Page 33 of If You Love Me

Tally

No cucumber salad, though, right? :Giggling GIF:

Hemi

Shilpa

Essie

RIP cucumbers.

Hemi

:cucumber dancing GIF:

Dred

You’re a bunch of deviants.

Lexi

???

Aprivate message from Dred pops up.

Dred

Don’t ask about the cucumber.

Lexi

Now I want to ask about the cucumber.

Dred

I promise you don’t. Also, Hemi has these things catered, so don’t stress about bringing stuff. See you soon!

Lexi

Looking forward to it!

I smile as I set the phone down and finish getting ready. I’m nervous about being around Roman without practice or a game to focus on, but I’m excited to spend more time with these women.

“The whole team is invited, right?” Callie has been bouncing on my bed for the last ten minutes while I agonize over the right outfit.

I’ve already answered this question several times. “Yup. The whole team is invited.”

Hemi and Dallas have organized a team barbecue. The first official game of the season is two days away. The rocky exhibition games have leveled out, thankfully.

I’ve been working with Palaniappa and Grace, who seem to be connecting. And while I haven’t managed to get either Flip or Grace to open up about their mutual disdain, I’m making gains with Grace on a personal level. He’s used to being a scapegoat and a problem, and I’ve learned that calling him on the negativity and then praising his good work goes a long way. And Vander Zee approves which always feels good.

“I can’t believe I get to meet Connor Grace and Roman Hammerstein! This will be the best day ever!”

Fingers crossed Connor shows, or I’ll have one sad little girl on my hands. I mentioned during practice that my sister plays hockey and is a huge fan of his. He said he’d try to make it. Callie made him a card and is wearing her GRACE jersey. Although, she’s almost equally obsessed with Roman, so he’ll be a decent consolation prize.

Fee flops down on my bed. “Do I have to come?” She, too, has asked this question ten times. She’s dressed in her uniform of darkness: black jeans, black shirt, black eyeliner.

“It’ll be fun. You’ll meet the head coach’s daughter, and she went to your school last year, so you have something in common,” I remind her.

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