“Is that it?” Vonnie asks, the deep-V eyebrows back.
“What do you mean is that it? He invited another girl back to the hotel while he was out with me!” If I thought it wouldn’t cause me to throw up, I’d strangle her. “I thought we were on a date, and he was making other plans . . . at a hotel! Nothing innocent can happen at a hotel!”
“All right, Brynn.” Vonnie puts the lid on her Gatorade and repositions her body so I can’t escape her eye contact. She’s like the human version of those creepy Renaissance paintings. “You are new to this football thing, so I’m going to enlighten you. When these guys go to the hotel, they are on a strict schedule with the tightest security you can imagine. Justin’s rookie year, he told me to come to the hotel with him, and not only did I get kicked out before I even made it to the elevator, Justin was fined ten grand. Maxwell is a longtime veteran, he knows this. Whoever he was talking to, and you don’t even know if it was a woman, he invited them there because he knew he’d have a controlled environment and wouldn’t be able to talk for long. Nothing happened and I’d put money on it.”
“Wait . . .” I try and comprehend everything she just said. “Are you serious?”
“Dead.” She shakes her head and I’m pretty sure I know how her kids feel when she’s disappointed in them. “You’ve been looking so hard for a reason not to try with him that you’ve ignored how into you he obviously is.”
“Okay, so what if he is into me?” Even the thought of it causes my stomach to flutter. “Then what? I mess it up somehow? I am my mother’s daughter. What if after all of this, we start seeing each other and I pull a Holly Sterling and become disinterested and leave him in the dust? Would I lose you guys? I can’t chance that.”
“I don’t know your mother, something I think I’m very grateful for, but I know that you are not her.” Vonnie wraps her hand around mine. “A lot of us have shit parents, it’s the most overpopulated club there is. But the best part about it is that we have a road map on exactly what not to do in life. I had to go to school and find a strong, dependable man. You just have to not be a horrible person and you’re killing it. Don’t let your demons ruin something that could be really good.”
I need to find friends who aren’t so smart and wise.
“Why do you push me to become a better person?” I throw my head back onto the couch like I’m auditioning for a role in a soap opera. “Fine, you’re right. I’ll talk to him when he comes over.”
“That’s my girl,” Vonnie says, yanking the remote out of my lap. “Now turn this shit on. I have to pick up my kids in two hours, I need to see what Jo and Chip think I should do with my living room next.”
* * *
—
“I BROUGHT PANERA!” Maxwell holds up two massive bags as he makes his grand entrance.
“Did you invite someone else?” I look at the empty doorway behind him.
“No, I just brought options. Three different soups, a few different sandwiches, two pastas, and salad, but I figured lettuce can be hard on your stomach, so I only got one of those.”
And that’s the moment I fell in love.
Kidding.
Kinda.
My stomach starts to growl. I’ve been living on saltines, juice, and ice for the last four days. I’m pretty sure I now have a legitimate fear of throwing up, and I’ve been too nervous to eat anything. But the smell of Panera wafting through my apartment is one way to guarantee that I at least try to eat.
“Oh my god.” I close my eyes, breathing in the fresh-baked goodness as Maxwell starts pulling out all the containers of food and lining them up on my countertop. “You are my favorite person in the entire world.” My eyes fly open. “I mean . . . you know what I mean. I’m hungry and this smells amazing.”
“If I knew sandwiches were the key to your heart, I would’ve hit Panera up instead of groveling for so long.” He winks. “Now, come make your plate.”
I want to shovel everything in my mouth, but the memory of using the toilet seat as a pillow forces some self-control—just not a ton of it. I nab the chicken noodle soup and almost squeal when I see my favorite sandwich. “This is the best!” I grab half of it from the unfolded paper wrapper.
“Yeah, your dad told me.” He hands me the yellow Gatorade from the fridge. “I just wasn’t sure if you’d want to branch out or if it would still sound good, hence all of the options.”
My eyes go wide and I stop walking. “You called my dad?”
“Was that not okay?” he asks, suddenly looking nervous. “I would’ve called you, but if you were sleeping, I didn’t want to wake you up. I figured your dad would know what you like.”
“No, I don’t mind.” I stare at him, my conversation with Vonnie from earlier running through my mind. “You didn’t have to do any of this, I just really appreciate it.”
“Of course I had to.” His eyebrows furrow together and he takes a step toward me. “Brynn, I don’t know where you are, but I really care about you.”
“What about Eloise?”
His head jerks back. “Eloise?” One of his hands moves to the base of his neck like he’s trying to work out a knot that’s just appeared. “What about her?”
“I mean . . . I thought . . . Are you seeing each other?” My grip on my plate is so tight, I’m worried I might snap it in half, but I can’t seem to loosen it.
“Eloise Withington? No . . . no. Not at all,” he says with steel in his voice. “Where’d you get that from?”
“From her.” My eyes dart around the kitchen, trying to find anything to look at other than Maxwell’s gorgeous, confused face. “She said you gave her your tickets to the game and then you guys went out after.”
“Brynn.” He touches his hand to my cheek. “Will you please look at me, I need you to see me when I tell you this.”
I pull my lips between my teeth and nod, staring deep into his light brown eyes. Nausea rolls in my stomach, but for the first time in days, I think it’s from nerves and not the need to actually throw up. Or at least, I hope so. I’m pretty sure throwing up all over his shoes could ruin the moment.
“There is nothing going on between me and Eloise,” he says. “She paid a lot of money to have me at her father’s firm. You know me, the idea that she could spend that kind of money and I wouldn’t deliver made me a nervous wreck. I offered my tickets because it felt like the least I could do, and then we had dinner and talked about what I could expect when I went into PWT.” He moves his hand to the back of my neck and squeezes gently, never dropping eye contact. “That’s all we talked about. She seems very smart and nice, but the only person I have feelings for is you.”