Page 43 of Apple of My Eye

Chapter Thirty-Three

Eloise

Things I hate

– Liars

– Liars

– Liars

‘Oh, Nick loves that team.’ Isaac looks up at me as we pass a family in matching red jerseys emblazoned with an SF logo. ‘You didn’t know?’

The only scene that even remotely relates to sports replays in my mind.

I actually hate football , Nick confessed, his voice dropping to a whisper.

That’s my secret . I gulp. ‘Right! I think he did mention that once or twice.’ I smile at them, hoping they can’t detect the change in my voice, but they both carry on chattering and laughing while they pick apples, oblivious.

‘That’s actually why he’s out here,’ Julian says. ‘Woah, look at that one!’ He spots a perfectly circular bright red apple on one of the top branches and jumps for it.

‘What’s why who’s out here?’ I ask, half paying attention to him and half squinting at the front of the barn where families are standing in line to have their picture taken.

We hired the community college’s amateur photography class to do the portraits and so far it’s been a big hit.

Even Evan congratulated me on that one. Although I doubt he’ll be as happy with me after his workday today.

He talked up Mom’s apple pie so much that I assigned him to the bake stand. He’s been swamped all morning.

‘I haven’t even been able to eat a sample,’ he whined when he saw me grabbing Isaac and Julian to take them out for the tour. ‘Can’t I come with you?’

‘You said you were coming to help,’ I said sternly. ‘Plus, I’m just dropping them at the fields.’ At least that’s what I intended to do until I started talking to them and realized how much dirt they had on Nick.

‘That’s why Nick’s out here.’ Julian snorts. ‘He lost a stupid fantasy football bet. That stubborn motherf—’

‘What?’ I wheel around. I must have misheard. ‘Nick is out here for a school project.’

‘Right,’ Julian says happily, like he’s relieved we’re all on the same page. ‘A project he only took because he lost a fantasy football bet.’

‘What, did you think he was here out of the goodness of his heart?’ Isaac laughs. ‘Unfortunately, that is not something we learn in school.’

My mouth opens and closes while I try to think of what to say. I did think Nick was here out of the goodness of his heart. He kept telling me how important it was to him to help the Parkers. How he had to succeed to make his mom proud. Why would I have thought otherwise?

Julian and Isaac’s chatter sounds like a faint buzzing in my ear as I keep processing what they just said. ‘I thought he had to be here for school?’ I ask finally, interrupting them.

Isaac doesn’t seem the least bit concerned. ‘Yeah, I mean, I guess. He’s got his job after school anyways.’

‘You’re telling me he’s done all this work for some stupid sports league?’ I ask, trying to decide just how angry to be with Nick.

Isaac shrugs. ‘I wouldn’t exactly say stupid, but .?.?.’

Nick was ready to ruin my life, my business plan, my shot at providing a secure future for my parents, over a fantasy football bet. My decision is easy, I don’t even need to think about it. I am as angry with Nick as physically possible. I am seething.