Page 16 of Header

“But, we won,” Emmett defended himself.

“Hey dude, you ready for lunch?” Chance interrupted the conversation before Isaac could rebuttal.

“Lunch?” Emmett turned to look at Chance and then his mom.

“Lunch?” Tori whispered.

“Pizza. I need to talk to your mom and the meeting Wednesday, and I figured you needed to eat after that win,” Chance said as though it had already been decided.

Tori took another deep breath but ended with a smile. “Yep. Go talk to coach while we get ready to go,” she said to Emmett.

“Shacking up with a soccer player? Way to put more dumb ideas in his head,” Isaac said when Emmett ran off.

“Do not start with me,” Tori ground out.

Chance dropped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. “Just about ready, babe?”

She didn’t pull away. He couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face at having her beside him.

“As soon as Emmett comes,” Tori answered.

“So that’s how it is?” Isaac asked. “Slutting around with someone who plays a game? How long do you think that will last?”

“Go away,” Tori sighed out.

Chance caught sight of Emmett approaching and dropped his arm. It was all well and good to do it in front of her ex, but he wasn’t going to trick the kid.

“Ready,” Emmett skidded to a stop as he reached them. “Do we get to ride in your car?”

“Not today,” Tori told him. “Where are we going?” she asked Chance.

He told her the name of the place he’d checked out and they left Isaac standing there watching them walk away. That had been a test of his patience if there ever was one. Chance considered the fact that he hadn’t outright decked the man to be a win.

Tori followed him to the restaurant. They walked in and waited to be seated before Chance pulled out a roll of quarters, giving some to Emmett.

“Go play.” Tori opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off. “Stay where your mom can see you, or you won’t get any more quarters.”

“Yes! Thank you.” Emmett ran towards the small arcade.

It wasn’t that busy in here, and he still wanted to convince Tori to go play as well, but he needed to talk to her first. Or, more precisely, he assumed she wanted to talk to him first.

The server came around and they ordered drinks.

“When she comes back, get whatever you both like to eat. On me,” Chance told her.

“You don’t have to do that,” Tori shook her head.

“I don’t have to. I want to.”

He watched the debate play out on her face before she nodded. “Thanks.”

“About earlier,” Chance started.

“I shouldn’t have let you do that, but his face was worth it. I don’t like lying, even to him, but damn, it felt good.”

“Let me take you out for real, then? It wouldn’t be a lie that way, and you absolve yourself of any guilt,” Chance offered.

“Okay,” she said without hesitation.

---