“Yeah.”
A cold feeling spread in my stomach, and I peeked into the next box. Faith was there, along with the rest of the team. The only ones not there were Taylor, me, Courtney, and Grace.
“Do you need something?” Faith came to the door, a drink in one hand and a haughty expression on her face.
“What happened to ‘Thank you for helping me go faster’?”
She shrugged, sipping her drink. “That was on the course. This is off the course.”
“You’re cold.”
She laughed. “I’ve never pretended to be otherwise.” She angled her head to look at the door to our box. “Unlike you. I’m betting whoever you’re sharing that with, you didn’t invite your two other buds from the team.”
“Are you sharing with Coach Langdon?”
“No. This is my dad’s private box. Coach usually sits with the other coaches. They all share one box.”
I didn’t tell her I’d been invited to that one. “Well, have fun watching the game.”
“I will.”
“I’ll have fun watching your boyfriend,” she added.
I wasn’t sure what she meant by that, but I turned to Taylor as we entered the box. “Text Courtney. Invite her and Grace up here.”
They couldn’t be the only ones left out. I wouldn’t do that to them.
I looked over and saw Garrett and David waiting for me.
I took a breath, then approached both of my dads.
Garrett and David had settled in together, sitting side by side.
Sharon and Malinda also sat together.
They were all happy to see me, as well as my friends. And they were happy about my race time. Garrett and Sharon hadn’t known about my first meet, and Malinda loved telling them. She followed that up with insisting that my biological father and his wife join us for dinner too.
Actually, she invited everyone, including Matteo, Courtney, and Grace. When they agreed, Malinda called ahead to alert the restaurant, and when we arrived after the game, we were led to a private room in the back.
“Honey, you must be so happy today.” Malinda linked her elbow with mine. She pulled me to the side as everyone headed in and took their seats.
There it was, that word. Happy. Everyone seemed happy. I just wasn’t used to the emotion being genuine around me. But I’d done well in my race, and Mason had scored two touchdowns to help Cain U win their first game of the season. I was surrounded by friends and family . . .
“I am.” And I was. I really was. I nudged her with my elbow. “I’m glad you and my dad came up today.”
“Yes, me too.” She craned her neck to look into the room. “Everyone’s sitting down. I should head in there, but I wanted to check in with you real quick. How are you? I was shocked when you told me you’d joined the cross-country team. I know you haven’t the last two years.”
“I know, but I wanted to do . . .” How could I explain this without feeling selfish?
“Something for yourself?” she supplied for me.
Some of the tension left my shoulders. “Yeah. It’s been fine so far, but we start classes next week.”
“Well, that’ll be more of a challenge, but you and Mason will be fine. You’ve already been through so much, and you’re going to have moments like these. Especially if you guys get married, or stay together for life. Some husbands join the military and are gone for years. I think you and Mason are very lucky to have what you have, and I know you two are committed to the relationship.”
David came to the door and waved for Malinda to join the rest of them. She laughed softly under her breath. “Trust me. When you have a good one, you hold onto him. You might not get another.” She shook her head, clearing away whatever else she’d been thinking, and gave my arm one more squeeze. “Maybe not you, though. You’re amazing. Any guy would be lucky to have you. I gotta go in there. You’re waiting for Mason?”
I nodded. Mason and Matteo needed to shower and change after the game, not to mention all the people they needed to talk with before they could leave.
She kissed my cheek before going to the room. I could hear her saying, laughing as she did, “I’m here. The party has to start now, right, Logan?”
“Damn straight, Mama Malinda.”
I wandered back to the front of the restaurant and was content to wait outside until Mason and Matteo arrived. There was a warm breeze, and after all the attention I’d gotten in the box and since yesterday, I was grateful for some moments alone. I drew in a deep breath, watching people come and go. This was one of the nicer restaurants in Cain, so maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised when I saw Faith walking up from the parking lot toward the entrance.
She never goes away.
She wasn’t dressed in the jeans and light sweatshirt she’d worn to the game. Instead, she now wore a black dress and heels with her hair on the top of her head. A white shawl draped around her back and arms. If I hadn’t known Faith from the team, I would’ve assumed she was a celebrity or something. She had that air about her.
She was with Nettie, who was also dressed up in a white dress. No white shawl for her, though. She held a black shawl instead, and her hair was curled and hanging loose down her back.
I couldn’t stop myself. I snorted.
The sound drew Faith’s attention, and her eyes widened before narrowing. She stepped onto the curb where I was sitting. “Are you stalking me, Strattan?”
“My memory tells me I got to the football game before you.”
She rolled her eyes. “Slightly. You were at the entrance first. You followed us inside. That’s what my memory says.”
I kept going as if she hadn’t spoken. “And again, I’m here before you.” I narrowed my eyes at her. “Are you stalking me? Is that what’s really going on here? I know you’re in love with me on the course now, apparently, but maybe it’s time you admit how you feel about me off the course too.”
“That’s easy.” She gave me a fake smile. “Loathing. Deep, dark, loathing. That’s what I feel for you, and don’t get confused. I am grateful to you on the course because of one thing: competition. Until you came, I was never motivated to really push myself, and yesterday I beat Emily Kostwich. I can beat anyone now.”
“Except me.”
She tsked me, waving her finger in the air. “Don’t get cocky, Samantha. You never know. Someday, you might not be able to run.” She paused. “Like Raelynn.” She tilted her head to the side. “I hear you’re great friends with her now.”
“I hear you dropped her like a bad habit.”
She frowned. “I can’t stay by her side all day long. I still have to train and have a life.”
“I would think that’s completely understandable, except for the first time I visited her. She predicted you’d drop her like an anchor. She’s coming back to running, you know. She’s just out this year.”
“Is that what she said? That’s funny. That’s not what the doctors said. But hey, you were in the room when they were, right? Oh wait.” She dropped the pretend smile and politeness. “You weren’t. I was. Rae’s been my best friend since elementary school. I’m not dropping her as a friend, but I do have to live my life and continue to train.” She pulled her shawl tighter and raised her chin. “We’re meeting my father inside and some family friends. Excuse us, would you?”
She started forward.
“Rae’s not your friend,” I called after her.
She stopped, her back stiffened, and she slowly turned to me.
Her eyes were full of caution. She knew what I was going to say, but I had such pleasure saying it anyway. I made sure my voice was cold, like her.
“She’s in love with you, but you already know that.”
She sucked in her breath. “Do you know what you just did?”
Yes. Because when I’d visited Rae, she asked me to call Faith out on it. I nodded. “Trust me, I was given permission to say this to you. If you really do care about her, go talk to her. Her feelings matter.”
“I’m not some lesbian.”