Page 112 of The Goal

It’s Dean’s turn to nod. “I can tell.” He pauses ruefully. “Sometimes I can’t believe you and I ever hooked up. It seems like a million years ago.”

I manage a laugh. “Yup.”

“You really love Tuck, huh?”

“I do.”

He lets out a heavy breath. “You should tell him.”

“No.” I swallow. “And you’re not going to tell him either.”

“He needs to know—”

“No,” I repeat, firmer this time. “I mean it, Dean. Don’t say anything to him. You owe me.”

Humor flickers in his eyes. “How do you figure?”

I jut out my chin. “You didn’t deserve that A in statistics sophomore year.”

“Ah. So keeping my mouth shut is my punishment for the undeserved grade?”

“So you admit it was undeserved!”

“Of course it was.” His tone becomes pained. “Trust me, I did everything I could to try to get the professor to fail me.”

“Bullshit.”

“It’s true. After I aced that project we teamed up on and you only got a B, I realized the TA was fucking around with my grades. I asked the prof to go over all my tests and papers, and turns out I was supposed to be failing.”

“Oh my God. Iknewit.” Though I don’t feel as smug about it as I thought I would. My beef with Dean suddenly feels incredibly unimportant. And, like he said, as if it happened a million years ago.

“Well, I didn’t,” he says frankly. “I know you think I was boning the TA for the grades—” He flashes a grin, “—but I was boning her because she had a great rack and the sweetest ass.”

I pretend to gag before going serious. “Why didn’t you ever tell me any of this?”

He snickers. “Because we’re not friends.”

I snicker back. “True.” I mull something over. “But maybe we should call a ceasefire.”

“Jesus. Has hell frozen over?”

Embarrassment tickles my belly. “You’re one of Tucker’s best friends. I’m about to have his kid. It makes sense for us to try to coexist.”

“Makes sense,” he agrees.

Dean hops off the floor and holds out a hand.

I hesitate for only a second before allowing him to help me to my feet. “Thanks.”

An awkward silence stretches between us, which I don’t try to fill by talking. I’m still not convinced that Dean isn’t a superficial playboy, and I’m sure a part of him still thinks I’m a bitch. But the hostility is gone, and even though we’re never going to be best buds, I know Tucker will appreciate it if I make an effort to get along with Dean.

It’s the least I can do, considering how much Tucker has already sacrificed forme.

29

SABRINA

June

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