Page 54 of Can't Kiss the Chef

“This is my girlfriend Lola.”

I suddenly lose my ability to speak.

“Girlfriend?” I hate the sheepish tone my voice takes on.

“Yeah,” Dalton’s confident tone makes this whole situation hotter. I mean, who doesn’t love a man that takes what he wants? “I want to see where this thing can go.”

“Yeah, me too.”

20

Byron

I don’t know why I always have to be the responsible housemate but here I am making Aaron and Marcus’ coffees.

We still must have been drunk from Fall Fest when we decided we wanted to watch film before practice. I know I definitely could have used the extra sleep.

“I don’t know what these two are going to do without me next year,” I murmur to myself. I slide coffee on to the counter, pulling out almond milk for Marcus and half and half for Aaron.

I have been these kids’ sudo mom for the last three years. Being raised by a single mom who works nights, you are forced to become self-sufficient at a young age.

So thanks for that, Dad.

I hear them before I see them. Heavy steps shake the house. I set their coffees on the kitchen table and grab my backpack.

Somehow, even with me making their morning as easy as possible, I’m still the first one outside waiting for Aaron to unlock his car.

I pull my phone out of my pocket and start looking over my disregarded texts.

There’s a text from mom and a few from the group chat with Jalen and his parents, but nothing from Lola.

My thumbs are kind of large. Maybe I opened the message by accident. Our thread is the same as it was on Sunday at five o’clock.

Me:

Hey Lowy, thanks for letting me cross something off my friendship list ?? Want to get together this week to work on the final menu? We have our first game on Tuesday, so I think Wednesday or Thursday would be best.

I sent the message Sunday night after we got home from Fall Fest. It’s not like Lola to not answer. I know she doesn’t like the nickname, but that can’t be the reason that she isn’t answering me. Right?

“Have you heard from Indy since we’ve been back?” I ask Marcus once he pulls out of the driveway.

“Yeah, I went over there last night.”

“You did?” I ask too quickly. Luckily my half groggy friends don’t notice the anxiety in my voice.

“It was late, after the Monday Night Football game ended. I wasn’t planning on going over, but Indy texted me that she found a spider in her room and needed me to kill it,” His voice grows annoyed.

“Those three girls are some of the most fearless badasses I know, and not one of them can kill a spider.”

I used to get those texts when Ivy and Indy had away games. I miss those texts.

“Why?” Marcus asks me as we wait at a four way stop sign.

“Why what?”

“Why are you wondering if I’ve spoken to Indy?”

“Um,” I clear my throat. “I texted Lola on Sunday after we got back and asked if she wanted to do some work on our project this week, and I haven’t heard back,” I say while shrugging my shoulders. The uneasiness in my stomach finally settles, knowing that she is okay.

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