“Hit the showers, Chase. I’ll catch up with you later.”
I left them to it and made my way through the tunnel leading to the locker room. The guys all cheered the second I walked inside.
“Yeah, yeah,” I said. “It was one game. We still have eight to go,” I reminded them.
“Nah, QB, we’ve got this.” Micah pointed at me, winking.
I made quick work of showering, knowing that my family would be waiting outside to congratulate me. It was a post-game ritual that we would head to Bell’s and eat together. Then they would go home while I went onto a party or to hang out with the guys.
The second I walked out of the stadium, my sister made a beeline for me. “You were amazing.” She threw her arms around me.
“Thanks.” I chuckled. Her enthusiasm for football never ceased to amaze me.
“You played a good game,” Dad said, coming over. “Did the scout introduce himself?”
“Yeah.”
“And?”
“He said he’d be in touch.”
“Yes!” Dad pulled me in for a hug. “I’m so proud of you, Avery.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“Okay, husband of mine, don’t monopolize all his hugs.”
We both laughed, looking over at Mom, who stared at me with so much pride in her eyes, I felt a little choked up.
“Congratulations, baby.” She wrapped her arms around me. “You did good.”
“I always do good, Mom.”
“Yeah, baby, you do.”
“Hey, where’s Uncle Xander?”
A chill went through the air as my parents shared a glance.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing,” Dad smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “He’s sorry he couldn’t be here.”
“Right.”
“Well done, Ave,” Poppy and Lily approached with their mom.
“Thanks.”
“I bet Jason is so proud of you,” their mom Felicity said.
“Damn straight he is.” Coach stalked toward us. “But now he wants to eat.” His eyes narrowed on his wife, glittering with hunger.
“Ew, Dad, gross,” Poppy fake barfed.
“One day, Pops, one day you’ll know how it feels,” her mom chuckled.
“One day when she’s much, much older.”
“Like anyone would be brave enough to date me knowing you’re my dad. I’m doomed.”
We all laughed at that.
“Where’s Asher?” Coach asked my dad.
“There was an issue with Ezra. They headed home.”
“Well, I don’t know about the rest of you,” Dad said. “But I’m ready for the meanest burger Bell’s does.”
“What are you two whispering about?” I hissed at Lily and Ashleigh. They hadn’t stopped since we arrived at Bell’s.
“Nothing,” Lily rushed out a little too quickly. She shot my sister a hard look, but Leigh cleared her throat.
“Miley was at the game, you know?”
“She was?”
Ugh.
I internally groaned at the hope in my voice. Now my sister and Lily were staring at me with amusement in their eyes.
“I mean, that’s cool.”
“What the hell were you thinking, Ave?”
“Excuse me?” I said right as Lily nudged my sister in the ribs.
“She told us in confidence, Lil.”
“Told you what?” That piqued my interest.
“Oh, you know, just what a jackass my brother is.” Leigh arched her brow at me.
“Will you just tell me what the hell is going on?”
Miley was at the game?
Why didn’t she wait around to see me?
Because she made it pretty clear she didn’t want to see you again, asshole.
“Why’d you kiss her and then invite Kendall Novak to Homecoming? That was a real jerk move.”
“What?” My brows furrowed. “I didn’t invite Kendall to Homecoming.”
“Well, she thinks you did. She told Miley that you were going together. Even suggested you could double date with Miley and Micah.”
“What the fu—hell? I haven’t even thought about Homecoming.” I’d go. It was kind of expected. But I had no plans to take a date.
“So let me get this straight.” I ran a hand down my face. “Miley thinks I’m taking Kendall to Homecoming?”
“Yep.”
“And when did this all happen?”
“I think it was Wednesday.”
Fuck. The same day Miley blew me off. No wonder she was acting weird. She thought I’d fooled around with her in the library and then gone to school the next day and asked Kendall to Homecoming.
“I didn’t invite Kendall to Homecoming,” I said.
“Well, duh.” Leigh rolled her eyes, “That’s what I told Miley. I told her you would never invite that bitch.”
“Leigh,” I warned.
“What? It’s true. She was all up in Miley’s face in the hall at school. Me and Lily jumped in to save her.” She looked so damn pleased with herself.
“Fuck,” I hissed under my breath. “And you didn’t think to tell me this sooner?”
“Miley only really told us what happened tonight.”
“Yeah, after you wouldn’t let it go,” Lily said.
Ashleigh shrugged. “I don’t like seeing my friends miserable.”
I fought a smile. That was typical Ashleigh. And I couldn’t deny it soothed something inside me, knowing that Miley had my sister in her corner. Even if she was in ninth grade.
“I need to go,” I said, shooting up from the table.
“Avery? What is it, Son?” Dad asked.
“I… uh, I need to…”
“There’s a girl,” Ashleigh said, and I shot her a what the fuck look.
“Let me guess, Miss Fuller?” Coach smirked.
“Wait a minute,” I said, “you know about that?”
“I had my suspicions.”
“But how?”
“Because, Avery, I was young once, and there’s no escaping these women once they get their claws into you.”
Well then.
I gawked at him like he’d grown a second head.
But then he gave me a serious look and said, “What are you waiting for, son? Go get your girl.”
Chapter Twelve
Miley
When I got home, the house was empty. Mom had left a note on the refrigerator saying that she’d gone out with some girlfriends from work. It was a big deal, and I was so proud of her for trying to reclaim her life.
I grabbed a tub of ice cream from the freezer and a spoon and perched on one of the stools. There was nothing that cookie dough ice cream couldn’t solve.
I shouldn’t have gone to the game tonight. I knew that the second I watched Avery emerge from the tunnel with his teammates. God, he’d looked so good in his shoulder pads and tight white pants. I’m pretty sure I’d had actual drool. But then
