Page 98 of Top Scorer
Ami shrugs, utterly unbothered. “It’s a grand gesture, that’s all. This isn’t every day. Besides, it’s your body doing all the work of the pregnancy. He wants to help you relax. Let him.”
I hug a pillow against my chest. “Basically, you’re saying stop overthinking and find some ice cream?”
“Exactly.” She stretches her arms over her head. “You worry too much. I, on the other hand, have already decided to steal one of those robes and call it self-care.”
I toss the pillow at her. Maybe she’s right, that this is Tristan’s way of sayingI’ve got you.I sink into the bed, enjoying the view of the Dallas skyline shimmering outside.
“I’m gonna call him.”
She clears her throat.
“Actually, before you do, I have something to tell you. It’s time I come clean.”
She looks so pained, I reach over to hold her hand.
“Come clean? About what?”
“The summer of your high school graduation, Tristan came over to the house.”
No part of that sentence made any sense, so I ask her to repeat it.
“Ten years ago, before you went to college . . .” She pauses, waiting for me to catch up.
“You mean when I thought he ghosted me?”
Ami winces. “Yeah, he actually didn’t.”
“Ate, what are you saying? He came to the house?”
“I sent him away. I told him you didn’t want to see him. I’m sorry for interfering, but at the time I thought I was shielding you from his bullshit. You complained about him all year! Tristan was a jerk. A prankster. An ass. That’s all I heard from you, and then suddenly he shows up with flowers and . . .”
“He showed up with flowers?” I ask, choked at the image of nineteen-year-old Tristan with his heart on his sleeve. Now that I’ve witnessed the sensitive side of Tristan, I cringe at how hurt he must have been.
“How could you push him away? How could you let him think I was capable of hurting him like that?”
“It was a mistake, Ligaya. I’m sorry. That’s what I’m trying to say. I was obviously wrong then, and it’s time to correct it now.”
“Oh my god, I hated him for years!”
“I thought I was being a good big sister by protecting you from a sick prank. On some level, you liked the guy. What if he was angling to break your heart?”
“I can’t believe you did that. I thought the worst of him. And treated him terribly for it.”
She looks down at my belly. “Obviously notthatterribly.”
I smack her arm. “You know what I mean. God, he must have hated that I’m the one who ghosted him.”
Ami shrugs. “Honestly, he didn’t hold it against you, and he hasn’t held it against me, either.”
“How do you know that?”
“I asked him. When he called me about this plan, I fessed up that when I told him to get lost ten years ago, that wasn’t from you. It was me speaking out of turn.”
“Was he mad?”
“Not at all. In fact, he seemed surprised that I brought it up. He didn’t even think I needed to say anything to you. No need to get upset about it after all these years. You’re not too mad at me, are you?”
“I am very mad at you!”
