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“She’s not my girlfriend.” Yet. My fake girlfriend, that is. “I asked her.”
“And she said no?” Luna can barely breathe at this point. “I think I love her.”
Every single one of them lift their drinks, cheersing. “Wise, wise woman.”
“She’s thinking about it.”
Jackson rubs his wife’s back as she wheezes. “That’s even better.”
“Because—” I kiss my teeth at them all. “—she has a son who probably feels some kinda way about his coach becoming his…”
“Step-father?”
“Step-daddy.”
“The Daddy Who Stepped Up.”
Why do I even try?
17
SUNDAY
“Mama?”
My gaze moves from the building I’m attempting to demolish with my mind to the frowning boy in my passenger seat. “Yeah, buddy?”
August shifts, fingers tapping against the door frame. “Are we going inside?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Soon?”
“Sure.”
“We’re gonna be late.”
“I know.” That might just be my goal. If we’re late, the halls will be empty. There’ll be less chance of me bumping into other adults. Although, lucky me, today of all days, social interaction is inevitable. Because today is career day, and all those parents who already dislike me for whatever weird, unfounded reason? Currently flooding the halls of my workplace.
If I knew I’d be so filled with dread almost every time I walk through the doors into Sun Valley Elementary, I never would’ve taken this job. I wanted to skip today but I’m already pushing it with absences, what with my impromptu week off that now, thanks to what feels like every media outlet in existence, everyone knows the cause of.
Last night, I wasn’t quite so anxious about facing everyone in the wake of The Big Secret dropping. When Cass left, I actually felt okay. Supported. He made sure to warn me at least a dozen times about the sudden onslaught of attention I,we, are about to experience but I thought he was being dramatic.
Somewhere between him leaving and me falling asleep no more than a couple of hours before my alarm went off, I discovered he wasn’t.
Somewhere between one hateful comment and the next, I turned my phone off.
“Mama.” August grabs my wrist, manipulating my hand into performing our sacred handshake. “Today’s gonna be a good day.”
God, I love my kid.
Summoning a smile just for him, I nod. “I’m ready.”
Before I can prove it by opening the door, someone opens it for me. I flinch, half-expecting a jealous fan to yank me out by hair. I only slightly relax when, through squinted eyes, I find Luna crooking a finger at me instead. “Let’s go, mommy.”
I’m not as quick as August to obey. He’s out and rounding the hood to join Isaac in a split second; I’m slow to grab my bag, slower to hop out. “What’re you doing?”
“Walking you to class,” Amelia replies, linking a slender arm through mine. Her girls wave from a couple feet away, Rory damn near breaking her arm in her enthusiasm. Before I can ask why, Amelia adds, “Cass mentioned you were a little nervous.”
