Page 36

CARSON

Panic surges through me as Nylah gives me a worried frown. I try not to let it show, keeping my voice in check and giving her the only advice I can.

“Lie. Just… lie about everything. Or better yet, don’t answer the phone.” I wince, hating myself for saying it, but what the fuck else am I supposed to do?

She snickers and lightly pats my cheek before giving me a nervous grin.

That’s not helping. Now I don’t know what she’s gonna say, and the urge to rip the phone out of her hand is overwhelming.

My fingers tingle, and I’m seconds away from throwing her phone out my window when she answers the damn call.

“Hey, Dad.” Her voice is bright and chipper.

Too bright?

Too chipper?

“Where are you?” Coach barks loud enough for even me to hear it.

Yep, definitely too chipper.

I lean in and she tips the phone away from her ear so I can be a part of this. Why I even want to be a part of this is beyond me. I should be packing my stuff and getting ready to hit the fucking road.

“Well, good morning to you too.” Nylah’s managing to keep upbeat. I don’t know how she doesn’t go on the immediate defensive.

Coach sighs, his voice dropping to a softer, gruffer bark. “I came past your dorm to check on you—figured you might have had a rough night with that storm blowing through—and you’re not here. Your roommate isn’t there either, and no one on your floor knows where you are. Nylah, what is going on?”

“You went door-to-door on my floor?” Nylah sits up. “Dad!”

“Well, what was I supposed to do?” Her dad sounds exasperated as she once again avoids the question. “Why weren’t you answering your phone? Your Mom texted you, asking if you were okay.”

“She did?” Nylah puts the phone on speaker and I hold my breath, hoping he can’t hear me breathing beside her. Pulling up her messages, she checks the screen, and there are three texts. She quickly reads them and winces. “Sorry. I was at the party, and I didn’t hear my phone.”

“We were really worried about you! When the thunder and lightning started, we had no idea how you were going to handle it.” Coach’s bark gets a little louder.

“I wanted to drive out last night and find you but figured you’d never forgive me.

But the least you could have done was checked in with us. ”

“I’m sorry, okay?” Nylah’s eyes bulge, and she cringes before squeezing her eyes shut and blurting, “I had a great time at the party. You seriously have nothing to worry about. The storm didn’t even bother me.”

“So, did you spend the night there or something?”

“Um… yes?”

I squeeze my eyes shut and cringe. Seriously? Why did she make that sound like a question?

“Nylah Destiny Jones, you better stop lying to me right now!” he shouts, and she doesn’t even flinch. “Tell me exactly where you are. I’m coming to get you.”

Closing her eyes, Nylah lets out a tired sigh. “Dad, we talked about this. You’re not allowed to treat me like a little kid anymore.”

“What are you hiding?”

Her eyes pop open, and she glances at me. “Nothing. I’m not hiding anything.”

“Then tell me the truth!” he thunders.

And once again, no flinching from the girl beside me. She’s fucking incredible.

With a huff, she rolls her eyes and rattles off a few facts. “I went to the party last night and ended up falling over.”

“Were you drunk? Are you okay? How’s your leg?”

She winces and starts rubbing her thigh. “I’m fine. I wasn’t drunk.”

“And your leg?”

She rubs it a little harder, working her jaw to the side.

“Nylah!”

Closing her eyes again, she murmurs, “It’s sore.”

“What happened?”

“I was walking down the side of the house, and I ended up getting bumped by someone who didn’t see me and fell over. I left the party straight after that but couldn’t catch a ride, and so I started walking.”

“You walked?” Coach sounds incredulous, and it’s pissing me off. Let her fucking finish! I want to yell that into the phone, but I can’t go giving myself away. “You walked in that rain? With the thunder rolling and the?—”

“Dad, I?—”

“Baby.” His voice goes feather soft, tinged with a hurt that even I can hear. “Why didn’t you call me?”

Nylah bites her lip before softly explaining, “Because I didn’t need to. Someone came and helped me. They picked me up and carried me back to their house, and I was looked after. His roommates gave me an ice pack and a change of clothes. It was just easier to sleep on the couch, and?—”

“Nylah, where are you right now?” Coach’s voice has taken on that steely, icy edge that makes my stomach clench. I know that tone. It’s fucking dangerous.

Shooting Nylah a worried frown, she cringes and bites her lip.

“Lie!” I mouth. “Save yourself!”

Her face scrunches up again, and she looks away from me when she finally admits, “I’m at Football Frat.”

“Football Fr…” His words trail off, and then there’s this awkward pause that sounds more like a ticking bomb before the inevitable explosion. “What! You spent the night with a bunch of football players!”

“Dad, don’t say it like that. You make it sound like we had a big orgy together.”

“You had an orgy with them!”

“No! That’s what I’m saying.” She laughs out the words, then groans. “Would you calm down? You’re acting like a crazy man.”

I bulge my eyes at her. No one ever talks to Coach that way.

“I’m coming to get you. You better be dressed and ready, young lady.”

Nylah growls. “I’m already dressed! I just told you that they looked after me. Gave me an ice pack, let me sleep on their couch. I mean, Zander and Sienna are here, for fuck’s sake, Dad.”

“Don’t you use that language with me.”

“Well, don’t you use that tone with me,” she bites back, and now I’m fighting a shocked grin.

Coach huffs and mutters something I don’t quite catch. I frown and look at Nylah for a translation, but she just shrugs.

“Look, Dad, I get that you’re worried and that’s why you’re acting like this, but I’m seriously fine.”

“Do I need to take you to the doctor?” He’s obviously moving, already heading to his car to come get her. Fuck.

“No.” She stretches out her leg, then winces a little when she rotates her ankle.

I run my hand down her arm and mouth, “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” she mouths back before saying to Coach, “I’ve taken some pain meds, and I’ll do those exercises over the next few days. I might book in an extra appointment with my PT, but that’s all.”

“You’ll need to use your cane too. I’m guessing you don’t have it with you.”

Nylah stares down at her phone, her expression folding into a sad, despondent frown.

“Nylah?” her dad prompts.

I run my hand over her shoulder, lightly squeezing the back of her neck.

She clears her throat and mumbles, “It’s in my dorm.”

“I’ll go back up and get it.”

“You don’t have a key to get in.”

“Maybe your roommate will be back. Let me at least check.”

Instead of arguing her case, she kind of slumps, her shoulders rounding in defeat. Where’s my feisty girl gone?

I nudge her with my elbow, giving her a questioning frown, and she shakes her head.

“Uh… you don’t have to worry about it, Dad. If you can just help me get up to my dorm room, then I can use it for the rest of today.”

“This week,” he insists. “You’ll need it for the week, Nylah.”

Closing her eyes, she nods and whispers, “I know.”

And now I feel like total shit.

If it weren’t for me and fucking Fleischer, she wouldn’t have to touch her cane. We’ve never spoken about it, but she obviously hates that thing.

“I’ll be there in ten minutes. I want you ready to go.”

“Yeah,” she murmurs before hanging up and leaning her forehead on my shoulder with a soft sniff.

I’m not sure what to say. She went from being a little hellcat to curling against me like a quiet mouse. I wrap my arm around her and press my lips to her forehead. She sniffs again and burrows a little deeper into my side.

And all I can do is hold her and hope her dad drives slowly.