression was replaced with one of complete horror.

Horror.

Not happiness.

Not love.

Horror. Or was it disgust?

“No,” I whispered back, meanwhile my ears started ringing like there was a siren on a fire truck coming right at me. It kept getting louder and louder, and I wanted to scream at someone, anyone, to make it stop.

I took a step back from her, and I saw her mouth the words again, “No, Ryder,” and she reached for me at the same time the guy from behind us slammed my phone into my chest.