Page 65 of Trick Play

Ethan was going to stand by and do nothing? Let things fall apart?

Why did that disappoint me so much?

It wasn’t us.

This wasn’t him saying he wouldn’t fight for us.

There was no us.

But lately, it felt like there was a chance. I was an idiot for even letting myself get within ten feet of an idea like that. I couldn’t be mad at him when, really, I was mad at myself.

We were classmates working on a project.

My future was clear. It was here. With only Lo by my side.

No pining over what could have been.

“Are you going home?”

I shook my head. “No, Whit and I agreed it was too much traveling to go home for a day or two.”

“You don’t want to do the country club dinner?” he teased.

“That too.”

Ugh. He knew me too well. How was I supposed to pretended when he knew my past, my family?

“You can come home with me and Haley if you want. I think Reid is coming.”

“No, thanks.”

I wanted to see his family, but word would get back to my parents and they would get offended.

“Lauren is staying, too, so we’ll do something small. I’ve got more than enough to keep me busy.”

“Yeah, Reid and I have to be back by Sunday morning for practice, so it will be short for us too.”

We walked into the square where the restaurant was, and I hurried in that direction under the guise of being cold, but really, I wanted to be surrounded by other people. They always had TVs on with games playing, so hopefully Ethan would be distracted and let me sit in silence.

“Table for two?” I asked as soon as I stepped in.

A waitress pointed to a table in the corner and I headed over, peeling off my gloves and coat before taking a seat, but Ethan was there in a flash pulling out my chair.

“Thanks.” I sat and stared at the menu while he sat across from me.

“Everything okay?”

Sure. Of course. We were two classmates. I wasn’t lost in memories and opinions I didn’t have any right to have. What he chose to do was entirely up to him.

It was his home. His parents. If he wanted to continue to ignore his family’s problems, good for him. I couldn’t get emotionally involved.

I couldn’t be his crutch. I refused even though he wasn’t asking. It was the role I fell into so easily with him. I wanted to make his life easy, and that wasn’t my job. Not anymore.

Why was that so hard for me to accept?

Chapter 22

Ethan