Page 23 of Flip Shot

“Fuck, man, I’m sorry.”

“Much appreciation. She was an amazing woman.” He exhales a long, deep breath. “Even after that, Nalani decided to stay back and go to college closer to her folks, which makes sense after a loss like that—you wanna be closer to your people.”

“Of course,” I agree, but also feel the pangs of what that implies.

“I love the girl, but”—he pauses—“I’m not accepting of her hanging out with her ex, even within a group.”

“I get that.”

“She doesn’t.”

“Bro, I’m sorry.”

“I’m not heartless, but …” He clears his throat. “Now you.”

“Thought Riley and I had something going; felt it necessary to take it slow based on the read I was getting and the fact our schedules were both tight—neither of us barely had time to breathe let alone date. Before the semester ended, she stopped responding to messages. After she left me on read enough times, I decided I was one text away from looking like a chump, so I stopped.”

“You get she was peacocking tonight, right?”

I shake my head then look around for any garbage they might have discarded.

“It was painfully obvious. Gonna guess I wasn’t the only one who noticed. Pretty sure that’s why Oz left had no problem leaving after getting verbally stroked all night. But Rivera, also gonna guess that’s only because you were there.”

“She’s a grown-ass woman, she—”

“Then step to her like that. Don’t just sit back and let someone take something that you want.”

“Not sure I do anymore.”

He coughs out a “Bullshit” as I shove the bag in my pocket and turn on the hand vac. “You don’t have to stay out here, man. I’m good.”

He doesn’t leave.

Chapter 6

Riley

Wake Up

Sunday, August 25th

“Leah,only one person in this house has long blonde hair. I am not digging your fucking hair out of the shower drain!” I hear Grace shout from down the hall.

Fuck me. I getoneday before training starts to sleep past five, and Grace and Leah can’t keep their mouths shut past eight.

“Kameron showered here last night after she threw up! She’s blonde!”

“If you bitches don’t shut the fuck up right now …” Ellie trails off.

I try to go back to sleep so I can ward off this headache, but instead, I stare at my phone and watch time tick by as they continue to bicker. When I finally can’t stand it, I roll out of bed and stomp my ass down the hall to the stairs and down them.

“Morning, Riley,” Cody shouts —I think— as I walk into the kitchen.

Matching his far too chipper tone, I reply, “Fuck off, Cody.”

He smirks. “That isnotthe attitude to start the day with, Park.” He slides me a cup of steaming hot … something from the Nespresso machine, and I glance up at his smiling face.

“How are you not hungover?”

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