I shake my head. “I got into Brighton because I’m a good football player.”
“That doesn’t mean you’re not smart. You could argue your way out of literally any situation, and you remember stats better than anyone.” She raises an eyebrow, waiting for me to contest. But rather than argue, I grab some ravioli.
“So, what’s happening with the curse? You said she was helping you with it?” Rae Rae asks.
“When I’m around her, it just seems to stop.”
“You don’t think it’s just a coincidence? I mean, you’ve had your Tahoe for nearly three years now, and this was the first issue.” Lincoln raises a brow.
“Don’t get him started,” Pax warns. “His list of bad luck is growing each day.”
“Say that a little louder, for the people in the back,” I tell Pax.
Rae Rae laughs. “And being around Olivia makes it so you don’t experience any bad luck?”
I shake my head.
“That sounds like a sign from the universe,” she says.
The group laughs, and I join in, shaking my head. “She’s leaving next Monday to go back to Texas for spring break to see a guy she’s been dating off and on since the sixth grade.”
Paxton whistles. “Oh, man. That’s a long time.”
I nod, feeling this in my chest. “This is big news about your apartment,” I say, turning the conversation to Raegan.
She nods. “Our mom seems happy. She accepted the job as the superintendent, so she’s been busy with that, and now that she lives in the same neighborhood as our grandpa and Camilla, they come over all the time, which has been really great for all of us, but I think my mom is really enjoying it. And she has plans to plant a little herb garden in the back, and we’ve finished painting and decorating. It will be hard to leave, but we’ll be close by, and I’ll stop by and see her a ton still.”
“I told Gloria about your mom’s garden, and she wants to help her get it started. I gave her your mom’s number, but I thought we should take them to lunch or something so they can meet. Gloria is like the plant whisperer. She can make anything grow,” Lincoln says, referring to the woman who helped raise him and remains employed by his father.
Rae Rae beams. It’s this look that she gets when Lincoln comes into the room or does something generous—when her focus turns to him like he’s the only person on the planet and the world has faded away. I saw a similar look in Olivia’s eyes the other day when I told her I’d go with her to see Miriam about Ellen, that it was important to me because it was important to her.
Paxton taps a quick beat across the counter. “I’ve got to go. Candace is going to castrate me for being late. I told her I’d be there an hour ago.”
“I thought you guys were taking a break?” Caleb asks.
“Were. Now we’re in the process of making up.”
“Gross,” Raegan’s face pinches like she’s tasted something sour.
Paxton laughs. “That’s revenge.”
Rae Rae shakes her head. “No, that was straight vindictive.”
Paxton grins and takes his plate to the sink, where he rinses it and puts it into the dishwasher, then cleans his spot at the table. Raegan walks him to the door.
“Is it just me, or is he acting differently?” Lincoln asks.
Caleb nods. “He just hasn’t gotten back to his old self. I don’t know if it’s his dad having the affair or coming back to work at Brighton or what, but he just hasn’t returned to the old Pax, yet.”
“He will,” I say. “It’s just been one hell of a year.”
Lincoln tips his chin as though considering my words.
“You don’t think so? Rae almost dying. Their parents getting a divorce. My knee surgery,” I say.
Lincoln nods. “Yeah, it had some rough patches, but we also went undefeated this season. I’m dating Raegan, which makes both of us happier and better. And I finally feel like I know what I’m working toward, and rather than running from what I was supposed to be, I’m running toward what I want to be. There were some shitty times, but as a whole, this has been the best year of my life.”
I consider his words, the flip side of the coin. It has me thinking about Liv and her telling me that luck is in how I see a situation. This year has had some extreme lows, but he’s right. The highs have been