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“Yeah,” I answer. “I’m good.”
I think the situation is deescalating—until a couple more Glenmont guys approach. I don’t know either of them by name, but I recognize them as football players.
“Check this out,” one of them says. “A whole bunch of Alleghany guys, a long way from home.”
Maeve glares at the guy who spoke. “They were invited, Sam.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. It’s just…none of us thought they’d actuallyshow up.”
“If Wes wants to have his party here instead of the pool in my backyard, he can,” Chris replies. There’s an edge to his voice. I watch him and Wes exchange a look laced with tension. Interesting. I have to say, I enjoyed Wes’s birthday party last year more than this one.
“Ohhh, you’ve got apool? I’m impressed, rich boy.” The same Glenmont guy who spoke before, Sam, sneers.
“I didn’t buy four years of wins, did I?” Chris retorts. “You just…lost.” He grins, watching that comment land.
Sam takes a step forward.
Tension ripples in the air like a tangible thing.
To my surprise, Liam is the one who breaks it. “We’re not doing this, Jackson,” he says to Sam. “Not here.”
“Yeah, listen to your quarterback.” Josh taunts, jumping in. “He always makes the right call. Oh, wait…”
Anger rolls off Liam in waves. His jaw is clenched so tightly it seems likely to snap. I bite my bottom lip, knowing anything I say will only make things worse.
Sam takes another step forward.
“Sam!” Liam barks.
“Yeah, whatever.” Sam rolls his eyes and walks away. The other guy who came over with him leaves as well. After a beat, Liam and Matt do the same, heads bent together as Matt tells Liam something.
“Who wants a drink?” Chris asks. All the tension has disappeared. He’s suddenly upbeat and chipper again.
Wes sighs. “Take whatever you want. Butdo notstart any shit with Glenmont, okay?”
“Start? I was trying to end it.”
Wes sighs again before walking off with Maeve. I take a long pull from my drink.
“Some crazy shit, huh?” Charlie asks me, as the rest of the guys help themselves to drinks.
“Yeah. Crazy shit,” I agree, gaze focused on Liam, who’s standing with the same group of guys he walked away with. Several other people have joined them as well, obviously asking what the hell happened over here.
I glance away before Charlie catches me staring. If there’s any moral to the tête-à-tête that just took place, it’s that Maeve and Wes haven’t magically resolved the rivalry between the two towns.
They might have made it worse.
This thing with me and Liam is dangerous. It’s going nowhere. And if someone saw us in Fayetteville a few days ago, I’m certain this encounter would have turned even uglier. We’re playing with fire, and it was much easier to pretend we couldn’t get burned when I couldn’t see the flames. Right now, they’re blazing right in front of me, bright and hot.
I take another sip and set down my drink. “Mind watching that?” I ask Charlie. “Restroom.”
“Yeah, of course,” he replies. “I’ll be here.”
“Thanks,” I say, then walk away.
The doors leading into the clubhouse are just past the line of chairs on the side Glenmont has claimed. Getting to them requires passing everyone here with a Glenmont address, plus Maggie.
I give her a small nod as I pass, which she returns.
