Page 147 of The Casualty of Us
“Fuck.” I hang my head for a second at the reminder before sucking in a deep breath and turning to the mirror once more to find Marley’s gaze waiting for me there. “How ridiculous do I look?”
Her eyes drop down to the forest green and white cheer uniform that has Pinecrest emblazoned across my chest and leaves a strip of my stomach on display. “I would probably already be laughing if you didn’t have me feeling a little sentimental, honestly.”
She shrugs, gaze coming back to mine, and I snort at her assessment. “Sounds about right.”
“Don’t do that,” Lisette snaps, charging the rest of the way into the bathroom and glaring at Marley as she comes up behind me. “What are you even doing here?”
“Guess that’s my cue.” Marley rolls her eyes at me before turning for the door. “Text me after the game, and I’ll see if Holden and I can meet up with y’all before you leave.”
“Or you cannot.”
I scowl at their snarking as Lisette pulls a green ribbon from who knows where and starts to tie it around my ponytail while Marley ducks out the door. The two cheerleaders that were at the end of the row of sinks pass behind us and head out right after her. Bethany and Nicole, I remind myself, trying to use their names instead of just sycophant and watching my supposed mentor of a big sister as she pulls the ribbon into a perfect bow.
“I like Marley, you know?” She shrugs, dropping her hands and meeting my gaze in the mirror. “Despite the shit I give her, I do think she’s a good roommate for you.”
I narrow my eyes on her. “Why do I feel like there’s a but coming here?”
“But she’s not the only good person out there.” She pauses, gaze flicking to the door before coming back to mine. “I thinkyou’d be surprised that for every person you’re absolutely spot on about being shitty, there’s probably another one right next to them that will surprise you.” She shrugs again while heading out and finishing. “Just thought you might want to think about that before deciding what to tell everyone about the bodyguards.”
Right. Because apparently football games mean the bodyguards have to be here.
Too many variables. Too many unknowns. Too easy for someone to slip past with all the crowds.
We went round and round until eventually arriving at the inevitable conclusion with my parents that it’s necessary regardless of whether the games are at Pinecrest or not. My promises to the boys keeping me from fighting it quite as hard as I might have at the start of summer. Plus, they’re giving me Talan and Mia as my primaries, and I’m starting to feel guilty about complaining about them after the birthday present.
I scoff at myself in the mirror, rolling my eyes and turning with a huff at how they’re all really messing with the edge I’m trying to keep here. Pushing the door open, I find Talan standing across the hallway from me, and the sound of guys shouting from down the hall quickly fills my ears. The little sea of white and green on my right draws my attention to where the rest of the cheerleaders are standing with Lisette. All of them except for her very obviously stealing glances at Talan and probably writing the script to a bodyguard romance in their heads.
Lisette is just staring at me like the cat that got the cream, though. Probably hoping I’m finally about to spill the truth about my summer guests.
“O.” I look back in time to catch the nod Talan gives me before he tacks on, “Mia is already on the field, but she’ll come back with you after the game to clear the locker room.”
My brows fall, but Hayes’s reminder from before we left to not be mean to the people that are trying to keep me alive has me settling for just sighing dejectedly. “Thanks.”
Ugh.
I turn back to the cheerleaders, closing the few steps to them and lifting my chin with a deep breath. Finding their eyes on me expectantly now that it’s become even more apparent than it already was that Talan is here with me. I roll my gaze over them in return, eyes landing on Lisette again and making my decision based solely on the fact that…she’s surprised me. At every turn, pretty much, so maybe she has a point here.
“So, over the summer one of the guys who kidnapped me started sending some threats.” I pause, taking in the varying looks of surprise filtering across their faces before nodding back at Talan. “And that’s why he’s here, just in case, you know.”
Finishing that spectacularly, I purse my lips in the silence that follows until a throat clears, drawing my gaze to where Bethany is looking at me with concern now and remembering she’s the only other one on the team in my year.
“That’s terrible.” She steps forward to give my arm a squeeze. “Let me know if you need anything, yeah?” Her eyes move over my shoulder to Talan with open consideration, making her tiny frame suddenly seem bigger as she gives him the once-over before looking back at me and whispering, “Also, my dad knows some Bainbridge people if you ever need to upgrade.”
I hear Talan choke behind me as she turns on her heel, flicking her black ponytail through the air as Nicole steps up to take her place next. She quickly closes her arms around me and makes my body lock up for a split second before I force it to relax. Finally returning the junior’s hug with shock running through me and looking over her shoulder to see Anna the senior whispering to Lisette.
“Why the fuck didn’t you tell us about this?” My stomach drops for a split second, eyes going to Lisette as she continues. “No wonder the poor girl is so moody, we could have been helping her somehow.”
But Lisette just smiles at me. “Because I think this is exactly what she needed.”
“Oh my god!”I clutch Lisette’s shoulder and Bethany’s hand. “Oh my god! Go, Ollie! Go!” I watch my brother break through the St. Paul’s defensive line and go for the touchdown. “Go!” My stomach drops when he gets tackled a split second later, brain firing rapidly and heart—
“Ollie! Ollie!”
No. I grit my teeth, blinking against the harsh stadium lights and forcing myself to watch as he gets up. A little slower than before, maybe, but still fine.
See. There. Fine.
He’s fine.
