Page 54 of Anyone But Her

"I also signed you up with a conditioning coach like Cal has."

"You did?" I look at my dad, confused, because he's always said I didn't need another coach until I was out of college and trying to go pro.

"It'll be good for your game," he says. "May help improve your score."

"I'm going to the gym," Cal says, getting up from the table.

My mom stands up and starts combining the leftover pizza slices into one box. "Taylor, would you take a few pieces out to Luke?"

I gulp down the water I just drank. "I thought he was sleeping."

"I'm sure he's not sleeping. It's only seven. He's probably out there watching TV." She hands me the pizza box. "Go take this to him. See if he wants any."

"He doesn't want us bothering him. Why don't you just leave it in the fridge? If he gets hungry he'll find it."

"Taylor, just go offer it to him," my dad says, getting annoyed I'm not doing what my mom said. He's strict about stuff like that. He doesn't like Cal or me arguing with him or my mom when they ask us to do stuff.

"Fine." I get up and take the pizza box from my mom, then go in the kitchen and grab a bottle of soda. I go out back and walk around the pool to the guest house. My hands are full so I have to use my elbow to push the doorbell.

"Cal?" I hear Luke say.

"No. It's Taylor." I look around as I wait, noticing an empty soda bottle sticking out of a bush next to the guest house. Luke wouldn't have put it there. I bet it was the guy who cleans the pool. I don't want my parents finding it and thinking Luke did it so I reach down to grab it but then the pizza box slips and in my attempt to catch it I fall flat on my ass, the box landing on my lap.

"Taylor?"

I look up and see Luke standing there, wearing black basketball shorts and a white t-shirt, smiling at me with those dimples showing.

"Did I take too long to answer the door?" he asks, trying not to laugh.

"What?" I notice the ground next to me. "Oh. No, I was just trying to pick up some trash from the bushes but my hands were full and I fell." I hold up the pizza box. "But I saved the pizza! Here. This is for you."

He takes the box. "Thanks."

I stand up and hand him the bottle of soda. "This is yours too but you might want to wait a minute before opening it. I shook it up when I fell."

"Got it." He nods to the guest house. "You want to come in?"

"Oh, um, I don't want to bother you. I'm sure you're tired from the trip."

"Not really. And honestly, I could use some company right now. Otherwise I'm just sitting in there thinking about..." He stops before saying Albert's name. "I'd just rather not be alone right now."

"Of course. I totally understand. Just let me get rid of this." I grab the empty bottle from the bushes and toss it in the trash container next to the pool. I turn back to find Luke watching me. "I didn't want you getting blamed for making a mess."

"Yeah, I've been accused enough this week for things I didn't do."

I follow him inside the guest house. "I heard about that. I'm sorry. That woman sounds horrible."

"She is." He sits on the couch and sets the pizza box on the coffee table. "I don't know how she turned out that way. Albert's nothing like that." He opens the pizza box and takes out a slice.

"Sometimes it doesn't matter what your parents are like. You can still turn out totally different. Like you and your parents. You're nothing like them."

"True." He leans back on the couch, holding his pizza. "You know, I didn't even think about that until you said it. I kept wondering how it was possible Albert's kids turned out so much different than him but like you said, I'm nothing like my parents." He smiles. "You're really smart." He takes a bite of his pizza.

"Well, I am in college," I kid. "They teach you stuff there."

He laughs. "Not me. I practically flunked out."

"Because it's not what you wanted to do. If you were interested in your classes you would've done fine."

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