Page 86 of Fourth and Long

“Not that busy. Tell me what happened.”

I give her a short rundown of our relationship. When I finish, she’s silent for a second.

“You like her.”

Wasn’t that implied? “Uhhh, yes.”

“No. You really like her.”

“Yes.” Do I need to shout it?

“Awww. I like her, too.”

“That’s it?” I expected advice. Or an opinion. Or something.

“You like her. She likes you. What else is there to say?”

“I messed everything up. She thinks she’s a distraction.”

“Isn’t she?”

“No, but what if I tell her she isn’t and then she becomes a distraction?”

“Are you kidding me? She’s already a distraction. Life is one big distraction.”

“She’s not,” I insist stubbornly.

“I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. You act like football is all or nothing. You can manage a girlfriend and football. You’ve already been dating her for months. She isn’t going to suddenly become more of a distraction if you admit you like her.”

“You don’t understand.” I’m not sure what I thought Amber was going to tell me, but I certainly didn’t think she’d tell me that I’m already distracted. Is she right?

Because I certainly haven’t felt distracted.

“Ellie’s complaints don’t seem insurmountable. Ask her to visit as often as you can. And stop telling her football is all you care about. Seems like an easy fix.”

Is it? I’m not so sure.

And talking to Amber hasn’t made anything clearer. She sucks at giving advice.

“How are you?” I ask, desperate to talk about something else.

She laughs—a tad hysterically. “I’m awful. And great. Babies never sleep. Maddy cries all the time. Thankfully my parents are still here, and my mom is wonderful with her. She’s definitely Maddy’s favorite, which kind of sucks but is also kind of awesome.”

“Your mom is the best.”

“She is.” Amber pauses. “Anyway, I’m stressed but I’m also amazed, you know? My whole life—my whole world—was my music. And now it isn’t. Having a daughter opens up a whole new avenue. It’s kind of spectacular.”

“You aren’t giving up the music, though, are you?” I can’t imagine it.

“Of course not. We’re already planning my next tour. I’ll be distracted, but I’ll still be unstoppable.”

I hear crying in the background.

“That’s Maddy. I gotta go.” She pauses. “Let me know what happens, okay?”

“Okay.”

“And, Slater, stop overthinking this thing with Ellie. I know better than anyone that sometimes things don’t work out, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.”