Page 116 of The Puckable Playbook

“Not his star marketer.”

She shrugs. “If you think it’s okay, then your family can take off from here.”

“Good, it’s settled.”

My parents hug Len, and it hits me how much they genuinely care for her. Their fondness has grown, my mom even tearing up and telling her how proud they are and how much what she did meant to them.

They’ve taken her in like one of their own, and for Len, who doesn’t have a mother and has a strained relationship with her father, it makes my stomach clench. I always knew my parents were cool people, but this… the feelings I already had for her intensify.

They walk off, and I embrace Len from behind. “I wish you could’ve been there.”

Her body freezes. “Excuse me, what?”

“At the game.”

She turns in my arms, lashes fanning over her cheeks before smirking up at me. “Zaiah, I was there.”

“You weren’t with my parents.”

“I was in the student seating along with everyone else from Warner. I figured if I was going to write it, I should do it.”

My throat closes. “So you saw?”

“I saw.”

She looks like she wants to say more, her fist wrapping in my shirt, but then Coach calls for me to get on the bus, so I walk herover. She peers sheepishly at the ground as we approach. I nod toward the entrance, then at her.

Coach gives me a look. “Just this once, James. Get on the bus.”

She walks up the stairs ahead of me. “See, I told you he wouldn’t like it.”

“He’ll get over it.”

My teammates welcome Len with another string of high fives. Some of them yell out, calling her our “lucky charm.” I wish I could see her face, but right now, I want to be in my seat so I can wrap her up in my arms.

“Right here,” I whisper in her ear, pointing out my usual spot. She scoots inside, settling in. It doesn’t last long because as I sit, I lift her up, moving into the window seat while I place her on my lap.

She gives me a startled stare, and I grin. The bus fades away until it’s only me and her. The urge to kiss her is strong, but there’s one thing I have to take care of first. Reaching up, I cup her face in my palm. “I, um… I saw Trish today. She hugged me.”

I swallow, waiting for her response. Len doesn’t make big scenes—at least, I haven’t seen one before—but there’s a first time for everything. When she just stares, my stomach squeezes even more. I should’ve said something when we were alone and not on a bus filled with my teammates.

Finally, she sighs. “I know. I saw.”

“You saw?”

She leans into me. “I was waiting for you in the tunnel.”

“I pushed her away,” I say immediately.

“I know.” She touches the zipper of my coat. Her posture switches, though. She pulls away, not meeting my gaze.

“I don’t care about her anymore.”

“Oh, I know.” She waves me off. “It’s not that. We had words. She’s the same old manipulative bitch. She only came becauseshe saw Warner’s socials. A couple of the posts went viral. She knows we’re together, though. She was in our apartment.”

“Wait, what?” My jaw clenches, my arms holding her tighter.

She nods slowly. “She conned the guy at the front desk. She said some pretty awful things…” She grins. “I got to tell her off. It was… I’m searching for the right word. Liberating. Amazing. She doesn’t have an impact on me anymore, and now she freaking knows it.”

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