Chapter 40
Chapter Forty
Noah
Captain’s Orders
“Let’s go Blues! We’ve got this!” Tanner cheers while the rest of us in Owen’s dad’s hotel room boo. The Coyotes have always been my team, ever since my dad first introduced me to football, but a lot of the guys are just cheering for them because Dallas James went to Wynchester.
Every time they show a close-up of the quarterback, I can’t understand how I didn’t realize it sooner. Dallas’ hair is darker, sure, but their faces, their smiles…he’s a boy version of Savannah.
By the end of the game, every single one of us is at the edge of our seats, drinks and food forgotten, yelling at the screen as if they can hear us. When Sav’s brother catches the ball in the end zone, everyone – including Tanner – jumps up and cheers.
“Dude, that’s Savannah!” Donovan says, drawing my eyes back to the screen.
“She got tickets? Sick.” Tanner gives her props.
“I don’t know what kind of tickets get you on the fucking field,” Donovan argues.
“That makes absolutely no sense. Crazier than when you thought you saw Willow Hayes in the WAG box, so forgive me if I have some doubts.”
“I swear it was Sav,” Donovan insists.
“What would she even be doing there?”
“No way. Do you think…no, she would have…”
“What?”
“Do you think Dallas James is her brother? Like, are we complete idiots for missing that?” Donovan turns to me.
“She hasn’t said a thing,” Colt argues. “I’d be telling everyone if my brother was in the NFL. She was nearly stopping strangers on the street to tell them Izzie got MVP at her game.”
The debate is going strong, but I must be terrible at hiding my thoughts, because as soon as anyone looks at me, they stop talking and look like they’re going over every interaction they’ve ever had with Savannah, just like I did when I found out.
I’m about to argue that it wasn’t her, or give some shitty excuse that won’t fool anyone about her winning a contest or something, but the cameras go back to the star rookie celebrating with his family, and you can clearly see Savannah with her parents and her other brother, who looks exactly like her and Dallas, only with sandy blond hair.
The secret is out, and honestly, I’m relieved. I hated keeping it from her, and now when Savannah gets home, I can casually bring up that I saw her, let her know it doesn’t change a thing about how I see her, and we can move on without the lies.
But then it starts.
“Think she could get us tickets next time they’re in town?” Tanner asks.
“Or an intro to Kennedy? I grew up with his poster on my wall, before I found out I’m better with a stick than a ball,” Ephraim adds.
I’m pretty sure Tanner is teasing, but this is still exactly what Parker warned me about. People treating her differently. Using her once they find out. All I want to do is protect her from that.
“I’m texting her now,” Owen decides.
“Don’t.” I put my hand out to stop him, but then ask, “How the hell do you have Savannah’s number?”
“We’re friends,” he says like I’m the idiot, but I have never seen them hang out, except when I invite her over to the house.
“Listen up everyone.” I stand on the coffee table so they can hear me better.
“Yes, that was Savannah, and her brother is the coolest Wynchester alumnus of the past decade, but she has gone through a lot of trouble to keep it hidden, so we aren’t going to mention it, to her or anyone else.
Unless she tells you, in which case you act fucking surprised. ”
“We’re not the only ones who watched the game. Pretty sure the football team will know,” Spring points out.
“I think they already do, and they’ve managed to keep her secret, so we will too. Not a word of it leaves this room,” I tell them. “We treat Sav like we always have, and don’t pry into her brother. Understood?”
“Cool, but can we ask her to get him to donate a signed jersey or something for the gala?” Ephraim suggests.
“Absolutely not. No fucking way.”
“It would make the silent auction,” he insists.
“Did you not hear me say we’re pretending we don’t know? We are not using Sav for access to her brother.”
“Captain’s orders?” David asks, but I don’t think he’s trying to challenge me so much as to shut down everyone else who would.
“If that’s what it takes. We protect our own, and that includes Sav.” She’s mine, even if I’m not sure in which capacity. Which makes her ours.
“Aye, aye, captain,” Owen, Michael, and Colt play along.
“Is this forever, or…”
“Fuck, dude, read the room,” Darren reproaches Ephraim.
“Until it’s common knowledge for everyone on campus, or she tells you herself.” I eye Owen, but he eyes me back in a way that assures me he didn’t know.
“Which she won’t, because…” Ephraim waits for an explanation and I resist the urge to strangle him. He’s annoying, but he won’t go against captain’s orders.
“Because she wants to be Savannah James, awesome girl we enjoy hanging out with, not Baby James, Dallas’ little sister.”
“Fine.” Spring pretends like it’s a hardship to agree. “For Sav, not your sorry ass.”
“Understood.”