thoughts right
now, because while I am seriously concerned for Whitley’s safety at this
moment, the bigger part of me is tickled shitless that Ms. Laney Jo Walker is
pissed as hell.
“Why would you pick a compass?” she now asks
Whitley, advancing a step toward her, seething.
I slide over just a tad, cutting her off at the
pass. It isn’t looking good. She must have seen the kiss; this reaction is
about more than just the tattoo.
“Why would you care?” Whitley challenges.
Not good! Abort mission!!
Laney shifts her fiery eyes at me, and I know what
she’s waiting for. She’s expecting good ol’ Evan to jump in and defend her.
Yes, my every instinct, and my heart, tell me to do it…but my mind wins, and I
simply give her a sheepish shrug.
“Why would you care, prince—” I stop myself
and clear my throat. “Laney?”
Her sweet little mouth drops open and her face heats
scarlet as the flush sweeps up her neck. She’s ready to spew venom, but then
clamps her mouth shut in an attempt at self-preservation. She looks like a
guppy. I don’t get an answer. She spins abruptly on one heel, away from us, calling
to Zach, who raises his head from where he’s bent over, helping Avery with
something, and looks at her. “I’ll catch up with you guys next practice. I’m
good anyway,” she flips her head back around and cooks Whitley with her blazing
eyes, “Evan taught me how to play my whole life.”
“Show’s over then? Cool!” Whitley happily places
both hands on my shoulders and grips down. “Catch me, Ev!” She jumps on for a
piggyback ride and giggles. “Let’s go!”
I walk away as fast as I can, toting Whitley, just
wanting to get us out of everyone’s scope.
Chapter 7
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
~Laney~
“ H ello?”
“Zach, don’t say my name,” I choke out, storming
across the lot as fast as my shaking legs will carry me.
“What’s wrong? Where’d you—” his voice comes loud
and worried through the phone.
“Don’t say that!” I interrupt. God, how
embarrassing. “Can you walk away from everyone and talk to me for a minute?
Where no one can hear you.” My voice is nasally and obnoxious, getting on my
own nerves.
“Yeah, Mom, hang on.”
Note to self: Zach—not a great actor.
“Okay, Laney, I’m by myself now,” he whispers.
“I’m sorry I bailed on practice, and I’m sorry to
bug you now, but I need a Zach of Infinite Wisdom fix real bad right about
now.”
“Let’s pretend I don’t already know what’s up your
ass and you go ahead. It’ll give you a chance to vent.”
All right, so that almost makes me grin.
“He just hung all over that bitch right in front of
me just to piss me off, and it worked! Seriously, she’s picking out his
tattoos? Nothing I did was to purposely hurt him. How long did I absolutely
torture myself NOT to hurt him Zach, huh? A long ass time!” I come up for air,
waiting for him to tell me how right I am while I climb in my truck.
“Laney, you know I love you, right?”
This can’t be good.
“Yes…”
“Then you know it’s with love when I say this.”
His dramatic pause that makes my skin crawl.
“Get over yourself! I don’t care if he fucked her on
the field and asked you to film it. You may not have meant to, but you destroyed that kid. He’s here with no friends, no girl and a new team. Sound familiar?
He’s just trying to put one foot in front of the other every day, just like you
did. You got your happily ever after, so back the fuck off and let him try to find his.”
Well then. Zach-1. Laney-0.
It hurts; I’m not even gonna pretend it doesn’t, but
his words are honest…and absolutely dead on. It makes me angry at myself for
being the cause of such sad, but true, words describing the crushing of my
Evan. It’s a lot to think on and I have to do that now before I cruise right
out of control.
“You’re right, Zach,” I whisper. “That’s why I call
you. I’ll always get what I need to
now, because while I am seriously concerned for Whitley’s safety at this
moment, the bigger part of me is tickled shitless that Ms. Laney Jo Walker is
pissed as hell.
“Why would you pick a compass?” she now asks
Whitley, advancing a step toward her, seething.
I slide over just a tad, cutting her off at the
pass. It isn’t looking good. She must have seen the kiss; this reaction is
about more than just the tattoo.
“Why would you care?” Whitley challenges.
Not good! Abort mission!!
Laney shifts her fiery eyes at me, and I know what
she’s waiting for. She’s expecting good ol’ Evan to jump in and defend her.
Yes, my every instinct, and my heart, tell me to do it…but my mind wins, and I
simply give her a sheepish shrug.
“Why would you care, prince—” I stop myself
and clear my throat. “Laney?”
Her sweet little mouth drops open and her face heats
scarlet as the flush sweeps up her neck. She’s ready to spew venom, but then
clamps her mouth shut in an attempt at self-preservation. She looks like a
guppy. I don’t get an answer. She spins abruptly on one heel, away from us, calling
to Zach, who raises his head from where he’s bent over, helping Avery with
something, and looks at her. “I’ll catch up with you guys next practice. I’m
good anyway,” she flips her head back around and cooks Whitley with her blazing
eyes, “Evan taught me how to play my whole life.”
“Show’s over then? Cool!” Whitley happily places
both hands on my shoulders and grips down. “Catch me, Ev!” She jumps on for a
piggyback ride and giggles. “Let’s go!”
I walk away as fast as I can, toting Whitley, just
wanting to get us out of everyone’s scope.
Chapter 7
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
~Laney~
“ H ello?”
“Zach, don’t say my name,” I choke out, storming
across the lot as fast as my shaking legs will carry me.
“What’s wrong? Where’d you—” his voice comes loud
and worried through the phone.
“Don’t say that!” I interrupt. God, how
embarrassing. “Can you walk away from everyone and talk to me for a minute?
Where no one can hear you.” My voice is nasally and obnoxious, getting on my
own nerves.
“Yeah, Mom, hang on.”
Note to self: Zach—not a great actor.
“Okay, Laney, I’m by myself now,” he whispers.
“I’m sorry I bailed on practice, and I’m sorry to
bug you now, but I need a Zach of Infinite Wisdom fix real bad right about
now.”
“Let’s pretend I don’t already know what’s up your
ass and you go ahead. It’ll give you a chance to vent.”
All right, so that almost makes me grin.
“He just hung all over that bitch right in front of
me just to piss me off, and it worked! Seriously, she’s picking out his
tattoos? Nothing I did was to purposely hurt him. How long did I absolutely
torture myself NOT to hurt him Zach, huh? A long ass time!” I come up for air,
waiting for him to tell me how right I am while I climb in my truck.
“Laney, you know I love you, right?”
This can’t be good.
“Yes…”
“Then you know it’s with love when I say this.”
His dramatic pause that makes my skin crawl.
“Get over yourself! I don’t care if he fucked her on
the field and asked you to film it. You may not have meant to, but you destroyed that kid. He’s here with no friends, no girl and a new team. Sound familiar?
He’s just trying to put one foot in front of the other every day, just like you
did. You got your happily ever after, so back the fuck off and let him try to find his.”
Well then. Zach-1. Laney-0.
It hurts; I’m not even gonna pretend it doesn’t, but
his words are honest…and absolutely dead on. It makes me angry at myself for
being the cause of such sad, but true, words describing the crushing of my
Evan. It’s a lot to think on and I have to do that now before I cruise right
out of control.
“You’re right, Zach,” I whisper. “That’s why I call
you. I’ll always get what I need to
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