“Exactly. That was ten years and a few hundred girls ago.”
Well, that felt shitty, and I could have gone without the mental picture. “Yeah, but he hasn’t known any of those girls since they were three like me.”
She scrunched up her nose. “Yeah, that’s not what I mean, and you know it.”
“Yeah, but you know we’ve always gotten along.”
“And it was cute when you were younger, but now….”
“Now what?”
“Now it just seems a little fishy.”
I didn’t like where this was going and knew I needed to shut it down as soon as possible. “You seem a little fishy,” I muttered.
Connie rolled her eyes. “Just tell me the truth.”
“Nothing is going on,” I whispered, lifting up a little to glance over her shoulder and make sure my nephew was asleep.
He was.
“He’s just my friend.” I swallowed. “And I know he doesn’t see me like that, Con. I think he’s just lonely or something. He probably still feels like he owes me since I ‘saved his life’ a million years ago. And he rarely talks to me about football stuff. I don’t really ask about it much either. He probably just likes getting away from it sometimes.”
That had my sister’s face softening.
“We’re just friends. I’m not following him around like a puppy. He calls me. He invites me to his house. I leave him alone. He comes over sometimes,” I told her in another whisper just as the water in the shower cut off. “And we just get along really well. Like we always have.”
“B, I wasn’t putting it all on you. Him too. I know you would’ve told me if you invited him, but I know that you wouldn’t have.”
“Well, yeah. He invites himself. I like it; I miss him. You know I have some friends, I know a lot of people, but it’s different with Zac. It was just like putting on old shoes that fit really great.”
“You’re sure?”
It was my turn to roll my eyes. “Yeah, I’m sure. I’m not his type, Con. I was just reminding him about when I used to fart around him not too long ago. I love him, but I only dream about things I can make happen on my own now.”
“Or with me.”
I smiled. “Or with you.”
“I don’t ask because I worry about your feelings, B. You know that, right? I just want to know if there’s something going on you didn’t want to tell me about.”
“Nope.”
Her face got thoughtful again.
“Nope,” I repeated.
She sighed. “You get along so well though…. I don’t know, B. I guess it’d be cute if things were different.” I wasn’t sure what she meant by different. What? If Boogie wasn’t his best friend? If I was older or prettier? Or he was different and wanted something serious?
“Well, we’re just meant to be friends, and there’s nothing there like that. I doubt he would ever do anything to ruin the longest relationship he’s ever had.”
“Well, whatever. It’d be nice to get some tickets in the box if you know what I’m saying.” She elbowed me.
I laughed. “I’m sure if you just asked, he’d get you tickets.”
“He probably would, right?”
“I think so.”
“Club tickets would be cool.”
I looked at her.
“Box tickets would be nicer.”
“You’re a monster.”
“Your mama’s a monster.”
Chapter Thirteen
We were inside the event hall when Boogie stopped in front of the double doors that led into the ballroom and lifted his arms to block us from going any further.
I was trailing at the end of our small group—the kids, Connie, Zac, my cousin, and I—
trying not to limp over my stupidity. I’d decided to wear brand-new shoes without breaking them in, like a newbie, and was going to need a Band-Aid ASAP. As in, the second we sat down, I was kicking these bitches off and stealing one or two from Connie. She always had a bunch in her purse. Just earlier in the day, before the mass for Lola’s quince, we’d gone to the outlet mall and Guillermo had busted his ass in the parking lot, requiring two.
“What are you doing, Boog? I need to take these shoes off before my toes start bleeding,” I whined the second I saw what he was doing.
“Yeah, Boog, what are you doing?” Connie echoed as she held her phone against her face. “No, Mom, I’m talking to Boogie,” she backtracked into the receiver.
I’d been side-eyeing her and eavesdropping on her conversation the entire ride to the event hall. I’d tried to call my mom while we’d been at the mall, but she hadn’t answered. All I’d wanted was to check in with her. She hadn’t called me back either, but she had randomly called Connie. I’d yelled out a “hi” in the car and gotten a “hello, my love” back.
I hadn’t rolled my eyes. I’d stopped doing that a long time ago.
“I thought food was going to start getting served soon?” Zac piped in as he hovered at my side, bringing me back to what the hell Boogie was doing.
I tried my best not to look at Zac, especially after the conversation I’d had with my sister the night before.
And especially not when he was dressed in a sleek dark blue suit that hugged his body like it had been tailor-made for him—which it more than likely had been—and a white shirt. The worst part was that he’d brushed his hair at some point since we’d had breakfast that morning; he’d gone over to Boogie’s afterward and spent hours playing Call of Duty or something beforehand. When my niece had opened the door after he’d knocked and he’d strolled into our small, messy room, I’d felt something in me stutter for a second. But I’d sucked that shit up even though I’d whistled at him and asked if Mama had packed his clothes for him.
The truth was, he looked great, just like a prince but better.
And, unfortunately, I had a bunch of distant relatives with no shame that I was mentally preparing myself to have to put up with, coming
