Page 46

Chapter 45

Lia

“Tell me again how you got concert tickets to something that’s been sold out for months?” Shelbie asks as she grabs our giant pretzel.

We’re in the food court at the only nearby mall worth going to. Since most of my clothes are Jags teamwear that was leftover and close to my size, or stuff I can work in, I decided it was time to shop.

Especially because I’m about to be in elite company and I want to feel good.

“Brooks’ brother, Zack. He plays for the Cosmos and is best friends with Tripp Owens, who is Willow’s fiancé. Plus, Zack is marrying Emilie, and she’s worked with Willow the last few years.” I explain the connection, trying to make sure I get it right.

“Do you have seats or how does that work?”

Cutting into the pretzel, I dip it in the spicy queso, steam rolling off the cheese. “No, we’ll all be in a suite. A few of Brooks’ teammates are coming too. And then we’re all going out to Oasis after.”

Shelbie raises an eyebrow. “Wait, what do you mean?”

“After each concert, Willow rents out a local spot and the crew, friends and family go out. Brooks suggested Oasis and Willow loved it. So that’s the plan.” I share this like I’m not nervous.

Shelbie looks up at me over a forkful of pretzel, calling my bluff. “You’re freaking out.”

I groan. “Yes. I’m freaking out. ”

“Makes sense. You’ve been obsessed with Willow ever since I’ve known you. That must be wild.” She looks to me and asks, “Any news on the apartment?”

“I got an email that they were able to save all my kitchen stuff and the living room couch, but almost everything else is a loss.”

“I can’t believe that happened. But look, you get to play house with your hottie NBA player.” Shelbie shimmies her shoulders. “Question—the pictures of Rocky on Brooks’ socials… is that you or him?”

A chuckle falls out of my mouth. “All him. He’s never had a dog and has totally fallen in the dog dad hole.”

Brooks is always looking out for Rocky. It has gotten to the point where he’s started making homemade dog treats and exploring a natural diet for him. He orders tons of toys, trying to find the one that Rocky likes best, and donating the rest to the shelter. He really loves him, and it makes me so happy that my event brought them together.

“And we’re not playing house,” I protest. “I needed somewhere to stay. He has the room.”

Shelbie rolls her eyes. “Okay, it’s been three weeks. How many times have you slept somewhere other than his bed?”

I smile before putting a too-big bite in my mouth. The answer is zero, but she already knows that. This is a rhetorical question.

Shelbie scans my face and asks, “Hey, what’s that on your neck?”

My fingers find the rough patch, right under my ear and creeping onto my neck.

I look from her to the table. “Same sort of dry skin. I finally found a doctor who will see me, but the waitlist is eight months long.”

“Wait, so you have to wait that long to even see a doctor? That’s fucking ridiculous,” she exclaims.

“I know. I’m still using the mediocre insurance, but I’ll be eligible for the Jags plan in January. Maybe I’ll be able to find someone then? ”

What I don’t tell her is that I’m also dealing with significant joint pain. Maybe it’s stress or maybe it’s related to whatever’s going on with my skin? I don’t know. Every time I Google it, I think I’m dying so I try to leave it be. It has to be something to do with stress—life has been wild. This isn’t the first time I’ve had pain like this; it seems to pop up whenever I forget to sleep, or eat, or fall into a routine where I’m doing too much.

“I didn’t mean to call it out,” Shelbie apologizes. “That wasn’t cool of me.”

How does she know these things? I’ve been agonizing over these small spots in the mirror. A lot of the dry spots are on my back, but occasionally, one shows up where it’s harder to hide. I’m not one to typically be self-conscious about my body, but whatever this is makes me uncomfortable. I think it’s mostly because I don’t know what it is. I certainly don’t want people thinking I’ve got some sort of contagious skin disease or something.

“It’s alright,” I assure her. “No worries.”

I close the book on this conversation with a little white lie.

We’re in the VIP suite as the concert is about to start. People keep coming in and it’s weird because I know them, but I don’t know them. Like, I don’t live under a rock, so when Tripp Owens comes in, I do my best not to fan girl. Basketball is my favorite sport, but I still fit in football when I have the time. I know he’s a Super Bowl Champion and MVP who plays for the Upstate Cosmos alongside Zack—Brooks’ brother. Tripp is also dating Willow, and while I’m not one to be in the know about athletes’ love lives or gossip, the way all of that played out was too good to not devour every scrap of information.

Zack Andersen, who I’ve not met yet, skips into the suite and darts for us. He swallows Brooks in a hug, even though Zack is slightly shorter.

“Where’s your better half?” Brooks asks once Zack finally lets him go.

His smile is contagious and bright. “She’s backstage with Willow,” he explains. “They have some new openers tonight so she’s making sure everything is all good.” His attention turns to me and he sticks out his hand. “I’m Zack, and I think you’re the reason I now have a quarterly donation arranged for one of the local animal shelters. What a great idea!”

I give him my hand and he shakes it. “Lia. Nice to meet you,” I reply. “And thanks. I’m glad it got a little bit of traction.”

“Well, dogs like Rocky are hard to pass up helping them out, right?” He claps Brooks on the back.

“Right.”

“Hey, I’m Tripp. Thanks for coming out tonight.” Tripp waves as he stands next to Zack.

“Lia. And thank you for having me. I’m kind of trying not to freak out, in all honesty.”

Tripp shrugs and replies, “It’s been years of me being with Willow and I still lose my shit every once in a while. I get it.” The way he talks about her makes me so fucking happy. He’s always seemed like her biggest fan, and now it’s like I feel it.

A couple walks in, people I don’t know, and find Tripp.

“Let me introduce you to Ivy and Holland,” Tripp says. “They run this amazing lodge out in Washington area. We met through a charity event but kind of hit it off. ”

Ivy beams at all of us as she holds on to Holland’s hand. “When I can get this guy to leave the woods, we’re typically in a big city, getting my fill.” Holland says nothing but smiles and kisses the top of her head.

Ivy leaves to get drinks from the bar and the guys settle into catching up, sharing sports updates. I would love to jump in but don’t want to overstep. Plus, Jalen arrives and finds his way over to me.

“Miss Stone! You on content duty tonight?” he teases, tapping my glass of wine with his beer.

“No content tonight. Just hanging out,” I reply as level as possible. I know he knows about me and Brooks. He nods and quietly adds, “You know, you’re really good for him.” The words catch me off guard and I take a sip of wine to hide my reaction. “He struggles more than people know, but since you, he’s been happy and more like himself. He reminds me of me when I met Steph.”

I know enough about Jalen to realize he’s talking about his wife.

“Well, that makes me feel good. Honestly.” I put a hand to my chest. “Plus, thank you for keeping this to yourself. Or I think you have—” My words get ahead of my brain because I actually have no idea if Jalen told anyone or not.

He laughs. “Your secret is safe with me. Brooks is the kind of person who will be part of my life, no matter where our paths wind. Even if we end up on rival teams or anything like that, he’s still my best friend, and I’ll do what I can for him.”

Just then, Brooks comes over and starts chatting with Jalen. Even though they see each other all the time, I swear they could talk for hours.

The lights start to dim in the arena, and I know we’re only a few minutes from the start of the concert. I take a picture and send it to Wes.

Wes

lowkey jealous

why are you so cool

Me

lucky for you it’s probably genetic

tell brooks i said hey

or don’t if you think that’s stupid

i'll tell him, he’ll love it

Excitement crawls all over me, flushing my skin and making me antsy. I look over and when I see Zack and Tripp hitting hands, doing some sort of handshake and getting hyped for the concert, I can’t help but smile. This is what true support looks like.

“They’re great, right?” Brooks asks, sliding next to me.

“Yes. Have to say, your description of Zack being a golden retriever puppy couldn’t be more spot on.” I lean my head over to see Zack whistling and jumping.

Brooks reaches around my hip, squeezes me, then lets his body settle in next to mine.

“I’m glad you’re here with me,” he whispers before placing a quick kiss on my cheek.

My first reaction isn’t to run from the affection. Instead, I want to give in. I look around, and when everyone seems to be doing their own thing, I put my hand on the side of his face and turn him to me. I lean in for a kiss. It’s slow but quick. The feel of his lips on mine, full and soft, makes me feel like we can do almost anything .

“Me too,” I admit as he smiles at me; the same smile that could, and has, brought me to my knees.

I never would’ve guessed this kind of evening could ever be an option for me. It’s exciting but also puts things into perspective. Things never go the way you think they will—whether that’s good or bad. I let my hip push into Brooks’ side and the look he gives me has everything snapping into place

How I’ve never felt this way.

How thankful I am.

How easy this is.

How I’m starting to fall in love with him.

Or, maybe, I’m already there.