Page 57 of Through the Storm

Me

OMG

Maya

lol. football house. be there.

Lena

Put on something hot. Trust me.

Geeta

She has arisen. I can be ready in 40.

I almost don’t go. But then I think about Ben closing my door. Quietly and final. Without even hesitating. And something in me snaps.

I get out of bed. I get in the shower, and I shave everything out of spite.

Then I pick the shortest dress I own.

Armor look, coming right up.

The football house is loud and hot, and it smells like beer and bad decisions. Music thumps through the walls. It feels strangely homey, though. I’ve become close to most of the guys who live here, and they invite me and the other cheer girls over a lot. They even grilled for us once. It was very cute.

Half the team is here tonight. Everyone’s sweating and shouting and pretending they don’t care about tomorrow.

“Katy!” Jason yells. “You made it!”

Before I can answer, Evan pulls me into one of his signature bear hugs. “I heard someone needed cheering up.”

Then he presses a drink into my hand.

“Wow, you’re all disgusting gossips. But yeah, I kind of do,” I confess, managing a smile. “The drink will help.”

Jason squints at me. “Wait. What happened? Why do you need cheering up?”

Jess answers for me. “Some asshole broke her heart.”

Three heads snap up instantly.

“Who?” Evan asks, instantly alert. “I didn’t even know you were seeing anyone.”

“I guess I wasn’t.”

Logan tilts his head. “It was that Davis guy, wasn’t it? I knew I didn’t like him.”

My cheeks heat. “Yeah.”

“Wait… Ben Davis?” Maya asks with wide eyes. “As in the quarterback from Rose Bay U Ben Davis?”

Lena cuts in. “Katy! He’s soooo hot. And he’s definitely going to the NFL.”

“I know.” I grimace. “But he sucks.”

Someone laughs. Someone else shouts it louder.

“Yeah! Davis sucks!”