Page 37 of Flame After the Fumble

Violet: I’m in. Ryan’s leaving for the away game in a few! What time?

Emberly: My eyes hurt from staring at the computer screen.

Me: YASSSS. I’ll pick you up in an hour, Vi. Emberly, come in my room you psycho.

Emberly: HA. I’m too lazy. Come to mine!

Violet: Perfect!!

After busting in Emberly’s room and scooping Vi up from her apartment, we park in the farthest lot on campus to get our workout on. Distraction always helps when I’m spiraling, and there’s no better distraction than my two best friends. I ask them to skip the earbuds today because we have way too much to talk about on our walk. I haven’t had a chance to hang out with both of them in a while, and I miss venting about our life problems and figuring them out as a team. I straighten my spandex shorts, covered with a ruffle pink skirt and make sure my black workout top is adjusted correctly. Vi is in her usual running shorts and t-shirt. Emberly opted for leggings and a sports bra.

“So, what called for the impromptu campus walk?” Emberly eyes me with suspicion. We’ve grown to read each other well, and it’s not like me to randomly beg both of them to take a walk. I’d much prefer just the milkshake. “Something on your mind?”

I blow out air and flip my ponytail off my shoulder as we pick up the pace on the empty sidewalk lined with beautiful daisies and freshly mowed grass. “Possibly.”

“Oh, Liza, my head has been so stuck on Ryan lately, I haven’t checked in like I should. I’m so sorry.” She slows down her pace to bite her nails before I reach over to grab her hand in mine.

“No one would ever blame you for throwing all of your energy into that tattoo specimen of a man.”

Violet giggles, and her cheeks flame to a deep red color.

I continue, “I do need to talk to y’all about something, though.”

“Would this have to do with your complicated tutoring arrangement?” Emberly purses her lips and briefly allows a cocky smile to crack through.

Way to be subtle.

“What tutoring arrangement? Oh no. I’ve missed more than I thought!” Violet squeals.

“Promise you won’t be mad.” Keeping my eyes forward, I steady my pace before dropping an info dump on Violet. Emberly knows bits and pieces, but this will be a total shell shock to baby Vi.

“I could never be mad at you, but you’re really making me nervous. Spill!”

“I’ve kind of been tutoring Hartley for a few weeks now in Art History class.”

“You know. . .” she drawls out. “Not seeing the problem here.” Sweet baby angel is so naive.

“Hartley and I have had a, you know… friendship since freshman year, and I didn’t want anything to mess that up. Icouldn’tlet anything mess that up,” I continue to explain. “Tutoring was going well after the initial awkwardness subsided, so I asked if he’d help me with my sketch portfolio project for one of my classes this semester.”

“He probably ate that opportunity up.” Violet shakes her head and smiles to the ground.

“Why do you say that?” I know Hartley has a thing for the spotlight, but he wouldn’t gain anything from this besides helping me complete an assignment.

“Because he loves you,” she blurts out with absolute certainty while my jaw hits the concrete, stopping me in my tracks.

“I told you!” Emberly points and squeals. She’s crawled out of her shell this semester and I love seeing her confidence in herself grow.

“What did you just say?” I take the opportunity to sip on my ice-cold water, gulping it down to buy more time before I eventually have to respond.

“Isn’t it painfully obvious?”

“Obviously not!” I scream.

Violet stops walking to face me. “Let me break it down for you. Hartley doesn’t do anything long-term because loss scares him. I’ve noticed him sneaking out and jetting off to ‘study’ over the past few weeks.” Violet crinkles her nose and jumps as if she won a prize. “He wouldn’t give me any info on who he was hanging out with, so I took matters into my own hands.” She laughs and bends over, holding her stomach.

That tiny menace. “And how did you do that?”

“I had Ryan eavesdrop on him in the locker room. Hartley isn’t very good at keeping up a facade or talking low.”

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