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“Surely he would approve of Elias, though, wouldn’t he? He’s the kind of guy every parent dreams of for their daughter. Loaded, successful, an elite athlete and probably on his way to the big leagues. What’s not to like?”
“I guess my dad’s spent too much time watching players sow their wild oats. He doesn’t think they’re good boyfriend material. In fact, he’s so bull-headed about it, I know he’d do something…drastic, if he ever found out.”
“You think he’d he be mad at you, Zara?”
“Yes. I also think he’d take it out on Elias.”
“But Elias is too valuable to kick off the team, isn’t he?”
“It’s the one thing my dad won’t tolerate.” I think about not telling Isla this story because it’s sort of a secret. But she knows a few of my secrets already and she’s promised not to tell, so I decide to confide in her. “My sister once had a fling with a football player.” Hannah and I never talk about this because she felt so traumatized by it after it happened. But it’s the reason Rule Number One is such a big deal to her and my dad. “She met him when she was a sophomore in high school and the guy was a junior in college. She was fifteen. He was a hotshot Wildcats wide receiver and she met him at a friend’s party. He kept calling her and a few weeks later she lost her virginity to him. But the very next day she saw online that he was in bed with two other women. My dad found out about the whole thing and gave the player his marching orders on the spot. The guy came begging to my sister to convince my dad to let him stay on the team but my dad wouldn’t budge. And he wouldn’t put in a good word for the guy so he ended up transferring schools but he was second string on his new team and never got his momentum back or got anywhere near the NFL, even though everyone thought he was headed that way before all this happened. He was really bitter about it and it caused my sister a lot of angst. She always saw herself as the cause of his downfall and she felt really terrible about that. And it sort of came between her and my dad for a while, even though they worked through it. So my dad sat us down and said never again. And we agreed to it. It’s kind of like our pact.”
“Okay. But that was a long time ago now, right? And this is different, Zara. You’re in college. You’re a fully fledged consenting adult if you want to be.”
“I know. But my dad still sees it in black and white. He’s been through so much and this season is such a big deal to him. I just don’t want to rock his boat.”
She nods. “I get that. But I’ll just say in Elias’s favor that I sort of know him and I don’t think he would do anything like…what happened to your sister.”
“I don’t think he would either. But I’m not completely naive. I just googled him, Isla. His playboy status is all over the internet.”
“That’s old news, Zara. He hasn’t been with anyone for a while. My brother mentioned it before school started. Gabriel was starting to worry about him. He said Elias has become like this lone wolf who doesn’t hook up anymore. Something about how he could never find the girl he was looking for.”
I’m in this deep, so I confide in her a little bit more. “He said he’s been…lonely.” I hear the emotion in my own voice.
And so does Isla. Her eyes round, like that emoji people use when something is cute or deeply moving. “Oh my god. You’re in love with him.”
I huff an incredulous laugh. “I’m not in love with him. How can I be? I just met him.”
“You are. There was more to it than just a kiss. For both of you.”
“I don’t know.” But I do know.
My phone vibrates in my back pocket. I reach for it, pulling it out.
We both stare at the screen, which beams out the name that’s now etched onto my soul forevermore.
Elias.
“It’s him,” Isla gasps. “Are you going to answer it?”
“No. I can’t.”
“What did you say when you left him?”
“I didn’t say anything. He was still asleep.”
“Answer it, Zara. I can wait outside in the hall if you want some privacy. You should talk to him, at least.”
“Stay here, Isla. Can you stay?”
The phone is still vibrating in my hand.
“Do you really think I should answer it?”
“Yes,” she whispers.
So I swipe the button, holding the phone to my ear, taking a deep, silent breath. “Hi.”
“Hi.” He sounds irritated and I guess I can’t blame him.
