Page 79 of A Sky Full Of Stars

I shouldn’t care what Heath thinks, but I only just got Thomas back. I’m not ready to lose him again if Luke gets involved. And he will. Because that’s what he does.

While I expect him to call me out, instead, Heath stands, cursing under his breath. I cheer again even though the play doesn’t necessarily call for it, doing anything I can to pretend his actions aren’t affecting me, but when I hear the jingle of his keys, my stress increases and I give in.

“Where are you going?” I ask, my brow furrowed.

“Out.” He opens the door.

“Didn’t you just get home?”

“I’ve been home longer than you realize,Lainey. And I’m not about to sit here and watch you drool over another guy.”

“What? You’re crazy.”Shit.

“Am I? Because while you were watching the game,Iwas watchingyou. And your reactions seem to be directly linked to Thomas Kelly’s performance.”

Jesus. Though he’s not wrong.

“Heath, it’s not—”

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to tell your brother. He made it clear we’re no longer friends, so why would I help him out?” I hold back my relieved sigh, sensing a “but.” There’s always a “but.”

“But…” he drawls out, making me huff. “You should really think about how he reacted to us getting together when I was barely more than an acquaintance to him. If he finds out you’ve got something going on with one of his best friends, he’s not going to be happy about it.”

I roll my eyes, pretending he’s overreacting, but again, he’s not wrong. “Heath. I’m just watching his game. There’s nothing—”

“I saw his number in your phone,” he blurts before his eyes widen.

“You what?” I spin around and stand so fast I almost get whiplash. “You wentthrough my phone?”

Heath shakes his head as he closes the door. Heaven forbid one of our neighbors hears about his blatant disrespect for my privacy. “I didn’t go through your phone. I saw his message when I borrowed it this morning.”

“You borrowed my phone to find the name of that playlist you liked,notto look at anything else.”

“It was an accident.”

“Heath, this is so—” The commentators start yelling about the end of the game, and I instantly forget what I was about to say, my eyes flashing to the screen to see San Francisco jumping around in celebration.

“Damn, that’s rough.” Heath cuts into my thoughts as I stare at the TV, my heart slamming against my rib cage, internally breaking for Thomas. “They’re going to tear him apart in the media,” he continues, without an ounce of sympathy. “He—”

“Stop.” I cut him off, raising a hand between us. “Just stop.Nothingis going on with me and Thomas. I drove him to the airport a couple of weeks ago as per Luke’s request, but that’s all. Stop trying to make something out of nothing.”

With a scowl, Heath opens the door again. “Okay, Lainey. Whatever you say.” He slams the door shut, propelling me into silence as I stare at the entry. Fuming.

God. What did I ever see in him…besides the ripped chest and soulful eyes.Clenching my fists, I ignore Heath’s rant and drop to the couch, my mind back on the TV, my heart firmly wedged in my throat. Heath’s right. The media won’t be kind to Thomas. And there’s nothing I can do to help him.

Istare at the screen, my body tense as I watch the locker room interviews, an anger forming in the pit of my stomach. He’s a goddamn rookie, and he played his freaking heart out. Seattle lost by two points, and they’re still crucifying him, like he’s on trial for murder.

Two games. Two losses. Colton had better have this baby soon.

Do you think the coaching staff made the wrong decision in starting you today? Was Patrick a better choice?

Last game you used the excuse that Los Angeles played better on the day, but today that wasn’t the case. San Francisco made several mistakes, and you still lost. How do you explain that to Colton when you see him?

The more they tear him apart, the angrier I get, but to his credit, Thomas stands tall, handling it like a true quarterback should. To those watching, he comes across like a media trained professional, doing his job, supporting his team. But I can see the truth—the void in his eyes as he speaks. I can see the man that’s had to face harsh media scrutiny since he was in college, the man forced to harden his shell at a young age. And it’s breaking my heart more than the loss did.

I pull out my phone to text him, ready to ask who deserves my wrath, when Jace calls. And his timing couldn’t be better. Thomas needs to deal with this how he wants to; he doesn’t need me telling him how shit it is. He doesn’t want me to feel sorry for him.

“Jace, you saved me from a big mistake.”

---