Page 43 of The Change Up
Reaching into my cross-body—this is where I curse myself for not liking pants because I always have to carry my phone in a purse—I pull out my phone and quickly type out a message to Brynn.
Me: Are you still at the game?
Brynn: Unfortunately…I was just thinking about bailing.
Me: Can I bail with you?
Brynn: See you out front in five.
Closing the message and locking my phone, I place it back in my bag before turning to head toward the door that leads insidethe stadium. My feet falter as I realize I’m going to have to walk past a pissed-off Cody in the process. Keeping my head down, I rip the band-aid off and go for it. I’m about to pass him when my subconscious decides it’s a good time to look up.
Our eyes meet, and I give a tight-lipped smile as I head out.
“Giving up?” Cody asks, causing me to pause.
My eyes find the scoreboard before I turn back to him. With a shrug, I let that be my answer and continue out the door.
So much for things not being awkward this season.
Walking through the underground tunnel, I make my way to the hallway that leads to the stairs to climb to the main level. My feet hitting the metal stairs are the only sound in the space, and I enjoy the few minutes to myself.
Emerging from the stairwell, I find Brynn and Quinton waiting for me. Brynn’s dressed in a pair of ripped jeans, a baseball jersey, and a powder blue CTU hat. I’m surprised Q let her wear a jersey that wasn’t his. They both have this alpha-possessive vibe, but it works for them.
“Dugout that bad?” Brynn asks as she steps into place beside me.
I stare at her with wide eyes and nod my head. “So bad. I’m supposed to meet with Ty to work on a project, but I’m going to rain check. I need a night in.”
Brynn and I follow Quinton through the crowd of fans exiting the stadium. It looks like we aren’t the only CTU fans ready to get out of this stadium and erase this disastrous night from our memories. Q’s body has a way of cutting through the masses like Moses parting the Red Sea which makes it easy for us to exit the stadium in no time. He leads us up through the parking lot to his Tesla, waiting in a reserved spot.
“So all we need to do is win a national championship, and we’ll end up with a reserved spot?” I muse as he unlocks the car and opens the passenger door for us.
“Nah, you just gotta be the hottest guy on campus.” Brynn responds for him as she presses her body against him. These two and their PDA. If I didn’t love other people’s love, I would be constantly nauseous around them.
Maybe someday I’ll have something like that.
You could have something like that if you would forgive Cody and hear him out.
Where did that thought come from?
Shaking my head, I lean it against the window and let Quinton drive us home. Only he doesn’t take us straight home, instead he pulls into a Shake Shack. Brynn and Q share a knowing look, and I know that tonight Brynn is going to enjoy her special stash.
She turns in her seat, her bubbly personality radiating off her. “Wanna get high and watch Friday with us?”
I laugh and shake my head. I’m not much of a pot smoker. I’m barely a get-drunk kind of girl. “No, that’s okay. I think I’m just going to have a self-care night and try to check in with my dad.”
“Ohhh, one of your ‘self-care’ nights,” Brynn says with a wink and air quotes. My cheeks heat, and my eyes dart to Quinton where the two of us make eye contact in the mirror.
“Brynn!”
She cracks up laughing. “Oh please we all know when you are having one of your moments. You aren’t the quietest.”
My eyes widen at her comment. I thought the noise-canceling headphones were my problem last time, but apparently, I’m louder than I thought. Placing my face in my hands, I mumble, “Oh god,” before sinking in my seat. I really did mean that I wanted a night in to pamper myself with a face mask and manicure.
Clearing his throat, Q drives us forward until we are in front of the speaker. “What do you guys want?”
“Strawberry milkshake, double shack burger, fries with cheese and bacon,” Brynn answers as she leans over the center console to look at the menu.
“Chlo?”
