Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 152064 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 760(@200wpm)___ 608(@250wpm)___ 507(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 152064 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 760(@200wpm)___ 608(@250wpm)___ 507(@300wpm)
Flip puts his arm around me. “Tally is my date.”
“Sh—oot. Right. I saw that and thought maybe it was fake news.”
Rix appears at my side. “Tally!” She hugs me. “Let’s get you a drink.”
She guides me away, toward the bar, dropping her voice to a whisper. “What the hell just happened there?”
“One of the coaches asked if I was Brody’s date.”
“Oh, God.” She squeezes my arm. “Are you okay?”
I bite my lips together.
“Do we need to find a quiet space so you can have some feelings about people being obtuse?”
I blow out a breath. “I get why he made that mistake.”
“Doesn’t make it less awkward. Let Flip deal with it.” She rubs my back. “I know it’s not easy right now. You’re staying off social media?”
“I’m staying off social media,” I echo.
“Good.” We reach the bar.
“But I have two younger siblings,” I add.
She wrinkles her nose. “And they are not.”
“Nope.”
Rix orders two margaritas. I was going to stick with soda because I have dance practice tomorrow, and I don’t want to end up dehydrated, but if this is how the night is going to go, tequila might be necessary.
“How are your parents handling things?”
“Mom is stressing but trying to be supportive. My dad is…letting me live my life, I guess?”
She nods. “How are people on campus?”
“Have you talked to Essie?” I prop my arm on the bar top.
Rix blinks at me, and I blink back.
“So that’s a yes,” I confirm.
“I know what it was like when my brother was in the thick of things and people would say stuff to me that was super cringe. And then when I started dating Tristan…” She sighs. “It will calm down, I promise.”
“Please don’t say anything to Phillip.”
“Talls, he knows what’s going on. You don’t have to pretend it’s not hard. Please tell me your Tilton friends have your back like you had Cammie’s back in first year.”
“They’re awesome. And Fee kind of gets it because of Roman and Lexi, and Cammie understands because of Chase, and Brody is Brody. So yeah. I have their support. I don’t want Flip to think this is too much for me.”
Her expression turns empathetic, and she squeezes my arm. “It’s okay if there are moments when it is. Just go to him when it’s like that. He needs that from you. He can’t protect you from all the idiots, but he can be there when you’re struggling, so please let him.”
Flip approaches, expression remorseful. “I’m so sorry about that. Are you okay?”
“Yeah. It’s going to happen, right?” I force a smile. “He’s not the first person to think Brody and I were a thing.”
Flip frowns. “Have you been a thing?”
“Okay, I’m going to find my husband.” Rix passes me my margarita. “Don’t say stupid things, Flip.”
I sip my drink. “Brody has a thing for a girl he went to high school with that he doesn’t have the balls to ask out, and I’ve had a thing for you for probably the same amount of time,” I inform Flip.
“So that’s a no?” He looks relieved.
I narrow my eyes. “Were you jealous for a second?”
“No.” He pokes at his lip. “Okay, yeah.”
I grin.
“If you weren’t already aware, I’m unapologetically obsessed with you.” He kisses my cheek. “Let’s go get our picture taken under the arch.”
I’m not the only person who wants a photo with Flip under the balloon arch. Rix and I spend a good half hour arranging our men while the young players pose next to them. Brody has a few fans and is adorably red-faced through most of the photos.
Cocktail hour is blissfully hiccup and awkwardness free. The media covering the event aren’t jerks, and no one else mistakes me for Brody’s date. And dinner is fun and easy since I’m surrounded by people I know. All the things I worried about seem silly when I’m insulated by my friends.
After dinner, Flip, Tristan, Quinn, and Brody move to the stage to present awards. Rix leaves because she has to be at the kitchen early to interview assistants, so that leaves me at the table on my own since Lovey, Quinn’s date, is helping with the awards backstage.
Two women in their early twenties set up the dessert table behind me.
“What I wouldn’t give to be her,” one whispers.
“I know, right?” The other whistles softly. “That man has skills.”
They both giggle.
I bite the inside of my cheek, frustrated that my relationship is once again reduced to entertainment. People are focused on a narrative that has no basis in the present.
No one but Flip and I know the truth, I remind myself.
It should be a comfort, but all it does is make me feel alone.
CHAPTER 33
TALLY
“Ican’t wait to be outside,” I say to Cammie as I push through the doors of the lecture theater, following the hoard of students toward the exit. It’s been a week and a half since Flip flew me out to the game, and three days since the gala. I’d like to say things have calmed down, but that would be a lie.