Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 155798 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 779(@200wpm)___ 623(@250wpm)___ 519(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 155798 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 779(@200wpm)___ 623(@250wpm)___ 519(@300wpm)
They were right. Brett had sacked the quarterback three times.
The Orcas’ QB was frazzled.
I wasn’t surprised they were talking about Brett. Good.
“That’s lit,” I quoted Luna.
Roger overheard and cracked up.
Travis gave me a tight grin before focusing back on the game.
A little voice began nagging me, sticking to the back of my mind.
Neither team put any more points on the board.
Brett had effectively shut down the Orcas’ offense, which wasn’t an exaggeration this game. He got to their quarterback three more times. Only one was a sack, but the other two forced the quarterback to throw the ball away. (Which wasn’t allowed, but it happened.)
We were moving with the crowd when a security guard and an Orca staff person appeared through the crowd.
“Are you guests of Brett Broudou?” one of them asked.
Travis stepped forward. “Yes, we are.”
Both the security guard and staffer turned our way, noticing me. Recognition flared in the girl’s eyes. “We were asked to extend an invitation to come to the family section,” she said. “The visitors have their own area.”
Travis’ hand came to the small of my back as he started to answer for us.
I stepped to the side, raising my voice. “That’d be great. You’ll show us?”
She was eyeing Roger and Lo, who were…I wasn’t sure what they were doing. They were giggling uncontrollably together, obviously intoxicated, but they’d stopped finger foam fucking each other.
I’d stopped drinking after that last touchdown so I was better.
But the security guard edged toward them.
I moved forward, taking both Roger and Lo’s hands in mine. “They’ll be fine. I promise. They don’t get out much. They’re parents.”
Lo whispered behind me to Roger, “Quick. Do your donkey laugh.”
Oh, God. I closed my eyes, preparing.
A second later, “HEE-HAW. HEE-HAW, HAW, HAW.”
Lo and Roger dissolved in laughter.
“HEE-HAW. HA. HA. HAAAAAW-HEEEEE.”
Ignoring them, I smiled at the security guard and staffer. “Let’s go. Please.”
50
BRETT
“Brett.” Callie found me after the game, after the interviews.
“Hey.” I just finished dressing after a shower. Putting my things in my bag, I pulled out my phone. “What’s up?”
She looked around, biting her lip, hugging herself.
I’d told Callie a while back to steer clear of the house with Billie’s stuff going on. It was for her safety, which she understood, but since then, we’d not seen much of each other outside of the usual physical therapy conditioning.
I straightened, giving her my full focus. “What’s going on?”
“Can I…” She raked a hand through her hair, whipping it around. “Can I stay at your place for a bit?”
My eyebrows went up.
She cursed, dropping her eyes. “It’s… I got kicked out of my place. I’ve been staying with my friend. You know, the one from Jack’s, and well, that’s not going so well.”
“You what? You were kicked out?”
“I know. I know.” She held her hands up. “I feel like such a loser asking, but would that be okay? I don’t know what you’ve told Willow about me, but I can stay in just the one part so I wouldn’t bug her. There’s a small kitchen in there. I can totally make do. I just… I need some time before I figure out my next steps.”
Callie made decent money. I knew she did, and she wasn’t a big spender. She studied for school or she was working. That was her life, and I doubted she’d suddenly developed a gambling problem in the last month. This didn’t make sense, none of this, but Callie was as much of a closed book as I was.
Maybe more.
Probably more.
“Are you okay?”
Her eyes jerked to mine, widening. “Yes! Yes. It’s nothing like this. I’m still trying to save up money. If it’s a problem, I don’t have to—”
“Callie.” She started to walk away, but I caught her arm. “Of course you can stay, but I have to ask. If something’s going on, if you’re in some kind of trouble, you can tell me. I might be able to help.”
Her eyes fell to my chest, and she gulped before gently pulling her arm away. “I’m okay. Really.”
She wasn’t. She was as far from fine as we were from Texas right now. “You can stay, but you need to tell me what’s really going on. You don’t have to today. Tomorrow. Or even next week, but eventually. Just loop me in. You’re in my house. You can trust me.”
She gave in, her eyes swimming in tears as she nodded. “Yeah,” she croaked out, tucking some hair behind her ear. “Yes. Okay, I will. Later.”
“Okay.”
My phone buzzed.
Callie edged back, gesturing to it. “I know you have people waiting for you, so I’ll leave you to it. Thanks, Brett. I mean it. You’re a lifesaver.”
I threw her a look. I’d never go that far.
Willy: Where are you? Awesome game, by the way. We went back to the hotel.
Brett: It’ll be a while. You’re at the Rothchelton, right?