Page 95 of The Playbook

“Grace! Hey! Grace!” Noah shouted as I fell onto the pavement in the driveway.

My knees burned from the impact. He kneeled beside me as I sobbed.

“Jesus. Come on. We’ll take you home.” Noah took my hand in his and helped me to my feet, Garrett beside him.

“Are you safe to drive?” I managed to choke out.

“No, but I am,” Ryan said.

I hadn’t seen him approach.

“Garrett, can you stay with Lana until I get back?” he asked.

“Yeah, man,” Garrett said, backing away. He shot me a sad look before loping off across the yard. With Noah’s arm around my shoulders, we went to Ryan’s car and piled in—Noah and me in the back and Ryan in the front.

I clung to Noah as I sobbed softly. I’d never been so humiliated in my life. I’d been through shit before, but this really took the cake. I’d actually fallen for a fucking liar. None of it had been real. He’d cheated on me with her tonight too after we were together. . .

I couldn’t process any of it. All I knew was my heart was broken, and I felt dirty.

“No. Don’t take her home,” Noah instructed when Ryan started to turn toward my house.

“Where do you want me to go?” Ryan asked as Noah gave me a quick squeeze.

“My place. My parents are gone. She can calm down there.”

The car lurched and gravel crunched as we made a U-turn and went in the direction of Noah’s place. Five minutes later, the car stopped, and Noah opened his door before helping me out.

Ryan went with us inside Noah’s house and sat on the couch next to me while Noah grabbed a box of tissues and some water for me.

“For what it’s worth, I’m really sorry,” Ryan said.

“Did you know about it?” I asked softly, wiping my eyes as Noah sat on the overstuffed chair next to the couch.

Ryan nodded. “Yeah, but it wasn’t supposed to be like this. I don’t even know what’s going on. Andy and Logan both backed out of the whole thing.”

“But they’d already started the game, right?”

“They had,” Ryan said. “You’d already agreed to be Logan’s girlfriend I think when it ended. I’m not entirely sure of the timeline, but it’s close either way.”

I nodded tightly, nausea threatening to choke me.

“Listen, Logan cares about you.”

“He kissed Nikki tonight,” I snapped at him, glaring. “And who knows. Maybe more.”

Ryan winced and nodded. “I-I don’t even know what the fuck is going on with that. Maybe just hear him out. It doesn’t sound like something Logan would do—”

“It’s on a fucking video probably playing on repeat at the party right now!” I shouted, clutching at my tissue and shaking. “He did it. I’m done. I-I can’t—” I sucked in breath after breath, my body trembling with the incoming panic attack.

“Just go, man. Check on Lana. I’ll make sure Grace is OK,” Noah said, moving to kneel in front of me.

Ryan got up wordlessly and left, the front door clicking closed behind him.

“Grace. Come on. Back row doesn’t cry. We’re masters of our universe. We’re weaponized with drumsticks and rhythm.”

“He lied,” I choked out. “He fucking lied to me. I-I believed him. I had sex with him. I went with him tonight even though I knew it didn’t seem right. I feel like a complete fucking idiot for all of it.” I sniffled as Noah wrapped me in a tight hug.

“It’s OK, Grace. I promise it is.”

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