Page 136 of Somewhere You Belong

Dallas nods as he finishes plating our food. “It’s gonna be a good game.”

Bentley’s soccer team made it to the championship match, and the final game is at eleven. After we eat, we have a few errands to run before heading over to the field.

My, how different my life looks after just a few months.

“You’d better eat up, Coach.” I point to Dallas’s plate as he brings both of our meals over to the table, taking a seat right next to me.

“Don’t worry about me, Goose. The person you should be worrying about is Astrid.”

I stab my eggs and bring a hefty bite to my mouth. “Oh, I know. She’s been crazy lately with the bakery renovations and then during the games, she practically bites her fingernails off.”

“She just gets invested like most parents. It’s fun to see the boys win.”

“I agree. And I enjoy watching you coach more than anything.” I bounce my eyebrows at him this time.

“It’s the backward hat and aviators, huh, Goose?”

“God, yes,” I admit on a sigh. “It does it for me every time.”

***

“Astrid, if you don’t stop, you’re not going to have a single fingernail left.” I pull her hand from her mouth, holding it with my own instead.

“God, I hate this. Bentley wants this so much.” She’s practically vibrating with nerves as she stands next to me, so I stroke her arm, trying to offer her an ounce of comfort. We stare out at the field, watching the teams fight tooth and nail, each pass and missed goal amping up the anxiety on the sidelines.

“I know, hun. But losing is part of life too. He’ll be fine either way.”

I’m really just speculating right now.

I never played sports. The only time I ever competed in anything was during the Carrington Cove Games and we won, so I honestly don’t know what it’s like to lose.

And to be an eleven-year-old and lose?

God, I hope he just wins so I don’t have to experience that aftermath.

Astrid shakes her hands out at her sides, releasing mine from her grasp. “I’m just so on edge.”

I watch her dance around, her eyes wild and her limbs jittery. “You are, more so than usual. Are you okay, girl?”

Her eyes dart over to mine quickly before returning right back to the field. “I’m—I’m fine.”

“Uh, I don’t believe you.” I step in front of her, snapping my fingers in her face, which forces her eyes to meet mine. “Astrid Marie, what are you not telling me?”

“That’s not my middle name.”

“I don’t care. There’s something else going on here, and you’d better spill. We don’t keep secrets from each other, remember?”

After the whole thing with Dallas, I confessed the story of what led me here to Astrid. We cried together, and I told her how sorry I was for keeping the whole tale from her. She was very understanding, but we promised not to keep secrets from each other anymore, which eventually led to her telling me how she really feels about Penn.

As if anyone with two eyes in this town didn’t already know.

Astrid chews on her bottom lip. “Willow…”

“Do you need an attorney? Did you do something illegal?” My pulse starts to climb as I wait for her answer.

“What? No!”

“Then what is it?”

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