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“Get in here,” Poppy said. “You’re just in time for pizza.”
“Ooh, my favorite.”
“No shit,” Bryan said. “It’s my favorite too. If that isn’t some written in the stars thing, I don’t know what is.”
“Are you always this… weird?” She asked him, and the guys burst into laughter.
“I’ll be whatever you want me to be.” Bryan winked.
“God, make it stop.” Peyton smirked, grabbing a plate and perching on the end of the couch. “So, what did I miss?”
“We all went in the pool.”
I internally winced at Sofia’s words. Because we hadn’tallgone in the water.
Peyton sensed my discomfort, her knowing gaze finding mine. “How was it?”
“How was what?”
“The water.”
“Oh, I didn’t…” The conversation in the room fell quiet, the spotlight shining down on me. “I wasn’t feeling it.” I took a bite of my pizza, hoping she would move on.
Thankfully, she did.
“So, game day next week. Do you think the Raiders can do it this season?”
“Fuck yeah,” Aaron said.
“And you three,” she flicked her head to Kaiden and his friends, “how do you feel about it?”
“I just want to play football.” Kaiden grumbled.
“And get the call from Bama.”
“Bama, nice. You think you have a shot?” Cole asked.
“Before the school burned down, I would have said yes,” his jaw ticked, “but now I’m not so sure.”
“Yeah, it must suck being at Rixon High your last season. But Coach is a fair guy. He’ll make sure you get a shot.”
“I hope so.” Kaiden’s eyes flicked to mine but he immediately glanced away.
My stomach sank. It seemed to be doing that a lot around him.
“Where’s Ashleigh?” Peyton asked.
“She went to check on Ezra.”
“Is he okay?”
“You know, E.” Aaron let out a thin breath. “He does his own thing.”
It was true. Ezra preferred his own company. But he and Ashleigh had struck up an odd friendship since he arrived at the Bennet’s a few years ago. Well, Ashleigh called it a friendship. The rest of us weren’t so sure. She was persistent and then some. Anyone else wouldn’t have stood a chance against her, but Ezra was… complicated.
I risked peeking over at Kaiden. Maybe if I was more like Ashleigh, I would have stood up for myself a little more when Kaiden dismissed me.
A heavy sigh slipped from my lips, but nobody noticed.
