Page 81 of The Quarterback Sneak

“It’s fine, Livi. I’m used to being humiliated by the guy I’m dating.”

“I don’t believe it,” she says emphatically. “Jamie’s a liar, and I think he’s made the whole thing up.”

“Oh, yeah? What about Mike?” I challenge.

Her confident smile quickly turns sheepish. “Mike’s not talking. He said something about Zach telling us himself if he wanted us to know.”

That sentence alone crushes all my hope. “Don’t you see?” I shut my locker and relax my shoulder against it. I want nothing more than to get to class and away from the constant stares, but I keep my feet planted on the spot. Defiant and determined. “Mike not denying it is essentially confirming that Zach is a father.”

Hiscommitmentsfloat through my mind. There were moments where I questioned everything and wondered if Tiff was his sister, but I trusted Zach.

I trusted the wrong guy again.

“No. That’s Mike’s way of being a good friend to Zach. Something that he seems to be in short supply of right now.”

It’s the most unsubtle dig against me I’ve ever heard, but I don’t have the energy or the will to push back on her. How can Zach and I be friends when he didn’t tell me about the most important thing in his life?

His daughter.

The little girl I heard giggling in the background when I’d call him. She was always there; I was just too lost in my own problems to understand his.

No wonder he hasn’t responded to any of my calls or texts. I lived up to the rich-girl stereotype he always had in his head. Self-absorbed and vapid.

Last night, I was so worried I nearly jumped in my car and drove to his house to check on him. I got as far as sitting in the car, about to accelerate out of the drive before I stopped myself.

“Hey, Honey.” I close my eyes for a good couple of seconds. Turning around and speaking to Brett isn’t exactly something I want to do right now.

“What do you want?” I ask, rolling my body to the side to see him. Staring at me with a placid smile, Brett takes me in.

“I, uh, just wanted to see how you were after your breakup?”

“What breakup?”

“You and Zach?”

I know other students are listening, waiting to hear my answer, and I hate that I’ve once again become the school gossip.

“We haven’t broken up.” I slam my locker shut, making it clear this is the end of the conversation.

Brett doesn’t flinch at the noise. Instead, he tilts his head, raising his brows. “Wait, so Zach doesn’t have a kid?”

“I mean, it’s none of your business either way.”

He raises his hands. “Okay, okay. I’m sorry, I was just asking.” He steps back. “Can’t believe you’re still sticking up for the guy. If anyone I dated found out that I was hiding a secret love child with a girl I pretended was my sister, I’d probably get my cock ripped off.”

“As much as I enjoy that mental image, I’d have to tell you not to believe everything you hear.” Even though I’m not sure where I stand with Zach, I need to show a united front. There’s noobjective proof he lied yet, and he’s earned the right for me to believe him.

“Okay.” He thinks I’m being an idiot; I can hear it in his voice.

Pushing off the locker, I say, “I wouldn’t believe everything I hear from Jamie if I were you. He’s like a horse; he looks good, but has a big mouth, long face, and talks a lot of shit.”

I shove past Brett, ignoring Jamie’s icy glare as he holds onto McKenna. Pushing through the throngs of people, I attempt to get to class with no one else bothering me. Unfortunately, Brett grabs my arm before that’s possible.

“Honey, wait. I’m sorry. I think we got this conversation off on the wrong foot.”

“Always the same with us, Brett.” I throw over my shoulder.

“Let me make it up to you. What are your plans for prom?” He can’t be serious. He doesn’t give a crap about me; he’s still trying to win that stupid bet.

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