Page 67 of His Team

“Yeah, who knew one of my best friends would end up falling for your brother?”

“You see it too?”

“Oh, she’s a goner. He’s crazy about her too. Nice guys are bred in your family. Your brother is sweet. I like him.”

“Thanks. I think he likes you too.”

“Oh please, he would have to look away from Nicole for more than two seconds to get to know the rest of us. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind. I would have loved having a guy obsessed with me like that.”

“It’s not too late for that.”

She scoffs. “You know better. I have the obsession part. It’s just from a psycho I don’t want.”

I pop a handful of chips into my mouth to keep from saying things I shouldn’t. I’m becoming more bitter toward this topic the closer I get to losing my friend forever. I know that asshole is going to make her cut me out of her life.

“She’s nice,” Amina says, changing the subject.

I look her in the eyes and purse my lips. She’s full of shit, Kay has been a bitch to everyone except Nicole, but she’s been a super bitch to Amina. Amina bursts into laughter.

“Okay, okay. A bit on the self-centered side, but she’s gorgeous?” her voice raises at the end making her statement come out more like a question.

“I’m sorry about how she’s been treating you. I don’t know what’s gotten into her. It’s like we’re back in high school.”

“It’s my fault. I may have said something I shouldn’t have. Seeing her in the flesh, her saying she was your girlfriend, I got nervous and blurted out the first thing that popped into my head,” she says and begins to chew on her lip.

“Well, what did you say?”

“And I quote, ‘Oh, so nice to meet you. I’m Maribel, Cameron’s future wife.’”

She says the words with such a straight face I know that’s exactly how she delivered them. I don’t know if I want to groan or laugh. I end up laughing.

“You’re a fucking troublemaker,” I say through my laughter.

“A menace indeed. But, seriously, I’m sorry for any trouble I’ve caused. I wasn’t trying to be a bitch. I just freaked out.”

“That was nothing. You did more damage with the bracelet you left in my car.”

“Huh?”

“I’ve been meaning to give it back. I had it fixed for you. I think you popped it, and it fell off in my car.”

She reaches for her wrist with a gasp. “The bracelet my grandmother gave me. I thought I lost it forever. You’ve had it all this time?”

The look of relief in her eyes makes me happy I’ve had the piece of jewelry fixed for her. I know from our conversations how important her grandmother was to her.

“Yeah, sorry. She was driving me crazy about it and I forgot to give it back when I got it out of the shop. We argued for about a week or two over her finding it,” I say in a low tone.

“Wow, I’m so sorry. Does she know it was mine?”

“No.” I shake my head. “Only that it belongs to a friend. Nothing to be sorry about. The whole thing was weird but not your fault.”

“I have that class during the Tuesday sessions. I’ll get you my notes and you can see if that helps. Can’t have one of our stars flunking out,” Amina says, causing me to look at her like she’s crazy.

Just then, Kay walks up and wraps her arms around my waist. I get this odd feeling in my chest. Not guilt for talking to Amina behind Kay’s back, but as if I’m cheating on Amina or something.

Which is crazy because we’re nothing more than friends. Kay is my girlfriend and from the way my mama has been hounding me, she might be my wife someday. Yet there’s something in Amina’s eyes.

Hurt, shame, longing … I can’t place it all, but I know I don’t like this feeling I have. I’m starting to feel incomplete. Kay snuggles into my chest, and I wrap my arms around her.

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