Page 78 of Trust Me Always

“You doing okay?” she wonders.

“I’m fine.” I face the field again, my gaze trained on the quarterback.

“You know it’s okay to be happy for him, right? It doesn’t mean you’re happy that Mason can’t play.”

“I know.” My attention is trained forward. “It’s just sad, you know. He gave up a starting position to follow his ex here, and the day he arrived, it all blew up in his face. Now he’s stuck at second-string, and I mean, look at him, Ari. He’s good. Really good. Sucks he…believed in love so much and Cupid just shit on him.”

She huffs a laugh. “Yeah, that does suck but…everything happens for a reason, right? Me and Chase, Payton and Big Deaton.”

My brows pinch as I try to make sense of her words, and when I can’t, looking to her in confusion, her smile seems to soften even more.

“Has Mason talked to you about the draft?” I blurt out suddenly.

She frowns, studying me. “No. I assume he’s all prepared. Why?”

“No reason.” I face forward, yelping when suddenly Alister is there.

“Thought I said no studying?” he scolds teasingly, looking to my lap.

I show him the screen of my phone, nothing but a picture of Ari and me at Noah’s game last year on the screen, and he nods approvingly.

“Good. Just double-checking.”

“Looking good out there,” Ari tells him.

He looks to her with wide eyes, making her smile in return.

“Hey, I can still compliment you on your game even though my brother is out.”

“I appreciate that, thank you. It’s…tough, not going to lie, but I think I’m doing even better than last week.”

Ari nods. “I bet your family is happy for you.”

Alister gives her a tight smile and looks to me. “I’ll get all that done tonight. Promise.”

I nod, watching as he runs off. He disappears into the tunnel, and I look at the rest of the group, but it looks like Brady is already gone.

“Okay, I need to head back. Paige is picking me up to take me to the airport in a half hour, and I want to change first.”

The two of us get up, heading back to the dorm.

“You’ll call me when you land?” I ask her, helping her toss her bag in the back of Paige’s car.

“Of course.” Ari hugs me. “Have fun at the party without me.”

“Have fun at your party without me! I can’t believe you’re going to a freaking celebrity party. Who even are you?”

“You never know. The way things are looking, all three of us might be the next hit show.” She lifts her arms, palms up, and pulls them outward slowly as if to reveal something. “I can see it now, Housewives of Oceanside.”

I frown, meeting Paige’s matching one, and look back toward my best friend. “I don’t get it.”

“Ditto!” Paige calls.

Ari only laughs. “’Kay, bye, love you!”

“Love you!” I close the door, and just as she pulls away, a familiar truck rolls into the parking space across from the curb, the window sliding down as I walk over to the driver’s side.

Brady’s brown eyes gleam. “Fancy seeing you here.”

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