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"Sofie, help me out here. You're on my side, right?" Payton asks.
I blink, shaking myself. I'd almost forgotten I wasn't alone.
"Uh, sure. Sorry, what side is that?" I ask, hiding my flush behind my camera as I take another shot.
"The side of Erik being a giant idiot." She keeps her voice low to stop it from carrying across the gym. "I don't care how good he looks with his shirt off."
Payton crosses her arms in front of her chest.
"I hadn't really noticed," I shrug one shoulder.
Payton and Dakota both share a look. The three of us are supposed to be making exciting content for Payton's new social media drive. She always has something brewing to build hype for the Snowhawks. Fan events, contests, music, and shoe sponsorships— Payton works nonstop to ensure people talk about the team. She lives in the spotlight that I spend all my time trying to avoid.
"Alright, girl. Spill. You're even quieter than normal, and I didn't think that was possible," Dakota reaches out, gently nudging the camera down to expose my face.
"There's nothing to spill. Nothing happened between me and Parker—" I snap my mouth shut, realizing my mistake.
"Uh, we didn't ask about Parker," Payton says, an evil grin appearing on her face.
Whoops. He isn't even near, and Parker has switched off my brain.
"Dios," I mutter. "It's nothing. Forget it."
The girls share a silent look that says a whole lot.
"Sofie," Dakota waits for me to look at her. "What's going on? You can talk to us."
Payton's eyes narrow as she looks between me and the weight bench across the room.
"Parker has been looking at you for weeks now. Everyone knows he's crazy about you," she says matter-of-factly. "Do you want me to tell him to back off? I know you hate confrontation, but that doesn't mean you have to put up with unwanted attention. I know how cocky pro athletes can be."
Dakota doesn't argue. She knows better than anyone that Payton is telling the truth.
"Thanks, Payton. I appreciate it— both of you— really. But I'm okay." I look between them. "I mean it. Everything's fine. Especially Parker,"
Dakota is the sister I never had. We've known each other since college. And while I've only known Payton for a few months, she's already become a close friend. They're a lot alike in many ways.
Both are pretty much my opposite. Extroverted extroverts. Both of them can work a crowd like they own it. And both of them could see right through my bullshit.
"Fine?" Dakota snort-laughs, playfully smacking me on the shoulder. "Still doing your stalker routine, huh?"
I wait for the floor to open up and swallow me whole.
"Stalker routine?" Payton asks, smiling as she glances back and forth between us.
"Sofie is crushing hard, but she's too shy to do anything about it. So she takes pictures, watches." She throws an arm around my shoulder, squeezing me close. "You know, classic psycho stalker,"
She's laughing softly, but color rises to my face anyway.
Dakota is one of the few people in the world that I won't shy away from. The other is currently benching twice my bodyweight halfway across the gym, his muscles glistening like some kind of Greek god.
"I did something about it last night, pendeja," I huff at her.
This is why I'm quiet, why I keep to myself. Because when I'm riled up, my mouth bypasses my brain altogether.
"Hold on, that sounds juicy. Spill," Payton says again.
I blow out a breath.
