Page 28 of Scoreless Nights

I tried to look excited, because I wanted them to think I loved shopping, but I didn’t have money to shop. Of course, that would be what I got for lying to Angel about needing to shop on the first day I met her. She probably thought it was my favorite pastime.

“No,” Angel laughed. “It's up here a little.”

“So why is this such a big secret?”

“Honestly,” Jackie laughed, looking back at me. “I was kind of scared you wouldn’t want to come. This doesn’t seem like your type of thing.”

“That makes me extra nervous,” I admitted, while still trying to look relaxed.

Angel turned into a huge parking lot and I looked ahead to see where we were.

“Oh no,” I gasped.

“Told ya she would hate it,” Jackie groaned.

“I don’t hate it,” I cringed, knowing I wasn’t being completely honest. “I just never imagined, of all places, you’d want to go to a soccer game.”

“The Miami Inferno are everything right now,” Angel explained. She pulled up a ticket to show someone, and they motioned for her to keep driving until she found a parking spot. “I think you’ll love it.”

“I scored us some amazing seats.” Jackie tossed her hair as she climbed from the car, feeling good about herself. “I kind of know one of the players.”

“She’s also close to scoring with said player,” Angel laughed, making Jackie waggle her eyes a little.

I repeated in my head that everything was fine. There was no way Cruz would even know I was there. In fact, maybe it would be fun. I didn’t hate soccer, I just usually avoided it because of Cruz. Since we were friends, maybe I could learn to love it.

Then we got past the gate, and there was a huge picture of Cruz on a feather flag banner. The magnitude of the realization that flashed before me was intense. Cruz was famous, his face was on flags. People were walking all over the place with his name on their backs.

I knew he was a pro, and what it meant to be a pro, but to me, he was Ivan’s son who was always perfect, and too good to talk to me when we were kids.

And the same guy who carried me to bed the other night, bought me seven pizzas, and handcuffed himself to me so I wouldn’t leave while he slept.

“Holy shit,” I mumbled.

People were taking pictures with each flag, and Jackie gave me her phone, asking me to take a picture of her and Cruz.

“Cruz?”

“She’s been crushing on him for a while,” Angel laughed, watching Jackie stop next to Cruz’s flag. She looked my way, and made a sexy pose, while she waited for me to take the picture. “Do we look good together or what?”

“Um,” I barely made a sound. “Um…”

Angel grabbed the phone from my hand and snapped Jackie’s picture. She had to because I didn’t want to take the picture. I didn’t want her having a crush on Cruz.

Or doing anything with him.

“You okay?” Angel asked.

“Yeah, I just. Wow. Look at all the people.”

What else was I going to say?“Hey guess what? Cruz is actually my stepbrother and I can’t be here because ever since I saw him in the shower fully clothed, I’ve been fluttering in my lady parts. And he wants to spank me, no biggie.”

Ugh. Plus, I had already told too many lies to hide that secret, and because Jackie had a crush on Cruz, my reasons for those lies were as solid as ever. I wasn’t even sure Jackie liked me, but I knew if I told her about Cruz, she’d be my BFFF—best fake friend forever.

One day, I would have to tell them, but that wasn’t going to be until after I knew they loved me for me, and not because of who I knew, or what I had been through. That didn’t have to be then and there. I had time, and I planned on trying to enjoy the game regardless of the lies I was sitting on.

But once Jackie led us to our seats, that plan fled as quickly as it came. There was no way Cruz wouldn’t see me sitting right behind the bench, in the front row. If I was lucky, he would avoid eye contact, and be too embarrassed to acknowledge me in public.That was actually very likely.

No it wasn’t. He seemed to be trying hard to be my friend. If he saw me, he may wave and…dang it, I had to confess before they found out another way.

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