Page 74 of Love at Second Down

With a grin, I pour myself a glass. “Do you really think I’m going to drink all of this myself?” I ask, glancing up at her with a smile.

“A communal marg?” Charlotte grins. “I like the way you think.”

Laughing, I take a sip of the tart liquid, enjoying the slight burn of the tequila before I pass it along. “What are they saying about the flights?” I ask, glancing around the table at the others.

The boys have been gone for two days, and already, campus is buzzing with talk of the oncoming storm and whether it’ll affect the championship.

“They’re as good as canceled if they get the weather they’re expecting,” Liz says.

“News outlets are predicting there will be nothing going in and out of the region starting tomorrow afternoon if Houston gets hit with snow,” Samantha clarifies. “The only prayer we have of keeping our flights tomorrow night and making it there is if the snow completely misses them and every weather expert from here to the West Coast is totally wrong about this storm.”

I grimace, plucking a tortilla chip from the basket and dipping it in some salsa before popping it into my mouth. “We could drive?” I suggest. Swallowing, I elaborate. “I mean, we’re from the north, so we’re used to snow. Even if the roads are bad, we could handle it. We’ll just go slow once we hit bad weather.”

Brynn shakes her head. “I thought about that, but it’s six-thirty here. By the time we got our stuff together and got on the road, it would be after seven, and it takes more than nineteen hours to get to Houston. Even if we drove straight there with zero stops and no bad weather, we’d get there tomorrow after the storm is supposed to hit, and if they’re right about the weather, it’ll completely shut down the highways. In that case, we’d be stuck in the middle of who-knows-where. It’s just too much of a risk.” She shrugs.

“Besides, protective parent here,” Brynn says, raising a hand, “and when I mentioned driving, my parents freaked. Technically, they can’t tell me what to do anymore, but I had some . . . stuff happen in the past, so I try to avoid worrying them if I can. Traveling across the country worries them enough without imagining me getting in a car crash or stranded in the snow.”

“Damn.” I bite my lip, thinking.There has to be another way.

“I can’t believe we’re going to miss it,” Charlotte moans as she stabs a tortilla chip with a knife.

Brynn slouches in her seat, mirroring Charlotte’s sentiment in her expression.

“I was so excited for this road trip, but Ireallyhate this for you guys,” Liz says. “I know how badly you wanted to watch your boys win the championship in person.”

All four of my friends continue to scowl down at the table while I rack my brain for a solution. “What about other flights out? Maybe there’s something tonight,” I suggest.

Brynn’s expression brightens, then dims again. “Eh, it’s been fifteen years since the Griffins played a National Championship game. I’m sure half the state already thought of that.”

“We should check. Just to be sure,” I say, but Charlotte’s already on it, sliding her phone from her pocket and tapping the screen.

All of us fall silent, passing around the margarita and snacking on chips while she searches until she finally glances up from her phone with a sigh. “Forget it. There’s nothing. The only thing left is one flight that leaves tonight at ten-thirty, but it’s not doable.”

“Why not?” I frown.

“For one, it’s a straight flight, first class.”

Brynn winces. “How much?”

Charlotte’s eyes widen as she says, “Nearly nineteen hundred a piece.”

Samantha whistles beside her.

“Not to mention, there are only three seats left,andit leaves in a couple hours,” she adds.

“The three of you should go,” Samantha says, motioning between me, Charlotte, and Brynn.

“Absolutely,” Liz says, beaming. “Hurry up and snag those tickets and get out of here.”

“But what about you guys?” I ask.

“What about us?” Liz waves off my concern. “We’ll watch it from here, but your boys are playing. Youhaveto be there.”

“I mean, technically Damon isn’t?”

“He is.” Liz rolls her eyes and shoots me a playful smile. “Even if we didn’t all know you guys kissed and had a moment the other night, I saw the way he was looking at you on our double date. That boy is definitely still in love with you.”

I feel heat creep to my cheeks as Charlotte clears her throat. “Um, I don’t disagree, but are we forgetting about the little factthat these seats are nearly two grand and we’re broke-ass college students?”

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