Page 206 of Tangled with the Tight End

One thought circles in my mind. Declan’s probably right. Even when this passes, there will be other storms. The media will not tire of picking at us.

I’m going to have to grow some thicker skin.

I will, because Declan is worth it.

Chapter 34

Declan

I love football and I love winning,

and when things aren't going right I get annoyed.

~ David Beckham

I’m on the couch after the game, watching sports commentaries and thinking about Winona. When my phone rings, I think it’s going to be her. I expected her to come home with me after the game. Something was off. She wasn’t exhausted—or at least that wasn’t the only thing going on with her. But she obviously didn’t want to get into whatever it was.

I was on too much of a high from my first game back to give her excuse much of a thought in the moment, but since I’ve been home, it’s almost all I’ve been thinking about.

I pick up my cell. It’s Cass.

“Declan?”

“Yeah. What’s up?”

“Good game.”

“Thanks. Is that why you called? To congratulate me?”

“No. I’m calling because Winona’s been holed up in her room ever since we got home.”

“I think she might be sleeping,” I say, but an uneasy feeling spreads over me. “She said she was exhausted.”

“I might agree with you, except she was sobbing.”

My gut hollows out just below my rib cage like a shotgun blew through me at close range.

“Sobbing?”

“She went straight upstairs, said she wasn’t hungry and shut her door. Being the nosier twin, I followed her quietly. After what happened today, I was concerned.”

I’m afraid to ask, but I need to know. I should have read the room. When I walked into the Thunder family room, she was off in a chair with her Kindle. She’s usually way more social and never cares one stitch about who’s who. She’d befriend Dolly Parton as quickly as she did our janitor. But there she was, sitting alone, her face in a book.

“What happened today?” I ask.

“She didn’t tell you?”

“We were swarmed by reporters when we stepped out of the family room. I walked her to her car. She told me she wasn’t coming home with me because she felt exhausted.”

“Oh.”

From what I’ve seen, Cass doesn’t usually restrain herself. She’s silent.

I wait.

“Are you going to tell me what happened, Cass?”

“We sat in the seats you gave us—thank you, by the way—and the moment we sat down, the woman next to Winona recognized her.”