“He told me before there was a girl who wouldn’t leave him alone.”
“That’s her. She was waiting at our door when we got back,” he tells me. “Jason loves you and I know he wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize his future with you.”
“I want to believe him, Tommy, but there’s something more going on. He didn’t deny it when I asked him if he knew her well.” I pause. “Does he know you’re here?”
“He said you should have someone to talk to since you’re alone.” He rubs my arm. “Look, if it makes a difference, I’ve never seen him alone with Mandy. If anything, we’re always trying to chase her away when she comes around. He gets really unsettled when he sees her.”
“How so?” I wring my hands in my lap, fighting against the rocking and tapping my body wants to do instead.
“He shuts down and stops being himself.”
I stare at my moving hands. Secrets and lies.
“Don’t overthink it. He only talks about you. Until you decided to move up here, he was brooding all the time. I was worried he was going to quit the team and school.”
“He almost did.”
“He what?” He rubs the back of his neck.
I pick at my fingernails. “After Mike died. He was thinking about staying home. Until I chose to come up here.”
He nods. “What do you say we order some pizza? I’m starving. My treat.”
I roll my eyes at him in jest. “You guys are always starving.”
“We burn a lot of calories.” He gives me a big grin and it’s like the sun moved indoors.
We sit at the table flush against the end of one of the kitchen counters forty minutes later with a pizza with the works from a local place in Westwood.
“This is amazing,” I proclaim.
“Right? Local places are always the best.”
“I mean this is better than the local place we went to all the time back home. And that is seriously good pizza.”
“So, tell me the Jason and Sara history,” Tommy prompts and takes a bite of pizza. “He said he’s known you a while and that you started dating a couple of years ago, but that’s about it. He talked about what you’re like as a person instead, so we all felt like we knew you before we met you.”
“You know how we met and a bit about my biological family.” I give Tommy more detail about the last four years while we eat.
“This is why we’re so fascinated with you,” he says, awestruck. “I can’t think of a girl from ninth grade I’d want to date now.”
“Women don’t seem to hold interest very long for you guys.” I’ve never seen any of the guys with the same woman twice.
“All the women who show interest in us either want to be the girlfriend of any athlete, or want to say they slept with one.”
“And you’re more than obliging with the latter,” I point out.
“Well, when you put it that way, yeah. I get my needs met and she gets to say she had a one-night stand with me.”
“It’s so hard being a jock,” I jest.
“So hard.” He grins and laughs, then his expression flattens. “I’m saying this as a big brother.” He covers my hand with his. “Don’t throw away the last four years because a psycho bitch won’t leave Jason alone. You both deserve more than that. And I think he’d fall apart if he lost you so soon after losing his dad.
“A lifetime partnership means working out the crap together, not ditching the other on the sidelines when times are rough.”
“Says the big brother not in a relationship.”
“I may not be in a relationship, but my parents divorced because they wanted things to be good all the time and couldn’t handle the heavy stuff. You and Jason have already been through hard times and you got through them together.”
I know he’s right, but it’s hard to admit after seeing Jason’s mouth on another woman’s when I’m wearing his ring. “Thanks, Tommy. You didn’t have to come over or even buy me pizza.”
“You’re family. And on that note, I need to get back.” I follow him to the door and he shrugs his jacket on, turning to me. “Keep an open mind, will you?” he asks.
“I’ll do my best,” I reply.
He wraps me up in a bear hug and leaves. I lock the door behind him and stroll over to the phone. I dial Jason’s cell as I sit on the futon.