The rain was still no more than an off-and-on sprinkle, so I gestured for her to lead the way out to the sand court. I placed my hand at the small of her back, guiding her progress.
Also, a possessive, caveman-brain part of me itched to claim her again as mine, especially in front of all these classmates and old friends. But there I was, getting ahead of myself again. Just because Brooke had shown up here and declared she came for me didn’t mean anything had really changed between us. I hoped it was the start of something, though.
“We’ve got next,” I said to the two teams of two on either side of the net.
“Well if it isn’t little Brookie,” a familiarly snide voice rang out.
Jace.
Oh,fuck no.
Not this asshole.
I made to take a step towards the taunting voice, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw Brooke wave me off.
Instead, Brooke stepped up to face him head-on, their eye lines nearly level.
“Jace.” She met his stare, her hands placed defiantly on her hips. “You look the same.” Her tone of voice made it clear that it wasn’t a compliment.
“Wish I could say the same of you.” He nudged a nearby friend, Zach, and they both chuckled, as if he’d dropped some clever insult. Wow, he really hadn’t grown up. “And is that your littleGay-de best friendstill following you around? Guess some things never do change.”
And I guess you’re still a homophobic, sexist pig,I wanted to snap.
“You and Zach ready to take your big mouths out onto the court?” Brooke challenged, tilting her head towards the sand.
I looked at her in surprise. My fiery high school crush was back. And Jace had never been one to back down for a challenge, especially in front of an audience.
When our turn was up, she grabbed my hand and pulled me to our side of the net.
“Just don’t overdo it, okay?” I leaned down to whisper in her ear, my voice full of worry.
“I’m good,” she returned. “Let’s kick their asses.”
And we did.
37
BROOKE
Fun Fact #66: Statistically, about 1/3 of graduates attend their ten-year high school reunion.
My inner self was cheering that I’d put so much effort into getting some of my athletic endurance back. I swam laps regularly and had a routine of lifting weights.
Jace, on the other hand, who now sported a prematurely thinning hairline and the beginning of a paunch, was winded and gasping for breath by the time Cade and I were up 3-0.
Karma was sweet.
I could hear Nic’s raucous cheers from the sidelines. “Go, Brooke! Get ‘em, Cade!”
Cade and I were in perfect sync as we played, his feet quickly eating up the familiar sand terrain to make the first bump to me, followed by my perfect set, and his leaping spike over the net. Bump, set, spike—we repeated the motions over and over until we were up 10-1 and the rain began to fall in earnest.
“Good game.” Cade extended his hand under the net, and Zach came to shake it, but Jace turned away, mumbled under his breath, and walked off in a huff.
Damn, that victory had felt good.
Screw that guy.
As I reentered the cabin, Cade came up behind me, wrapping his arms around me in a bear hug.
