Page 97 of Pitcher Perfect
Static popped in Skylar’s ears, her arms tingling all the way to her fingertips. “Just tell me what you saw. I probably already know. He’s kind of... a partier. But he’s going to...”
Lord.
But he’s going to change.
She almost said that out loud.
“I guess you have to meet him to understand,” Skylar finished, lamely. “He’s great. He saved me from drowning yesterday, for god’s sake.”
Eve’s spine snapped straight. “He what? You almost drowned?”
“Just show me the phone,” she blurted.
“Skylar.”
“Eve.”
“What’s going on over there?” Elton called.
Madden frowned over a long pull of his beer, his scrutiny directed at Eve, as was Skylar’s.
Skylar and Eve dove for the phone at the same time—and she had to hand it to the blonde, she was quick; but she hadn’t grown up in a family of freakishly competitive athletes. It was no contest. Skylar had the phone in her hand in a blink.
“What’s your password?”
“I’m not trying to keep what I found quiet,” Eve strangle-whispered just for Skylar’s ears. “I just wanted to show you later when you’re alone and you can process it without everyone watching. Maybe you know about it already.”
“Know aboutwhat?”
Eve sighed, hesitated, then punched in her four-digit password, lighting up the screen and revealing a blue-and-white list of search engine results. “There’s a website where women sharebad experiences with men, okay? It started off as a way to help women protect one another from violence, which we shouldn’t have to take into our own hands, but here we are. There is also a fair amount of ex bashing, so it’s not perfect. That seems to be what women are doing with Robbie, although... he appears to be an ex-boyfriend to no one. It never gets that far.” Eve tapped through a few screens. “There’s a whole page dedicated to him.”
“Dedicated to who?” Elton wanted to know. “What are you talking about?”
“Nothing,” Eve and Skylar shouted back without taking their eyes off the phone.
Even though Skylar desperately wanted to take the device and throw it in the lake.
Oh... my God.
Her eyes skimmed over rows of ugly words and phrases.Serial player. Don’t trust a word out of his mouth. Manwhore. Don’t get played.
Forgot my name after we slept together. Twice.
Holds weekly whipped cream bikini parties.
The worst part was the picture.
Robbie at what appeared to be a nightclub with two beautiful women on his lap, a third one pouring a shot of tequila directly into his mouth.
It was like someone had taken a shovel and scooped everything out of her chest in one go. Skylar could only hand the phone back with numb fingers and try to keep her features schooled, not sure if she should be more embarrassed or devastated. It was one thing to know Robbie lived an unapologetic bachelor lifestyle up until a couple weeks ago... and quite another to see it in vivid color on the internet. There was nothing wrong with being sexually active. That was his choice. But seeing the images, the words on the screen, only reminded her of how he’d bragged about hisconquests. How content he’d seemed pursuing one-night stands, organizing threesomes on a whim. Could he be happy and fulfilled without those things?
“Okay,” she whispered. “Um...”
“Look.” Eve shoved the phone back into her purse. “Everyone has a past. You have to trust your own judgment of him.”
“Yeah,” Skylar forced past dry lips, her ears and face and throat on fire. “Thanks for showing me.”
Eve started to respond, but the kids bounded over like matching whirlwinds, throwing themselves onto Eve, even as Vivica jogged in their wake shrieking for them to wash their hands before they touched anything. Before Skylar could rouse herself from what felt suspiciously like heartbreak to help her friend, Madden was there, plucking Landon off Eve, holding the child stiffly for a moment with his legs dangling, then settling him onto his feet with an awkward head pat. “Do you need help with... anything?” he asked Eve.
