Page 108 of The Baller

The tiniest frown appeared on his brow as he glanced around at us. “What does that mean?”

“Delaney’s a Braves fan.”

Lux put down his slice, wiped his fingers on a paper napkin, and pinned the three of us with a stern glare – or what he thought was stern, but really it was just cute. “Are you telling me I’m sitting here, eating pizza,in New York,I might add, with two Phillies fans and a Braves fan?”

Delaney nodded. “How does that make you feel?”

“Honestly? Low-grade,” he grinned. “What about you?”

Delaney shrugged, the pink ends of her hair bouncing as she did. “I just hope no one I know sees us, because if anyone of my friends back home found out, I’d be disinvited from all future games.”

“Unbelievable,” he grumbled, though there was only amusement in his tone. I leaned up to kiss him.

Not only had I successfully overcome a solo gym trip, but Lux was half-way through the first official meeting of my friends, in a busy pizza place south of Columbia.Busy.Four enormous brick pizza ovens lined the back wall, sending the heady aroma of dough, cheese, and herbs around the restaurant, along with much needed warmth. Wait staff hollered orders, in between sitting the lengthy line of hopeful patrons, and I was in full view of it all.

“How about if four of the Lions starting nine show up at your game this week? Then what?”

Delaney’s eyes flicked to me then back at Lux. “You’re going to come to my game?”

“I’m already making the signs that sayDelaney, Lions Fan Forever,” he smirked, holding his hands up to show the banner. “I’m spelling Forever like the number four, and E V A. Maybe we still have time for shirts to be printed.”

I’d never seen color drain so quickly from someone’s face, even when Millie belted out a laugh, Delaney’s expression didn’t change.

“Hey, you’re funny, Baller,” Millie said as she picked up her Diet Coke. “I’ve decided I officially like you.”

The look on Lux’s face had me giggling as I leaned up to smack another kiss to his cheek, though honestly, it was hard not to be kissing him all the time.

“Wow, lucky you.”

“I know. I mean, I’ve officially liked you for a long time, best friend, but I understand that some people are slow on the uptake.” He winked, turning back to Delaney who still looked confused. “I’m not making a sign, but Radley did invite us, if it’s cool we come? She said it’s a big game.”

“Yeah, if we win against Yale we’ll lead the conference. You can come, I’ll just pretend I don’t know you, if anyone asks.”

“That’s fair. We pretend we don’t know Tanner most of the time anyway.”

I nudged an elbow into his side, though it was like nudging a brick wall. “Hey, Tanner’s my buddy. Don’t talk about him like that, or he’ll never get a date with Millie.”

Lux snorted, while Millie’s head shot up from where she was staring at the ice in her Diet Coke. “Eh, What?”

“Goldilocks says you’re going to go on a date with my boy, Tan.” Lux’s entire body was vibrating with silent laughter next to me, while Millie’s brows dropped deeply.

“I don’t think so.”

I didn’t get to use my powers of persuasion on her as two pre-teenage boys walked slowly up to the table, staring straight at Lux. Lux had picked up another slice of pizza and hadn’t noticed.

“Babe,” I whispered, tipping my chin in their direction.

“Are you Lux Weston?” squeaked one.

He dropped his slice. “Hey, buddy. I sure am, who are you?”

“I’m Cole, and this is John,” Cole blurted out. “We love coming to watch you play. We saw twenty home games last season, and we can’t wait for next season. I hope you make lots of catches.”

Lux chuckled, his head bobbing as he smiled. “Me too, bud. Me, too.”

John, who hadn’t yet blinked, thrust his phone out to Lux. “Could we get a picture?”

There was a second of silence as Lux stiffened next to me, even Millie had stopped slurping the ice in her glass. Even though thisphoto had nothing to do with me, I knew they were waiting for my reaction, protecting me with their silence by giving me space.

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