Page 5 of Thunderstruck
The problem is the rest of my friends, just like Freya, are going to try to fix it all for me, which means by the time the sun is up in the morning, I’m going to have six people all thinking they know what’s best for my life. I love them, but they can really be a pain in my rear end.
“That means you too,” I murmur to Freya, who is sound asleep against my shoulder, and I slip into a dreamless sleep right along with her.
Chapter Two
Carissa
“It’s not that I’mscared…” I bounce my leg up and down a few times, pretending my big sister isn’t seeing right through my bravado while we sit in the back of a car and ride through the streets of Los Angeles. “I just… Rugby isn’t my field, you know? I don’t know anything about sports.”
“But youarea licensed physical therapist.” Darcy rolls her eyes. They’re unnaturally blue today because she’s dressed up as her fancy sports reporter persona, Tamlin Park. I found out about her alter-ego by accident when I showed up unannounced at her house in St. Louis last week and found her snacking in the kitchen looking like someone she isn’t, and I’m still wrapping my head around it. Like, I’ve seen her on TV. A lot. And I had no idea it was her. Apparently she’s been a well-known reporter for years, and this whole time I thought my sister was just a glorified intern.
“You’re the one who said she wanted a change of scenery,” Darcy reminds me and smiles down at her phone.
I try not to snoop, but I can’t help it when my eyes are drawn to places they shouldn’t be. Immediately I regret letting my gaze fall to the texts her husband is currently sending her. “Oh, I didnotwant to read that,” I say, pretending to puke.
“Then you shouldn’t have looked,” Darcy says matter-of-factly. She types a text that has a lot of questionable emojis, hits send, and flips to the camera so she can check her makeup. Of which there is a lot.
I guess there would need to be to make her look like someone completely different. She’s wearing a wig too, and I miss seeing the blonde curls we share. She was never meant to be a brunette, but the media site she works for makes all their reporters wear disguises for their safety.
“Is Houston still attracted to you when you look like this?” I ask, though I’m not sure I want to know the answer. The two of them have been married for two months, and they’re definitely still in the sickening honeymoon phase. I should have considered the fact that they would be all over each other when I made the decision to visit her on a whim.
Fixing her lipstick, Darcy glances at me and smirks. “I don’t think you want me to answer that question,” she guesses.
I grimace. “No. I don’t.”
As she goes back to her absolutely not PG-13 texting, I turn my gaze to the window and take in the sights. I’ve never been to California before now, and it always felt like some magical land far away. I’ve spent my entire life in Pennsylvania, and up until two weeks ago I figured I would die there too. Now, I’m not so sure.
I’m also not sure if I can live in a state severely lacking in trees, but we’ll see how it goes.
“I still don’t know why you couldn’t have found me a job in St. Louis,” I mumble.
Darcy grabs my hand. “I would have if I could have. But honestly, I think it might be better for you to totally get away. Stretch your wings.And the owners of the Thunder owed me a favor, which is how I was able to get you this job.”
“I didn’t even know we had rugby teams in the US.” When Darcy told me she’d gotten me a job on the sports medicine team for the Los Angeles Thunder, I had to look up what type of sport rugby is. From the looks of things, it’s a cross between football and soccer and a breeding ground for injuries. At least I’ll have plenty to do?
“I think rugby is an underrated sport here,” Darcy replies, “but it’s really popular in the rest of the world.”
My leg starts bouncing again. “I don’t know why I agreed to this.”
“Because you trust your big sister.”
“Do you really think it’s a good idea for me to move clear across the country and take up a job that is more specialized than what I’m used to? I know it’s similar, but… I don’t even know where I’m going to be living, let alone how to do a job that’s so different from what I’m used to.”
Squeezing my hand, Darcy gives me a warm smile that instantly calms me. She may not look like herself right now, but that smile is so familiar. “Rizzo, you’ll be fine. I’m not about to drop you off in a strange state without making sure you have everything you need. We’ll stop by the training field so I can do some interviews and introduce you to your new boss, and then—”
“Wait, you’re taking me to the training field? I am so not prepared for that! Why didn’t you tell me?”
She frowns. “Why do you think I’m dressed up like this? It’s not for fun. Besides, I thought I told you. Hmm, maybe it slipped my mind because the team doesn’t know we’re coming either.”
I gape at her. “What do you mean they don’t know we’re coming?”
“I get way better information when I show up unannounced. Anyway, I’ll take you to the apartment Houston rented for you after we’re done.He said it’s in a good area, and you know he won’t have skimped on all the features.”
There’s no point in trying to fight her on her plans. I love my sister, but she has always been excellent at channeling her older sibling energy. “I both love and hate that your new husband is insanely rich,” I grumble. I mostly love it, though, because it’s not like I can afford anything on my own. At least my living situation is handled, even if the job thing is questionable.
Darcy snickers. “That’s what happens when you’re a world-class athlete.”
“So what you’re saying is these rugby players I’m going to be working with will all be rich snobs like Houston?”
