Chapter 23 #2
“Long,” she repeated, grabbing my hand and tugging me back toward the bench with her. “But I’ve been meaning to talk to you.”
I raised my brow, sobering. The story about Weston could wait. Covee looked worried.
“What is it?” I was already prepared to brainstorm and get her whatever she needed.
“Nothing bad,” Covee was quick to assure. “Yara, relax.”
I didn’t realize the tension in my shoulders and the ‘let’s get to work’ tilt of my head until she rested her hand on mine.
“That’s what I’ve been meaning to talk to you about,” Covee said with a sweet smile. “You.”
“Me?” I frowned.
“I wanted to apologize for how distant I’ve been this year.
” She tried to maintain eye contact but dipped her gaze down to her lap after a couple of seconds.
“And thank you for always checking in on me. I know it couldn’t have been easy, but…
you don’t know how much that means to me.
Knowing I’d get a text from you about an event or an invitation made school bearable.
My depression made everything so bleak, and the org is one of my only lights… sorry to dump all of this.”
“No, no.” I shook my head, trying to quickly assure her that everything was perfect. She was perfect. “This isn’t a dump at all. This is what I’m here for. What we’re all here for. If you didn’t tell me, I hope you feel comfortable enough to tell someone else.”
I had always wanted to be a safe space in Covee’s world.
In all of my girls’ world. They were the sole reason I lasted this long as president.
Seeing them grow and thrive, being able to offer them a shoulder to lean on, and a place to go when the rest of campus felt so hostile was all I ever dreamed of.
There would be so many places in the world where no one looked out for us.
We would be overlooked and expected to survive without help.
We were expected to be strong enough to weather any storm while still having enough supplies for our neighbors.
If a Black woman couldn’t look to another Black woman for empathy, comfort, help, and love, what hope did we have?
“I wanted to be better this year,” she whispered. “But I couldn’t quite get there, and you didn’t mind. You never minded how I showed up.”
“Of course not.” My voice was gentle as my hand rested on top of hers. “I never care how. I just like when you’re around.”
“That’s what I could never understand.”
I poked out my bottom lip and shrugged. “I took that sister oath to heart when I signed on as a member. Covee, I knew you were doing all you could, and that was more than enough. This season of life was one where you kept to yourself; there’s nothing wrong with that.”
There were tears in her eyes, but they didn’t fall. She brushed at her cheeks anyway, preparing for them.
“I wish I could have been more present this semester,” she confessed. “For you and for everyone. I was so lost.”
“Are you back on the path now?”
Covee nodded. “Getting there. Ready to start asking for more help.”
“Then this is exactly how it should have happened,” I promised.
Timing had never been David and I’s strong suit.
I considered that when we were seated at a table three times as long as the one at my parents’ house.
Every starting player, significant other (if applicable), and the assistant and head coaches were in attendance.
Sprinkled throughout the team were recruiters, guys who had bright futures in the palms of their sun-damaged hands.
Before we could talk, someone ushered David and me to sit down and order our food. I kept looking at him, only to find he was still going back and forth with Weston, who’d sat beside him.
I picked at my appetiser while trying to figure out what I was doing here. My job description was: charm. But charming who, that wasn’t exactly clear. And to what extent I don’t know.
We got about twenty minutes into the meal before the man next to me spoke up,
“These things are a proper obstacle course.”
He had a faint Irish accent. I couldn’t tell if he was talking to himself, the woman on his right, or the guys across from him. But I answered anyway because I was dying on my island of one.
“You’re telling me.” I glanced at the head of the table. “Seems like everyone’s trying to talk without saying anything.”
He smiled at me, dimples deepening in his cheeks.
There was a sprinkle of red freckles across his cheeks.
His red curls fall over his ears. He looked no older than me, so I assumed he was a player.
Maybe he was on the defensive team because he had a stocky build, and I didn’t see him say a single word to David or Weston.
The football team comprised over a hundred guys.
Not all of them were here tonight —a grand impossibility— and not all of them actually knew each other.
“Aggression on the field but tiptoeing off,” he noted. “It’s extremely fascinating and extremely frustrating.”
I nodded. “I grew up in a family of politicians. All dinners were a psychologist’s dream.”
He chuckled. “I bet. I’m Rory, by the way.”
“Yara.” I offered my hand.
“What’s your poison, Yara? Player, recruiter, or coach?”
I laughed. “You think I’m part of the team? How flattering… I think?”
“You could run offense for all I know,” he said. “I’ve seen plenty of women outshine guys like this.”
“So kind of you, but I’m a plus one.”
“Full time?” he joked.
“When I’m not attending lovely, entertaining dinners such as this one, I moonlight as a PoliSci major.”
“Ah, I could have guessed.”
“What?”
“You have the look of someone who knows how to take the lead,” he explained. “Which was why my money was on the offensive assistant coach.”
I smiled, happy to finally have some amusement.
A hand on my knee distracted me for the briefest of seconds.
David gave me a gentle squeeze without even turning away from his conversation.
His hand lingered, as if he were looking for some comfort.
I offered it to him, enclosing my hand over his.
It was a show of unity that couldn’t be seen underneath the tablecloth. My stomach greeted butterflies.
“What about you?” My voice was surprisingly steady as David traced circles between my thumb and index finger. “Linebacker? Kicker? I’ve never seen you around the offensive team.”
Rory gave me a one-shoulder shrug. “I was late, and this was the only spot left. The best decision I've made so far tonight. Hopefully, I’ll continue the streak.”
I couldn’t tell if he was flirting. But David sensed something because he turned his attention to me. To us.
“Sorry, I don’t think we’ve met.” Instead of reaching his hand out to shake Rory’s hand, David stretched his arm out behind my chair. It was a subtle territorial marking. Rory’s gaze flickered to it for a second. He didn’t lose his smile.
“Rory Haynes,” he said. “I was telling your assistant coach about the dance.”
David’s forehead wrinkled. “Dance?”
“Everyone’s doing it.” Rory waved toward the buzzing conversations around us. “Not as fun to watch as it is to take part.”
“Is that so?” David tilted his head to the side, a telltale sign (for me anyway) that he didn’t trust this guy as far as he could throw him.
“So,” Rory confirmed. “Know any steps?”
“Dancing isn’t my thing.”
“What about you?” Rory roped me back into the conversation with an easy smile.
“Born and raised to dance, unfortunately,” I said. “And sing too. Showgirl through and through.”
It was supposed to be a joke, but there was a bitter truth wrapped up in it.
“I’m sure you’re great at it,” Rory said.
I nodded. “Brilliant at anything I do.”
Rory was amused. David was annoyed.
“I haven’t seen you around here,” David noted.
“Well, that’s because I just got in yesterday.”
David and I remained silent and confused. Rory dipped his hand into his suit pocket and pulled out a card. He offered it to David, but I got a glimpse of the shiny, metallic finish of “recruiter.”
“California Bucks,” David read in a low voice. That was the top team on his list. I remembered, back in high school, he’d wear red jerseys in celebration with the rest of the town when the team won. New Harbor didn’t care about our state team; everyone was obsessed with the Bucks.
“Is this your girlfriend?” Rory asked.
“I am,” I answered for him.
Rory smiled and nodded. “Just my luck.”
Despite David’s fanboy past, his expression darkened at the comment. Thankfully, Rory didn’t notice as he continued, “Well, if you can convince him to talk with us, I’d very much appreciate it. Cali’s a beautiful place to live, and you’ll find plenty of opportunities to be politically active.”
“I’ll consider it,” I promised.
“More than what I could ask for,” Rory said. “We’d be honored to have you… both.”
I chewed on my bottom lip, holding back a laugh when David looked near ready to clock the guy.
“I’m sure you will,” David said with the calm that came from years of practice.