Page 21 of Friend Zone to End Zone

Ishouldprobably just turn my phone off and go over the notes my agent had sent over from his conversations with the 49ers and the Dragons, so I could make it seem like I was actually trying to figure out what team I’d play for next year.

But when Chad started talking about Arianna and her sleep talking—something I’d also witnessed a couple of times—I had to know what he’d overheard and if it was the same thing I’d heard before.

“Sometimes Arianna talks about interesting things,” Chad said, the mere sound of his voice grating on my ears. “Like how much she likes my eyes and how hot she thinks I am when I wear a suit.” The guy shot Arianna a flirtatious wink that made me want to gag. “But then there are nights when she talks about the most random, boring crap. Like just last week she went on and on about how this Harper girl had blue eyes instead of brown. It was ridiculous. She kept saying it over and over, and even started crying about it in her sleep.”

Chad rambled on and on about her dream, but instead of listening to him, I focused on Arianna’s face in the background, which looked as pale as a ghost.

I frowned as Chad continued to talk about Arianna’s night ramblings. Couldn’t he tell that Arianna didn’t like him talking about this in front of her viewers?

“Who is this Harper chick, anyway?” Chad continued. “And why does her eye color matter so much? Like, I know Arianna does her makeup and clothing tutorials and has told me many times that the color of someone’s eyes determines what colors complement them best…but really?” He laughed at the camera. “Who the heck worries so much about that kind of thing to talk about it in their sleep? I mean, I’m pretty sure she’s had that same conversation at least three times in the past six months.”

This Harper lady had come up three times?

Was she a regular client who got her makeup done at the salon?

Chad leaned away from the camera after finishing his monologue, giving me a better view of Arianna’s face. And though Chad was oblivious to how his words affected his girlfriend, even through the screen, I could tell that Arianna was on the verge of tears.

My stomach churned as I watched Arianna wipe at her eyes and try to push away her emotions.

She sniffled, then after clearing her throat and pasting on a smile that didn’t reach her watery brown eyes, she said, “Well, I think that’s enough entertainment for one night, Chad. I think we should just end things here.”

Chad seemed to study Arianna’s face for the first time in several minutes and his eyes narrowed. “Did I say something wrong?”

Arianna pressed her lips together. But instead of answering his question, she just looked at the camera lens and said, “Thank you all for joining us tonight. I hope you have an enjoyable rest of your weekend. I’ll talk to you later.”

The last thing we saw was a frown on her face right before she turned off the livestream.

You okay?

I texted Arianna a few minutes after her video with Chad had ended. She might still be with him, but I wanted her to know I was there to talk if she needed.

By the time I’d grabbed a glass of ice water from the stainless steel industrial-size fridge in my kitchen and returned to the leather sofa in my living room, she had responded.

I’m fine.

My chest hurt for my friend who was so used to putting up with crap from Chad that she didn’t even notice how unhealthy their relationship was.

I mean, when someone loved you, they didn’t go out of their way to humiliate you in front of strangers.

Me:Is Chad still there?

She’d talked about going out for dessert with him after their video, but was it too much to hope that she’d kicked him to the curb after everything tonight?

Arianna:I told him I must have gotten sick from my enchiladas and apparently it was believable enough that he left.

I dialed her number.

“Hello?” her voice came through the other line a moment later.

“How are you really feeling?” I leaned back against the cushion.

Chad had said a lot of things tonight: basically admitting he’d said “I love you” so she’d sleep with him, made fun of her cooking, and then told everyone she talks about dumb stuff in her dreams. So I had no idea just how bad the damage was this time.

Arianna was quiet for a few seconds. “I don’t—“ Her voice wobbled. She stopped, and then after a beat, she said, “Am I like this big joke that everyone makes fun of behind my back?”

I narrowed my eyes. “Why are you asking this?”

She released an exasperated sigh. “I’m just wondering why Chad thinks it’s so hilarious to make fun of me. Like, is there just something about me that makes me an easy target for a funny joke?”

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