Chapter Thirty Summer
Chapter Thirty
Summer
“What did she say?” MJ asks, eyes wide as she leans across the lunch table.
“Don’t leave anything out. I want to memorize her exact words so I can manifest her recruiting me next year,” Rina says with the same eager expression from beside her.
I let out a small laugh before repeating my call with Coach Endrews yesterday as closely as I can remember. “She said that she was impressed with my quick transitions and the improvements I’ve made on offense this year. And then she asked if I’d be interested in visiting FLU this fall.”
After that I think she went into details about touring the facilities, all the things I’d see and people I could meet, but I sort of blacked out from excitement.
“I’m so excited for you. And for us.” Rina grins, looking at Amanda and Sophie. They’re sitting on her other side. The four of them crowded around me as soon as I sat down. Apparently the news traveled fast after I told MJ this morning.
“Us?” Sophie asks.
“Summer can put in a good word for her old teammates,” Rina clarifies for her.
The girls at the table laugh. Everyone except Amanda, who is still nursing a swollen lip. It looks better, but she has to miss practice until Wednesday.
“It’s really cool,” she says. “And you’ll be close. We can come watch.”
“And you can introduce us to college guys,” Sophie adds.
They all nod at that. A giddy, hopeful feeling has taken root in my stomach, but when I look up and see Rowan entering the cafeteria, it’s overtaken by the crushing sadness I can’t seem to shake.
It’s been more than a week. I should be over him. Things with the team are better. Coach Endrews wants me to visit FLU. Silas even started sending me funny videos again, which I’m pretty sure means he forgives me.
Everything is right in the world except one tiny thing. My heart is still broken.
He walks into the cafeteria with his friends.
He glances over at our table, but as soon as he catches me staring at him, I look away.
I’ve mostly managed to avoid him. In first period, I switched seats to be in the front, and in our academic prep hour I have been laser-focused on homework and appearing busy so he hopefully won’t notice how I flinch every time he talks.
I miss him. I miss him so freaking much.
I have no idea how he worked his way under my skin so deep in such a short time.
I know I need to move on, but it’s hard when everything reminds me of him.
Even my bedroom at home. I keep staring at the window, thinking he might appear on the other side to hang out.
Last night, my parents suggested we go to Momma Vi’s for pizza to celebrate the FLU interest, and I nearly burst into tears.
So yeah, everything is great except one thing that’s making all the rest a little dimmer. That’s the thing about Rowan. He makes everything better and brighter somehow.
The girls have moved on to talking about our next game. Thursday is our first conference playoff match. There’s a lot of excitement about the possibility of making it to regionals for the first time.
I force myself to enjoy it and soak up these moments with my teammates. Regardless of the outcome of the season, it’s almost over, and I’m going to miss playing with them.
“I hope we get another shot at Pacific,” Sophie says.
“Me too.” MJ nods her agreement. “I need redemption. I cannot believe I let that sophomore score on me.”
“Hey.” Rina elbows her.
“You’ve been playing varsity since freshman year, so you don’t count,” Sophie says to her.
Rina’s smile stretched wide and proud.
I catch Rowan in my line of sight again. It’s like I have freaking radar for the guy. Every time he moves, my body is intensely aware of it.
I try not to track him, but when he gets closer and it’s apparent he’s walking toward me, I finally glance up again.
He stops at the edge of the table behind my teammates. They must feel his presence or notice me gawking because the four of them turn.
“Hey, Rowan,” MJ says. The other girls stare at him a little more warily.
“Hey,” he says back to her, but he’s looking at me.
My face warms, and I seem to have forgotten how to breathe.
I’m taking too long to respond, but the way he’s staring at me has temporarily broken my brain.
I wasn’t sure if he’d ever speak to me again or look at me like he didn’t hate me.
Last week when he stopped that jerk from teasing me about fake dating, Rowan still looked so upset.
But today he’s more his usual self. It should hurt to see him happy again, but there’s something irresistible about him like this.
Cheery and playful and smiling. Specifically, smiling at me.
He finally looks away from me, takes a step toward the table beside ours. A couple of juniors are sitting on the far side.
“Do you mind if I…” His words trail off as he points to the table.
They shrug and move down, giving up their spot for him.
“Thanks.”
I watch, confused. Even more so when he steps on top of it.
“What is he doing?” Rina asks in a voice that sounds concerned.
Everyone is looking at me like I have the answers. I look to Amanda.
“Beats me,” she says, but there’s a smile on her face that makes me feel like she knows more than she’s saying.
“Excuse me, everyone,” Rowan says, voice loud enough that it carries through the lunchroom.
The noise all around quiets and then stops.
“Sorry to interrupt, but I wanted to clear a few things up,” he says.
My stomach dips and my pulse quickens in warning. I have a very bad feeling about this.
“As most of you heard, Summer Lindsey and I were fake dating.”
There’s a murmur of soft conversations, and now I’m the center of attention. I duck my head but only after shooting him a glare that I hope communicates exactly what I’m thinking: What the hell are you doing?
People were just starting to move on. No one has asked me to fake date or fake fuck in at least seventy-two hours.
“It’s true,” Rowan says. “It was my idea. Not hers.”
“This isn’t necessary,” I hiss toward him. “Get down!”
For some reason that makes his smile lift higher.
“We had rules. No kissing. No falling for each other. She’d help me and I’d help her and then we’d go our separate ways. Unfortunately, I screwed it all up. I broke the rules. I fell for her.”
All the air leaves my lungs in a whoosh.
“And then when I had the chance to make it right, I didn’t say the things I should have to make sure she knew how I felt.
So…” He turns to face me. He has that playful, cocky smirk on his face and his blue eyes are full of trouble.
“Summer Lindsey, I like you. Getting you to fake date me was the smartest thing I’ve ever done.
You have made my life so much better since you came into it.
You’re funny and talented, hardworking, smart, and so damn beautiful.
I never a stood a chance of not falling for you. ”
My face is on fire but my heart…my heart is tripping over itself to get to him.
He jumps down off the table and stands next to me. “What do you say? Will you be my real girlfriend?”
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out an origami rose. As I get to my feet, the cafeteria explodes with cheers and catcalls. Someone yells out, “I’ll date you if she won’t,” and I glare in that direction.
Rowan chuckles and closes the gap between us.
“No need to be jealous, Lindsey. I’m all yours. If you’ll have me.”
The only reason I hesitate is because it feels unreal. I must be dreaming. Then I decide if I am, I better enjoy it.
“Yes. I want that. I want you.” I launch myself at him. He’s ready for me. His arms circle my waist, and he picks me up and spins me around.
“Thank fuck,” he says in a rush of air like maybe he was worried I’d say no. Silly boy.
“I was afraid it was all in my head,” I admit. “That everything I thought you wanted was only me projecting my feelings.”
When he sets me down, he holds on to me and stares down into my eyes.
“I’m sorry I didn’t make it clear how much I like you. I stopped wanting anyone else a long time ago. I thought you knew. I thought…I thought there was no way you couldn’t feel how absolutely obsessed I am with you.”
Now I’m the one smirking. “Obsessed, huh?”
“It’s kind of a problem. My friends are starting to get tired of listening to me yap about you.”
I glance over at Vaughn and Austin. They’re at their usual table with their girlfriends. All four of them are grinning so big like they knew exactly what he had planned.
He holds out the paper flower to me and I take it and hold it to my nose like it’s real. The rest of the cafeteria has gone back to their lunch now that the show’s over.
“Now what?” I ask him.
He moves to stand beside me and hooks his fingers through the belt loop on my jeans. “Now we get to be one of those really annoyingly happy, cute couples.”