Meant To Be (The Callahans #4) - Monica Murphy Page 0,6

refuse to give up on him. On us.

No matter how my parents might feel.

“Hey.” Wyatt stands on one of the benches below mine so he’s eye level, a friendly smile on his face. “Can I sit with you?” His question is for me.

“Sure.” I pat the empty spot beside me. Mom is sitting directly in front of me, meaning she’ll be able to hear every single thing we say, which means I’m going to have to be covert with this conversation.

“How are you?” he asks, once he settles in beside me, though not too close. “I thought I would see you at Sorrento’s last night.”

“Yeah. No.” I shake my head. “I never go to his house parties. You should know this by now.”

“True.” He chuckles. “Jake keeps you under lock and key from us. Not sure how you managed to find a boyfriend, considering how closely your brother watches over you.”

“About that.” One of the team moms calls my mother’s name before she comes bounding up the steps, sitting right next to her and pulling her into a quick hug, both of them laughing and chattering away.

I couldn’t have made that happen more perfectly if I tried. Mom won’t be paying any attention to me.

“About what?” Wyatt asks, after I haven’t said anything else.

“Have you heard any—rumors about me?” I send him a pointed look.

He frowns. “Like what?”

“Like me being with…” I lower my voice to the barest whisper. “Eli Bennett.”

His frown deepens. “Who the hell is saying that?”

“I don’t know. That’s why I’m asking you.” I assume his strong reaction is based on the fact that I’m referring to Eli—and that Wyatt doesn’t like him at all.

“I haven’t heard anything,” he says, glancing around before his gaze settles on the field, and the giant black mustang painted in the center. He makes a face. “I really hate that prick.”

“Everyone does,” I murmur. Except me.

“We all have our reasons, especially since he gives them to us. He is an endless shit talker.” He glances at me quickly, then does a double take. “Wait a minute. Is the rumor you’re asking about actually—true?”

I tilt my head, picking at the artful tear in the right knee of my jeans. I pluck at the white thread again and again, unsure of how I should answer. “Maybe we were a thing. But we’re not anymore.”

“No shit,” he breathes, sounding mildly horrified. I can’t look at him. His reaction is exactly what I was afraid of. I’m sure everyone will feel the same way Wyatt does. Shock and horror. “Are you for real right now, Ava?”

I grab hold of his arm for a second, sending him a meaningful look. “Shh, don’t talk so loud. But—yes. We were together. Briefly.”

Too brief.

His eyes are wide as he slowly shakes his head. “That is some crazy shit.”

“I know.”

“Does Jake know? He’s going to freaking lose it when he—”

“He knows,” I interrupt. “It all fell apart last night at my house. They got into a fight.”

“Your brother and Eli?” Wyatt says.

I nod. “Yes.” I’m tempted to give him more details, but I’ve probably already said too much. “We ended it.”

“You ended it,” he clarifies.

I don’t correct him. I’m too ashamed of the fact that Eli dumped me. That he doesn’t believe me.

That hurts more than I want to admit.

“You didn’t see any mention of our names together on social media?” I ask Wyatt.

“No, not at all. I was at Tony’s most of the night, after the game, so I guess I wasn’t on my phone much. I saw your brother leave with Hannah, which surprised me. I thought they’d stay the night.” His cheeks turn ruddy because the only reason any couple stays the night at Tony’s is to hook up.

“I don’t know why Jake came home when he did,” I say, my voice bitter. “I just wanted to make sure you haven’t heard anything. And that Jake hasn’t said anything to you.”

“I haven’t seen him since the party.”

“Right.” I chew on my thumbnail, watching the boys out on the field. Beck is smashing into the mini Mustangs with a vengeance. This rivalry is bred from elementary school on, I swear. “I just don’t want people to talk about us.”

“If no one really knows about it, then why would they be talking?” Wyatt asks.

I don’t have an answer for that. I also don’t admit that I ran over to the Mustang side after the game and tried to cheer Eli up over their loss. Why broadcast it to Wyatt