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The only reason she gave was her father wouldn’t want her personal business online for all to see. Huh. When she told me that, I accepted her word as is. Why pry? Prying would only have her clamming up more.

Now that I think back to our times together, Syn rarely spoke of her father other than to say she spent her free time with him when she wasn’t with me or her mom.

Mulling over how private Syn is and that I might have been wrong about what I knew of her back in our teens, I search for reassurance that I did know who Syn was, down to what she liked and didn’t like.

I find what I’m looking for in my archived photos. It’s my favorite one of us from high school. I am standing behind Syn with my arms draped over her shoulders.

My team won that first home game our junior year. I celebrated the win by making it official with Syn. I asked her to be my girl and she said yes, her eyes so bright and her smile so big, I replayed that scene over and over in my head for forever.

Even now, that memory hasn’t faded. It only grows brighter with our proximity after years apart. Moving my finger over the screen, I blow up the picture.

Syn’s hair spills over her chest, the tips almost hitting her belly button. She’s happy. We’re happy. I miss those innocent days of just being a couple without a care in the world. There was no thinking of the future. No wondering if we’ll last beyond high school or college. There was just the here and now.

Across the hallway, a door opens. Andy pokes his head inside my room.

“You going to Midnight’s bar tonight?”

“Yeah. You?”

“Sure.”

“Were you at Galley’s party last night?” I hit the side button on my phone. The screen goes dark.

“Yep. I saw what you did for Lily. If it were me, I’d hunt down the dude who brought tears to her eyes and rip him a new asshole.”

“You like her?”

When I drove Lily home last night, I set the record straight. I am not interested in starting anything with a girl other than Syn. I felt crummy dropping the news on her after the shit night she had, but I did not want to mislead her either. She took the news well. Thank fuck. I do not need a stalker or a clinger.

“I have a class with her. She’s mega quiet.”

He didn’t answer my question, but his smile is a dead giveaway.

“She transferred in last year, and seeing as how you’re friends with everyone on campus, she’ll appreciate someone taking her under his wing without fear you’ll want to feel her up.”

Andy is a standup dude. He is also fast on the field. One of the best running backs.

“I can do that. Why don’t you ask her to come with tonight? Syn is cool, and I bet she’ll put Lily at ease. Syn used to be like Lily, all quiet and shit. Man, that girl was hot with long hair. Is hotter now with her shorter cut. It showcases her eyes, you know?”

Don’t I.

“And those piercings? Makes a guy wonder what else is pierced and where else she’s inked.”

Dammit, what were those Sterling D-bags thinking filling Syn with booze and pot? If they ever fucking do that again, I’ll be tearing into them.

“Hey, you okay, bro?”

I blink. “Yeah, why?”

“You had this ragey expression, like you’re ready to commit murder.”

“Just thinking of steamrolling over our opponents. The tide changes this season. We’ll bring home the championship.”

“Thank fuck. I did not want to deadbolt my door.”

“Fuck off.”

“You fuck off, fucker.”