Page 105 of Don't Look Down

She leads me farther down the hallway, and we sit down on a bench close to what is obviously the locker room. The locker room full of a bunch of potentially naked jocks.

Jesus Gay Christ. Send help.

People are bustling up and down the corridor, but nobody bothers us, aside from the random greetings here and there.

“Landon should be out any minute. He always comes out faster when he knows I’m here waiting for him. Otherwise, that son of mine would sit there fiddling on his phone, waiting for Lucas all night.”

A sympathetic sound leaves me, “Yeah, Landon has mentioned Luc’s tendency to linger about.”

“It would drive me nuts. I don’t know how he manages to wait so patiently.”

I laugh at that. “Same! I’m too impatient and antsy to sit around and occupy myself, but Landon does it.” Her mouth opens, and I raise my hand for a pause. “I’m completely occupied talking to you, so this waiting doesn't count.”

Her mouth purses to the side and her eyes narrow infinitesimally. “If you say so.”

My nod is quite firm and decisive.

A moment later, Landon comes out, head turning to the side until he spots us. He smiles and makes his way over. We both stand, and Annie pulls Landon into a hug.

“Um, hi, babe. I love your mom. She’s awesome.” I wrap my arm around her shoulders and pull her into my side. She’s so petite like Addy. So cute. “I think I’ll keep her. I’m adopting her.”

Landon decides to play party-pooper. “That’s not how it works, Sky,” he says.

“Um, do you think that will stop me from trying? And do I look like I care?” I retort playfully.

Annie cracks up laughing. “Dowelook like we care? The adopting will be entirely mutual.”

Landon’s shoulders shrink in a cringe so hard, we both crack up. “That sounds way too incestuous for my comfort. You twoare trouble together,” he tells us, his eyes bouncing back and forth between us. “What have I done?”

“But you love trouble,” I tell him.

His mom nods at him.

“For fuck’s sake.” His eyes roll heavenward, his lips moving. Like he’s praying to God for mercy. “You will forever be a team against me, huh? Is this how I can expect all future interactions to go?”

Annie’s smile widens when he says future, and she winks at me. “Yes, definitely.”

“I’ve gotta get going, boys. We need to meet for lunch soon, okay?” Her eyes meet mine. They show nothing but earnest excitement. Acceptance and love. We just met, but I wholeheartedly feel like I’m part of her inner circle now. Completely. No half measures with Annie.

“Okay, Mama Spencer.” Her cheeks flush a light pink, and she nods.

Annieand I meet for lunch on a day Landon has practice. He’s texted each of us numerous times to check in and see how everything is going, which is funny since he was the calm one the day I met her.

We send him a selfie, our heads together and smiling, eyes bright.

He sends back heart-eye emojis and a smiling emoji.

It finally seems to calm his freak out.

The conversation flows easily between us. Almost as easily as it always does with Landon and me. My smile hasn’t left my face since I sat down with her.

There’s just something about these Spencers that wraps its way around my heart and doesn't let go. I’m in deep. It’s fucking terrifying but I’m going to hold on to this feeling as long as possible.

A slight media frenzy breaks out after I sit with Annie at the next home game. It's been a week since the last time we met up here, but this time she picked me up, so Landon can drive us to my place afterwards.

Apparently, we’d had eyes on us at that game, too.

Speculation rises about Landon’s mystery man. It tickles me that everyone is so intrigued.Who is this mystery man who’s so close to Spence’s mom? Where has Savannah disappeared to? Has their romantic entanglement ended? Has she been replaced with a new beau?

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