Pivot Point (Pivot Point, #1)(58)

All I want to do is punch Duke in the stomach on Trevor’s behalf, and he wants to buy me a burger? “No.”

“Addison?” I whirl around to see Trevor standing in the wide corridor. The guys stare at each other, and I panic. I walk quickly toward Trevor.

“Call me sometime, Addie,” Duke says from behind me. Now I want to punch him in the stomach for my own reasons. I keep walking, grab Trevor’s hand, and lead him away. His hand is warm and strong, and I don’t let it go even when we’re outside.

“What was that all about? Do you … know him?”

If I’m ever going to tell him the truth about where I’m from, now would be the perfect time. “No. I don’t. I was just trying to find stuff out, you know, spy. For Rowan.”

I’m trying to walk as fast as possible, but Trevor slows down, and I’m forced to slow down with him.

“And?”

“And what?”

He squeezes my hand. “Did you find out anything?”

Only that Rowan is right. You were injured on purpose. I want to say that so bad, but how can I when I’m not allowed to talk about abilities? I hate lying to him so much that my stomach is rebelling against me with painful cramps. “I know you said Duke is a nice guy, but I don’t see it.”





CHAPTER 25


dis?PAR?Age: v. to make someone feel stupid Duke runs out of the locker room and picks me up in a hug. “It was so good to have you here at my game. Looking up in the stands and seeing you there made me play better.”

He is so full of crap, but it still makes me smile. “Really?”

“You’ll have to come see some of my college games next year.”

“Where will that be?”

“You tell me.”

“Funny.”

Two of Duke’s teammates come out of the locker room. One is a smaller guy whose name I don’t know, and the other is Duke’s best friend, Ray. He’s at least a head taller than Duke and twice as wide. He points at me, “Hey, Addie, you seen my future yet?”

I smile. “I haven’t been looking.”

Duke clears his throat and looks over my shoulder. I turn to see the Norm guy Laila and I had seen before—Trevor. He looks sad? Angry, maybe? “Hey, man,” Duke says. “Are you checking out my girlfriend?”

It’s dark outside, but Trevor’s face deepens a shade. “No, not at all.”

“Why not? She’s hot.”

“Stop it, Duke,” I say.

“I’m just messing with you, man.”

Trevor looks among the four of us, probably wishing he could disappear. I have a similar feeling. “I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Trevor says. “I just wanted to say great game tonight.”

Duke puts his hand on his own chest and says, “Thanks, man, that means a lot. How’s your shoulder doing?”

“It’s all right. Anyway, good to see you.”

When he leaves, Duke’s two teammates exchange a look and a laugh that I’m sure Trevor hears. “That wasn’t funny,” I say.

“It was a little funny,” Duke says.

They laugh again and the two of them start to walk away. “See you two later,” Ray says, over his shoulder.

“Bye, Ray,” Duke says. “See ya, Andrew.”

I stare off into the distance, where I can barely make out the dark shadow of Trevor’s retreating form. “How do you know that Trevor guy?” I ask Duke.

“Is that his name? I had completely forgotten. Was it obvious?”

“No, you pulled it off pretty well.”

“Good.” He pulls me close again. “We were up for the same award last year.”

“Who won?”

“Is that even a real question?” He smiles at me, and I roll my eyes.

“Do you always get everything you want?”

“Pretty much.” He kisses me. His lips are soft, and I try not to forget myself. He pulls away. “So where’s Laila?”

“I’m not sure. She went and had a soda with some Norm boy and never came back. I think she was just toying with him, practicing Thought Placement. I’ll text her.” I pull out my phone. Hey, are you ready to go? My dad said we can all stay the night at his house.

Duke’s reading over my shoulder and he asks, “Is your dad going to like me?”

“Doesn’t everyone like you?”

My phone chimes. I’ll meet you at the truck in ten minutes.

Duke and I have been waiting for Laila for so long that the parking lot has completely emptied out. We even waved goodbye to the team bus heading back to the Compound. And now Duke’s giving me a play-by-play of the entire game. I lower the tailgate on the truck my mom rented for us and sit. “You do realize I was there, right?”

“Yes, but you weren’t watching half the time, and I know you’re dying to know what you missed.”

If by “dying,” he meant that it was bad enough watching from the stands and hearing it now without the action is making me die of boredom then, “So true.”

He positions himself between my knees, his back to me, and I rest my head against him. His voice vibrates my cheek as he continues to talk. The long day catches up with me and I feel myself drifting.