Page 76 of It Could Happen
She shrugs. “Yeah, well she’s been there for me more times than I can count. It’s the least I can do.”
I cross my legs and place my hands on my knee.
“Look, Leslie, I’m not really sure how we got off on the wrong foot. Can we move forward from everything that’s happened and create a united front for Caroline and Erica?”
She sighs. “I guess so.”
She’s so dramatic. You’d think I asked her to be my best friend or take a bullet for me.
“Okay, cool,” I say.
Without another word, Leslie saunters off to the kitchen to join Caroline and Erica, while I sit back down on the couch and put my head in my hands. I can hear Tyler’s voice cheering, which reminds me of how much fun I had with him the other night. I abruptly jump to my feet and make my way upstairs to the loft.
A grin spreads across Tyler’s face as soon as he sees me.
“What’s happening up here?” I ask.
“Just some friendly competition,” Tyler says, nudging me with his arm. “I’m glad you’re here because I need a lucky charm.”
“Who says she’s your lucky charm?” Matt asks pointedly.
Tyler smirks but doesn’t answer his question.
“Tyler’s panicking because he knows he’s about to lose,” Matt tells me. “And he’ll have to pay for the pizza.”
“Nah. I have a good feeling about this game,” Tyler says confidently. He winks at me before leaning over the table to make a shot.
The memory of Tyler and me playing bingo on the ship pops into my head. At first his confidence irritated me, but now—well, it’s kind of sexy.
Tyler continues to make his shots, and one after another, the solid billiard balls land in the correct pockets.
“I knew it. Tori is my lucky charm,” Tyler announces. “What a comeback.”
Matt frowns as he watches Tyler take the lead.
“Tori is awesome,” Andy agrees.
“Yes, she is, and you should see her drive Axel. She’s a pro.”
There it is. I suck in a breath as I wait for all the questions.
Andy, Matt, and Clint exchange curious glances.
“Who drove your truck?” Leslie asks, appearing at the top of the stairs.
Crap. It hasn’t even been ten minutes since Leslie and I agreed to bury the hatchet and get along. The idea of a truce is about to go up in flames.
“Get ready, everyone,” Tyler demands, announcing his final shot.
We all watch intently as he somehow manages to get the eight ball from one end of the table into an opposite pocket. Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this in real life. Of course, I’ve seen those scenes in movies when someone makes a completely impossible shot to win the game. We just witnessed it for ourselves.
“Boom!” he shouts. “I’m going to enjoy that pizza.”
Matt shakes Tyler’s hand, despite being visibly confused about how he lost this game.
“Thanks, Tori,” Tyler says to me. “First bingo and now this. You should hang out with me more often.”
I catch a glimpse of Leslie who looks like she’s about to explode. At least Tyler’s big win took the attention away from my driving Axel, but I’m sure someone is going to address it. There’s no way Leslie is going to let that go.
