Page 51 of Even Exchange

A small clearing filled with weeds appears up ahead.

“Look!” Charlotte shouts, grabbing Nash’s hand and running toward it.

Denny wiggles, and I put her down. I’ve hardly released my grasp before she sprints away, joining Charlotte and Nash as they pluck white fluff ball stems out of the ground.

Charlotte spins around with a huge smile on her face and hands full of dandelions. She skips over, holding one out to me. The unabashed joy is oozing out of her, and it surrounds me like a warm hug.

“What am I supposed to do with this?” I ask, furrowing my brows at it.

“You’ve never wished on a dandelion?” Charlotte asks, appalled.

“No? Making wishes means you don’t think you have any control over your life. I take action to make the things I want happen.” And I donotlike when I’m not in control.

“Seriously?” she deadpans, and I glance at the twins, who are joyfully blowing their way through the field. “You believe jewelry protects you from bad juju but draw the line at wishing on wildflowers?” She holds the dandelion in front of my face, and I realize we’re not leaving this field till I cave.

“Fine.” I roll my eyes in mock annoyance, snatching the stem, and she jumps with excitement.Adorable.

“Yes! Okay, okay.” She takes a deep breath. “First, put the dandelion in front of you.” She holds one before her face, inches from her mouth. “Close your eyes.” Her eyes flutter shut. “Think about your wish.” She pauses. “Then blow.” Her pretty lips part open, and she blows every petal off the dandelion. Her eyes pop open, and she grins down at the naked little weed as she tosses it to the ground, then looks up at me. “Your turn.”

I bring the flower in front of my face, inspecting it. Sensing her excitement in my peripheral, I opt to make a big show of it. Closing my eyes, I think of something I want butdefinitelyhave no control over, then blow forcefully. As I open my eyes, the flower practically turns to dust, its weightless seeds floating away along with my wish that will likely never happen.

“That was good,” Charlotte says, plucking the stem from my fingers. “It will definitely come true.”

She skips away, an infectious smile on her face as she spins around in the field, dandelions in her hair.

And if there’s one thing I wish more than anything, it’s that she’s right.

10

NOAH

The moon is high, and I have an unobstructed view of the Seattle skyline outside the window of the ritzy hotel room I was put up in for the weekend. The Space Needle’s lights glitter in the horizon. They’ve really gone all-out to not only sell me on the Grizzlies, but on Seattle. Still, even with all their schmoozing, something just feels… wrong.

After pulling out my phone, I take a photo and post it to my socials, along with one of me touring the Grizzlies stadium today, with the caption,Wake Me Up When Draft Season Ends #dreamsarebecomingreality.My posts are few and far between, but this seems like a moment to immortalize. The last official meeting with an NFL team before my entire life changes.

I set the phone on the nightstand and head for the walk-in rain shower to wash off the day’s festivities.

After I’m done and dressed, I sprawl out on the large king-size bed and grab my phone off the nightstand to catch up on messages.

Damn.My home screen is blowing up. I go to my settings and turn off push notifications for the app responsible, then switch to it.

My Grizzlies post is flooded with comments. Some from guys excited to see me drafted, but mostly from girls who are using the app as a ballsy Bumble alternative.

I’d rather you wake me up at dawn.

Noah come-fuck-me Caruso is in Seattle? Yes, plz.

Hot hot hot.

Marry me?

It’s not the first time I’ve garnered attention on socials. Comments mostly come from CBU students, but this is unmatched. I discover the Seattle Grizzlies official page reshared my post to their story.Well, that explains a lot.They have over three million followers.

With the number of DMs overwhelming me, I opt to clear those next and quickly realize it’s a mistake.

Saw you’re in Seattle. Lmk if you wanna grab a drink

Hey. Wanna hang with me and a few girlfriends tonight? We don’t mind sharing.

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