Page 222 of The Surprise Play

“It’s not that?—”

“I will,” she cuts me off with another one of her pointed looks. “And when she can’t be here and Sienna’s busy with Zoey, I’ll be the one to drive you to appointments and stuff. This is gonna work, bro.”

I shoot her a side-eye, my lips quirking up at the sides. “I’m already recovering from a serious injury, and you’re expecting me to get in a car with you? I thought you cared about me.”

She fights a laugh, lightly punching my arm. “Suck it up, shithead. And we’ll be taking your truck.”

I whip my head to look at her, feigning horror. “Not my baby.”

Her laughter grows, and she goes to punch me again.We have a little laughing tussle on the couch until my knee catches and I let out an involuntary hiss.

“Would you behave yourself?” Blake tells me off, spinning back to face the TV on the wall.

Nudging me with her elbow, we both fight silly grins when she reaches for the remote and turns on the TV, scrolling through the channels until she lands on a rerun ofTrollhunters.

“Remember this?” Blake giggles, tucking her legs beneath her and nestling on the couch beside me.

I stare at the TV, drawn back in time as I sit with my sister and lose myself in the adventurous cartoon. She rests her head on my shoulder, just the way she used to, and I swear I try my best not to worry about her, but something is eating at my gut, warning me that Blake staying here is not just about me.

Something has happened in Chicago, and I need to find out what.

CHAPTER 68

ELIZABETH

As soon as my last class finished, I rushed to Wily’s house, just like I did the day before. I’m so glad it’s the weekend tomorrow and we can spend some decent time together. This week has been hectic and stressful, trying to fit in classes and hospital visits, dealing with his parents, and then watching him try and adjust to this new, short-term living situation. I have to keep reminding him of that.

It’s short-term. Everything about this injury is short-term.

He’s been on my mind constantly. I know how hard it must have been getting updates about Zander doing the thing he was supposed to be doing.

He couldn’t even go along and support his friend from the stands, which is so sad, because they were so excited about going together. When Zander called last night to check in on Wily, you could tell he was gutted that his friend wasn’t there with him. At first, he tried to downplay how great it was, obviously worried aboutWily’s feelings, but my boyfriend quickly told him off for that one, and Zander opened up.

Wily is so amazing. The way he celebrated Zander’s success just made me love him more.

And the sad look on his face after he hung up, the glassy-eyed, heartbreaking smile he gave me once the call was over… yeah, that made me fall even harder.

I stayed with him last night, sleeping on the couch in the living room. He wanted me on the bed beside him, but that’s not helping his knee heal, and he gets super uncomfortable throughout the night. I could hear the bed crinkling every time he shifted.

I can’t do too many nights on that couch myself, and it kills me that I’ll have to go back to my dorm again, but I have to get some decent sleep.

Not before seeing my man, though.

I’m out of breath and flushed by the time I reach Football Frat, but I don’t care how I must look as I rush up the stairs and push the door open.

“Hey, Coyote,” I call, wandering into the living room.

He’s on the couch, obviously waiting for me, his face lighting with a huge grin as I approach.

“Hey, baby.” Tugging on my coat, he pulls me down, his hungry kisses melting my brain.

I sink against his mouth, practically swooning over the arm of the couch when his tongue glides against mine and tells me everything I need to know.

He missed me today.

He loves it when I show up.

He loves me.