Page 16 of Home Town Advantage
Daylen chuckles. “I am. Oink, oink.” He grabs my arm. “Come with me to siphon the python.”
I brush his hand away. “Huh? I’m not a girl. I’m not going with you to the bathroom. If your balls are sunburned from today, I don’t want to see them. Go apply some aloe vera to them like the rest of us did.”
He gives me a subtle kick under the table, and I exhale a breath as I stand and follow him down the stairs. Once we’re out of earshot, I ask, “What’s your fucking problem, D?”
He runs his fingers through his Miracle-Gro hair in obvious frustration. “I don’t like that Kennedy chick. I needed a minute to get away before I said something nasty to her, and then Coach would get pissed at me.”
“She’s hot. Very much your type.” Not really. He likes blondes. I enjoy messing with him though.
Hemakes a look of disgust. “Judgmental bitches aren’t my type.”
“Whatever. Why the hell did you need me?” I bark.
He toggles his head back and forth. “Sulley is clearly uncomfortable around you. I thought she might need a minute too.”
My shoulders fall. He’s right. “I’ll leave,” I immediately offer.
He shakes his head. “No. I think you should pull her aside. Maybe a peace offering is in order. Elvis is excited to have Layla playing in Philly. He wants us to go to all the home games with him. He wants us to spend time with Layla and her teammates. You two need to bury the hatchet. There was such obvious tension. It’s going to be awkward as fuck for everyone. You need to put a pin in it.”
I nod in understanding. I don’t want our friends to suffer, and he’s right that Presley will be asking us to go to Beavers’ games all the time. Anytime Layla’s team from Miami played in Philly, Presley would buy the whole front row for us to attend the games and cheer her on. Plus, I genuinely want to watch Sulley play. I never missed a college game of hers on TV. Even if I wasn’t home, I’d record it and watch it later. Getting to see her play in person under the guise of supporting Presley and Layla is appealing to me.
I notice that nearly everyone from our table has moved to the dance floor. It happens every time we’re here, but I never dance. I’m not very good at it. I’d rather sit in our booth and watch from above. But Sulley is out there smiling and dancing with her teammates. I can’t take my eyes off her body moving to the fast beat of the music.
Daylen places his hand on my shoulder. “At no point in the years I’ve heard about Finn and his little sister did you ever mention she’s gorgeous and you have a major thing for her.”
I snap my head at him. “I don’t have a thing for her. I want to protect her. I promised him I would.”
My best friend’s face turns uncharacteristically serious. “It’s cool, man. I’ve never seen you this worked up over a woman. I know what Finn meant to you. I know the sacrifices you’ve made to be a good friend. I’m just now realizing how much more than thatshemeans to you. I want to help. Tell me what I can do.”
I look toward Sulley, who’s now practically dirty dancing with Kennedy. At least twenty guys are staring at them. I nod toward the girls. “Can you get me a minute alone with her?”
He lets out a little growl. He’s a bit of a Neanderthal at times. “Fuck. Only for you would I voluntarily spend time alone with Kennedy. You’re definitely applying aloe vera to my balls later tonight.”
I elbow him before we walk over toward them and see them both hysterically laughing. Daylen asks, “What’s so funny?”
Sulley lets out an adorable giggle. “A guy just came up to Kennedy and asked her if she had a man.”
Kennedy smirks. “I told him I am one, and he practically sprinted in the other direction.” She rubs her hands together. “Works every damn time I need to get a guy away from me.”
Daylen grabs Kennedy’s hand. “Dance with me, wench.”
She pulls her hand away. “Fuck off, caveman. I don’t like being told what to do unless I’m naked.”
Daylen scrunches his face. “Eww. Thinking of you naked is gross. I want to hear more about your red flags. I aspire to incorporate every one of them into my daily routine.”
Kennedy rolls her eyes. “I feel like you’re the reason there are directions on shampoo bottles.”
He mouths to me, “You owe me,” before grabbing a screeching Kennedy by the waist and carrying her to the other side of the dance floor, leaving Sulley and me alone for the first time in half a decade.
She starts to walk away, but I grab her wrist. “Don’t go.”
SULLEY
“Don’t go.”
My eyes fill with tears as I look down at his hand wrapped around my arm. His giant hands. The ones that were?—
“Give me one dance, Sulley. For old times’ sake. I want to talk to you.”
