“It’s so nice to meet you, Sophia. I’ve heard so much about you.”
Yeah, and I was certain that she hadn’t heard good things.
“Find a seat, guys,” Ryan told them, gesturing to the open spaces. There was a couch kitty-corner to Walsh and me, where the other baseball player sat. “We’re just about to start a game of M.A.S.H. and paint each other’s fingernails.”
Celia laughed at that, moving to sit on the arm of Zach’s chair, resting her legs along his. She leaned comfortably against the edge of his arm, hip pressed against his side, and Zach didn’t look like he was about to move.
Disappointment welled. Was Edith right? Were they back together? I hoped not.
“Ooh, really?” Celia glanced around. “Whose nails can I paint?”
“You can paint mine,” Zach said from beside her, wiggling his fingers. “Only if it’s pink.”
My gaze shifted over to where Scott sat with his own girlfriend. The air stalled in my lungs when I found that his eyes were already on me, noting where Walsh’s arm was slung over my shoulders.
Guess I’m desirable now, huh? I thought at him, pressing up closer to Walsh, holding my breath so his scent wouldn’t fill my nose. The way the couch sagged put us pretty close together anyway, unable to escape the sinking cushions.
Walsh used his free hand to reach over and trace designs on my knee. “What’s the point of buying jeans with holes in them?” His voice was soft underneath the conversations mingling around us.
“You sound like a grandma.”
His grin came easy at that. “I’d make a pretty grandma.”
I leaned into his side, appreciating how comfortable I felt. It was easy to touch someone when it meant nothing. Easier when there was no pressure. And I surprised myself for playing along so well. It was almost like I was a better fake girlfriend than a real one. Sitting here in front of all these people, most of whom I hardly knew, I didn’t feel awkward. There was no pressure to be someone I wasn’t. I could just be me.
A soft buzzing noise filled the air, and Walsh leaned away from me just enough to pull his cell from his pocket. He peered at the screen. “My dad’s calling me,” Walsh said, pulling his arm from me. I didn’t miss the tight expression on his face. “I’ll be right back.”
I wanted to reach out and snatch his wrist, forbid him from leaving me alone. Not with Scott and his pretty new girlfriend. But I didn’t. Instead, I smiled, but it was tight. “Okay.”
The space next to Walsh sunk in slightly in his absence, the warmth of his body disappearing as he left me on the couch alone. I pressed my hands into my lap, looking at my fingernails. The blue polish was chipped—always chipped.
“Yo, Taylor,” Ryan murmured, voice low in the mix of the music and talking. If I hadn’t been laser-focused on picking up any small details, I would’ve missed the interaction entirely. “We’re missing your cut for the payout. I need to give it to the guys at Hampton.”
The player from the couch—Taylor—shifted quickly, reaching a hand into his front pocket. “Sorry, sorry, I have it.”
Hampton. Hampton High? They were giving money to Hampton High? What did Ryan say? Payout…I need to give it to the guys at Hampton.
Wait. Wait, wait, wait. Why were they giving money to a rival school?
I tried to be discreet as I watched Taylor pass over a thick wad of cash to Ryan, who quickly stuffed it in his jacket pocket. I wasn’t discreet enough, apparently, because Ryan’s eyes locked onto mine. “Graduation money,” he told me after a beat. “We’re pitching in on a gift.”
It wasn’t hard to realize he was lying, but there was no way I’d point that out. I decided to play dumb. “Looked like a big chunk.”
“I’m just a giver,” Taylor said, nodding, totally confident. “We’re buying the guy a ball launcher.”
“So, Sophia,” Zach said from his chair, drawing my eyes over to him. There had been more to that money conversation, I was sure, but Zach effectively changed the subject with his friendly grin and easy voice. “You and Walsh Friday night—no offense, but I didn’t see that coming. I’m a little hurt that I wasn’t let in on your secret.”
I swallowed hard, glancing off in the direction Walsh disappeared. “He made it sound more dramatic than it really was. We were just…talking. Here and there. Him saying all those things definitely came out of