AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Really?” I asked because I didn’t know, and it was impressive.
“I thought you two were friends?” My dad wagged his finger between us.
Ellery turned her head toward me and tilted it. Bryce coughed, almost spitting out her water.
“We’re new friends,” I answered.
“Wallace is a name with some clout around this school. Are you related?” my dad asked.
“The girl doesn’t want the third degree.”
My mom tried to intervene, but we both knew whatever or whoever my dad felt was a threat to me making it pro, he made it his business. And when I say pro, I mean I had to be drafted within the first five picks for him to be happy.
“I am.” She nodded.
I’d figured from Dr. Mylard’s comment when she was late to class that she was related to the Wallace family buildings I saw everywhere on campus.
“So, I’m sure your parents have high hopes for your success, just like we have with Cooper.”
Fuck. Seriously, he was going to do this right now?
“My father, yes. He’d like me to follow in his footsteps and become an emergency room doctor,” Ellery said.
“And a boyfriend would distract you from achieving that, no?” My dad arched an eyebrow.
“Dad…” I groaned, but he cut me a look.
“My parents never said anything like that, but I have a long road ahead of me. Having a boyfriend in medical school is near impossible.” She looked at me from the corner of her eye, almost apologetic.
“Your parents are smart. You two are young, so I’m glad to hear it’s only friendship between the two of you.”
My heart felt as if it had been pummeled as I watched Ellery take her water cup and drink down a big gulp.
“For sure,” she managed to squeeze out afterward.
Our meals arrived, and we all dug in. There was hardly any more conversation at the table except for my dad giving his play-by-play feedback on my performance on the field. Talk about embarrassing. Hadn’t my dad ever heard of private family conversations?
By the time my mom and dad dropped Ellery and Bryce off at their apartment, I couldn’t even walk them up to the door because my dad wanted me to accompany them to their hotel to go over more stuff from the game.
I wasn’t stupid though. It was his way of controlling me, making sure I fell in line. And as always, I did.
Chapter 7
Ellery
“I’m not sure how he’s going to feel about you coming,” I say to Bradley as we sit in the backseat of an Uber on our way to the location of Cooper’s endorsement deal.
“I haven’t scored an endorsement yet, so I figured if I knew how one worked, I’d be ahead of the game. Plus, I’m sure the captain of the team would love to help a newbie.”
He has a point. Cooper is always willing to help the guys on the team. More than once, he’s cut our time short or we’ve been interrupted so he could help teammates find an apartment, take them to lunch to give them some advice, or for a million other reasons. He takes the title of captain seriously. Maybe I’m just not sure where Cooper stands on me dating Bradley. Lately he’s been weird about it.
We exit the Uber, and Bradley secures his hand around mine as we cross the street to the address that Cooper gave me. He should be done soon, and we’re going to lunch afterward.
I knock on the door, and a security guy opens it. After showing identification, we’re allowed in. Bradley fist bumps the security guard as though he knows him, introducing himself by telling the guard he’s the wide receiver for the Grizzlies.
Bradley is the opposite of Cooper, but at the same time, he’s been sweet to me. I’m just used to Cooper is all. I mean, we have an almost ten-year friendship of being glued to each other’s sides.
“Great, Cooper, pretend you’re throwing,” someone says in the photo shoot area.
