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“And you’ve never told anyone?”
I shake my head. “I go out a lot. Flirt with a lot of guys. Everyone just assumes it happened a long time ago, I guess. My friends started coming to me for advice, and I was always…it was hard, being Adler Beck’s sister. People always paid attention to me for that reason alone. They’d try to sell photos of me to the papers and always ask me about my home life. So, I learned to be careful with what I said. Who I said it to.”
I drain my glass, then lie back down. “Is your dad around now?”
Will lets me change the subject.
“No. He got out, and we never saw him again. My dad was never great at owning up to mistakes. If you asked him, he could do no wrong. My parents weren’t married. He spent more time in the garage working on a car than he ever did with me and Tripp when he lived with us. Him disappearing wasn’t much of a surprise. Maybe…I think that’s probably why she did it. She knew he was never coming back.”
“What did he go to prison for?”
“Drug stuff, mostly. He ran a few scams as well. Laziest guy you’d ever meet. He couldn’t hold down a job, no matter what.”
“Is your brother still in Boston?”
“Yeah. Tripp’s in his last year of dental school. He got all the brains in the family.”
“Adler got all the athleticism.”
“You never played?”
I shake my head, but I’m not sure he can tell since I’m lying down. “No. It was easier to just avoid the whole thing. I knew I’d never measure up to Adler. He wanted it, and he was good at it, and there was no way for me to just try it. But shunning it…it was hard not to feel like an outsider in my own family. To love them and not love football.”
“I think you can love someone and not love what they love. Those are two different things.”
I smile, but my face is snuggled into the cushions, so again, I’m not sure he can tell. “I don’t think Tripp got all the brains in the family.”
Will scoffs, but he’s smiling as he takes a sip of his drink, the corners of his eyes crinkling.
“So, how’s that not getting in trouble thing going for you?”
“I’m assembling a bookshelf on a Friday night. How do you think?” He leans back on one hand, glancing around his no-longer-empty apartment. “But I’m also drinking beer and—” His phone rings, cutting him off. Will glances at the screen, smiles, then tells me, “One sec,” before answering. “Hey, Wyatt.” A pause, then, “No, I’m not watching. Warren’s still out, and Rodriguez’s pitching has been shit.” Will shakes his head at whatever is being said on the other end, then laughs.
I watch him, not bothering to look away, even when Will glances this way and catches me staring.
He stands and heads into the bedroom, returning with a laptop tucked under one arm. I pick up my phone and scroll through the unread messages, then toss it away without responding to anyone.
It’s already after midnight. I should go home. I should have left a while ago. But I want to keep lying here, staring at Will as he talks with his friend while setting up a baseball game on his computer.
My eyelids start to feel heavier and heavier until I don’t bother keeping them open any longer.
The last thing I’m aware of is the comforting weight of a blanket being dragged over me.
SIXTEEN
WILL
My practice jersey is so soaked with sweat that it’s clinging to me. Every time I run a hand through my hair, I can feel the sticky residue coating my hand. It’s not even that hot out. I’m just working—hard. Starting over is all about proving yourself.
My biggest fear has always been turning into my father.
I know we’re similar in many ways. You have to be charming and likable to swindle strangers out of their savings. He turned the charm on and off, the same way I can. The same way I do. It’s rare that I drop the barrier of confidence, which doubles as a magnet and a shield. People want to get near it, but they can’t get past it.
I do a bunch of toe taps, then practice some more goal shots, shooting from different angles and aiming for different spots in the net.
By the time I stop, my breathing is labored, and my muscles ache. But it’s a good burn. A satisfied, earned burn.
I’m squirting water into my mouth when I spot the figure leaning against the fence that surrounds the field. The rest of the team headed inside a while ago, after practice ended, for massages and ice baths and all the other amenities available here. Some of which we had in Seattle, most of which we didn’t.
