Page 21 of Fourth and Long

“So, you’re taking it slow? That’s sweet.”

I know Celeste is never going to let this go unless I tell her the truth. She’s always been the nosiest of my sisters and she seems to think sharing a womb gives her certain rights. I scrub my hands through my hair and try to explain Ellie’s presence in my house without saying too much. “Cam asked her to check on me. He’s worried that my head isn’t in the right place.”

“Slater,” she says quietly. “Is Cam right?”

I blow out a breath. She’s always been too perceptive when it comes to me. “He thinks I’m lonely.”

I don’t admit that I am lonely, but she clearly knows. “You aren’t sleeping with her.”

“I just said that.” Celeste drives me nuts. Always has.

“Well, sure, but I didn’t believe you.”

“When have I ever told you something that wasn’t true?”

“In sixth grade. You told Eddie Young I wanted him to kiss me.”

“That doesn’t count. I was lying to Eddie, not you.”

She purses her lips. “You don’t tell me plenty of things. Not anymore.”

She isn’t wrong. My family is supportive. Too supportive. They smother me, and so I keep the jagged parts—the parts of me that are terrified of failing—hidden. “I tell you the things that matter.”

She leans forward. “Obviously not. You didn’t tell me about Ellie. Or that you’re lonely. You wouldn’t have told me now, either. Not if I hadn’t forced you. Why did Ellie come over this morning?”

“She recently quit her job and lives nearby.” I’m not certain, but it’s possible that she’s lonely, too.

“Oh.” Celeste pauses. “What did she do?”

“She’s a psychologist. She used to specialize in troubled marriages.”

“She’s a therapist?”

“Psychologist.”

“I don’t care what her title is. Psychologist. Therapist. Aren’t they the same thing?”

I nearly groan. “I don’t know. She told me she’s a psychologist.”

“So, you’re lonely—and Cam is trying to trick you into seeing a therapist?”

And, yep, that is why I didn’t want to tell her. She sees conspiracies where they don’t exist. And she always feels the need to protect me. She forgets that I do not require protection.

“I’ve seen one before. There is nothing wrong with seeing a therapist.”

“I know,” she responds, as if I’ve insulted her. “There is something wrong with your agent manipulating you into seeing a therapist, though. You give Cam too much power. He sends her to check on you, and you don’t question him.” She crosses her arms over her chest. “I mean…you hate being told what to do. You never listen to me.”

I look at the ground. She’s going to make me say it. “I am lonely. I lost again—in another game that meant everything—and it was my fault. I’m disappointed, and I’m bad company. I don’t have to wonder why Ellie’s here or what she wants from me. And she doesn’t pity me or feel the need to protect me. She didn’t even know who I was.” I pause and then add, “She knows nothing about football.”

I still don’t understand why I like that about her.

“If you’re lonely, you should come home. We’re your family—we’ll always be there for you,” Celeste says softly.

I hear the hurt in her voice, and I hate that I put it there. I know my family cares, but to them, football is “just a game.” They support me and they cheer for me, but at the end of the day, they think I care about it too much. I hate their sympathy, so I lick my wounds in private and pretend everything is fine.

I nod. “I’ll come home. I visit plenty.”

She huffs. “I know.” And then, her gaze drops to the floor which makes me suspicious. Celeste never yields so easily.