Beg You to Trust Me (Lindon U #2)(56)

Danny is right. Fresh air might be exactly what I need. Time away from Becca will be a huge bonus.

The thought of him makes my lips twitch into a frown.

He packed a lot into the short ride to the airport, and I still haven’t quite unloaded it all. It’s all there, swirling in my thoughts amongst math equations and literary analysis.

I’ve always been book smart. But when it comes to guys, I’m clueless.

Sienna pulls up to the next window and pays, distributing the drinks as they process her card. Serena passes me a little baggy that smells like my favorite pastry, making my stomach rumble with approval. When I unroll the top to peek inside, I smile at the contents. “Thanks.”

It’s Sienna who says, “Eat. Your sugar may be low and the last thing any of us needs is Serenity losing her mind because you passed out and couldn’t make it to her banquet.”

Serena smacks Sienna.

Sienna glares at Serena.

And I find myself…smiling.

I’m not sure why, but their kindness makes me feel bad I haven’t divulged more about my time away. So, I blurt, “I made a friend.” The person that comes to mind is tan, tall, and toned from athletics. But I find myself chickening out when two pairs of the same color eyes stare at me expectedly. “Her name is Olive.”

The image of Danny vanishes, along with that twinge of something in my chest that comes along with the idea of him.

Serena’s lips twitch, but I can’t tell if she’s disappointed or amused. “That’s a very Hollywood name.”

I lift my shoulder. “She knows it. Once, she said she was just glad her parents didn’t name her Apple or Fifi.”

Sienna huffs a laugh and thanks the man behind the window as she rolls hers up. “Well, at least you’re not lonely and lame at Lindon.”

“Sienna!”

The driver sounds unapologetic. “Skylar is way too introverted for her own good. It isn’t like we weren’t worried about her making friends when she went there. We can’t pop in like we normally did before and drag her out to places.”

They did do that. A lot. Out to the mall and restaurants and nail salons. I never liked the activities, especially when they disrupted me when I was reading something, but I enjoyed the time with them.

“Don’t worry,” I say, putting a straw in my iced coffee. “Olive does that too.”

Serena beams. “I like her already.”

The way she seems genuinely happy for me makes the smile on my face curve even higher as I sip my drink.

Once we’re pulling out of the parking lot and back onto the busy road, I relax against the seat and stare at my carry-on bag next to me.

Quietly, I say, “I missed you.”

They both stay quiet for a second.

“We missed you too,” Rena replies, warmth in her tone as she reaches back and squeezes my knee.

Sienna snickers. “Just remember you said that when Serenity is driving you crazy tonight. She hasn’t slept in days trying to make sure this event is perfect.”

We all know that’s never a good sign. Serenity on no sleep is like me without coffee. It’s dangerous, especially when I’m the target of her breakdowns most of the time.

Serena pats my knee sympathetically, reading my mind. “Welcome home, sis.”





CHAPTER TWENTY





DANNY





After inhaling a slice of pizza and two energy drinks, I haul my shit up to my room and unpack the notebooks I plan on going over before exams next week. Coach chewed us out hard today after nearly losing the game. I didn’t blame him. We played like shit—barely like a team. And the ice bath and hot shower did nothing for my screaming muscles that resulted from the intense hours on that field.

Not even five minutes into staring at my notes and jotting some shit down onto the study guide the professor passed out, there’s a knock at my door. Turning my neck makes pain shoot down my spine, but I try brushing it off when Caleb appears.

Unconvincingly, it seems.

“You don’t have to pretend you’re not in pain with me,” he says knowingly, tipping his chin toward my stiff body. His shoulder rests against the doorjamb as his gaze roams to the mess of books on my unmade bed. “A few of us planned on hitting up the library tomorrow to study. You in?”

“Sure, man. Who’s all going?”

“Raine, Matt, Brady, Wallace—don’t make that face. Aiden’s got enough shit on his shoulders with Ivy. I don’t know what’s going on there but the last thing he needs is to deal with the little prick too. I told him I’d look after him.”

I shake my head and carefully lean back against the headboard. The pain radiates through my body, forcing me to breathe through it. “You mean babysit. He’s old enough to make his own damn choices. None of us should have to look after him.”

Caleb doesn’t look like he disagrees but like always he plays the mediator. “For some reason Aiden sees something in him. Even Brady said he’s a good player.”

Justin Brady is officially out the rest of the season thanks to his ACL injury—his second major one—which means Ricky Wallace was put in his place as quarterback. I wish he wasn’t any good because then we could easily write him off. But even Coach sees something in him, and if it’s anything like he was with Griffith, he’ll blow smoke up his ass and train him for the big leagues as another NFL hopeful.