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“Can you get me a pretzel?” Hailey asked.
“Sure thing,” Jake said before disappearing into the crowd, shuffling toward the concessions and bathrooms.
“That was awkward,” I said to Hailey, hoping to diffuse the tension that popped up at the same time Jake appeared.
She swallowed. “I don’t like lying to him.”
“We aren’t lying exactly. Just not telling the truth.” That explanation didn’t sit well with me.
She shot me an incredulous look. “How is that different?”
“It’s not.” I couldn’t tell her what I was thinking. That I might be moving, and there’d be no need to upend my friendship with Jake.
Her shoulders were pulled tight to her neck, and her hands were curled into fists on her lap.
I carefully uncurled her fingers and interlaced mine with hers.
“We shouldn’t. He could be back any second.” She glanced at me, her expression pleading for me to let her go.
I wanted to hold on to her forever, not just hold hands with her at a football game. I wanted to tell her brother the truth, but I couldn’t breathe through the weight on my chest.
Hurt flashed through her eyes a second before she disentangled her fingers from mine.
“Come away with me this weekend,” I said to her, blurting out the only thing I could that might alleviate the tension.
“What? Why?” Her nose scrunched adorably.
“I don’t know what this week will bring. What the attorney will say or what Tiffany will threaten next, but I know I want to be with you.”
“Where would we go?”
“Let me figure it out.” The last time I talked to Easton, he mentioned a family home on the river by Chestertown on the Eastern Shore. He’d said he’d rent it to me at a discount, and it was serene and peaceful. It was exactly what we needed. We could explore the town, go fishing, and just relax in the hammock. It would be the perfect opportunity to spend more time with her and Corey without the distractions.
She finally nodded. “Okay.”
I reached over to squeeze her leg lightly, wishing we were alone so I could kiss her. I pulled my hand back right before Jake returned with a basket of pretzels and a tray of drinks. I grabbed the cups, depositing them into the cupholders in front of us.
“Did I miss anything?” Jake asked, taking a sip.
“Nope.” I gestured toward the field where the opposing team was getting ready to kick off. He hadn’t missed any football, but he’d missed my interactions with his sister. The deception weighed heavily on me.
Hailey was right. If I stayed, we needed to tell him. I didn’t like sneaking around or hiding it from him any more than she did.
We got lost in the rest of the game, which was a slow, excruciating battle of the running backs and the defense. The passing game wasn’t working for either team. I knew Corey would be frustrated with his performance on the ride home.
The opposing team won by a field goal in the last few seconds of the game, and then we made our way to the parking lot to wait for Corey.
“I’m going to head out,” Jake said when he reached his truck.
“Corey will appreciate that you came.” Jake was like an uncle to him. Another male figure he’d lose if he went back to Texas.
“I’m glad I could make it.” He opened his arms for Hailey, and she went willingly. They were close. It wasn’t fair for her to keep this a secret. One more week, then I needed to figure out what the hell I was doing. I felt a pang in my heart at the idea of letting her go.
ChapterNineteen
HAILEY
On Monday night, I dropped by the garage with an apple pie from Sophie’s Treats on Main. I set the still-warm dessert on the empty receptionist’s desk. I wanted to know how Ryan’s meeting with the attorney went.
