“I think your competitive nature is still intact. You did try to prove that by eating an entire banana split,” he said with a rueful smile.
Bryna laughed, trying to loosen up some. “But not competition like with Stacia and Trihn. It’s always about guys and money…and guys with money. With you, it’s just us hanging out. I don’t feel pressured to do anything or be anyone. You accept the bitch.”
“I accept that you’re not as bitchy as you think you are,” he said.
“I wouldn’t go that far. I’m still the same person.”
“Maybe,” he said, crossing his arms.
He still looked like he wasn’t sure where all of this was headed, and she couldn’t blame him. She had no idea how she was going to bring this up.
“But I wouldn’t want you to feel pressured around me,” he said. “I’m not that kind of guy.”
“I know,” she said automatically. She felt like she had her in. They were on the same page. “Oh my God, I can’t hold it in any longer. I know your secret.”
He raised his eyebrows. “What secret?”
She pushed her shoulders back and soldiered on. “You know.” Her eyes were wide, silently pleading, Please don’t make me say it.
“I don’t think I do.”
“Come on, Eric,” she groaned.
“What makes you think it’s a secret?”
Bryna fought back an eye roll. Of course it was a secret. “You know, none of the guys know. You’re never seen with other girls. I don’t know. Plus, if it wasn’t a secret, then you wouldn’t be asking me if it was.”
He looked contemplative for a minute. “That’s true, I suppose. I’m not sure how you found out, but I don’t think anyone else knows.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve kept my mouth shut. I didn’t want to out you if you weren’t ready.” She bit her lip.
“I didn’t think you would tell anyone.”
“I wouldn’t Plus, I’ve known for a while. And we weren’t really friends most of last semester, so I wasn’t going to say anything. I think it’s one of the main reasons I’ve been so comfortable around you. I don’t do relationships. Feelings and emotions and love, if it exists at all, are completely overrated. If I’d thought you were into me, then none of this would have happened. I never would have let you get close.”
She didn’t need any more complications with guys in her life. It’d really worked out better for her in the end that Eric was gay. She could be herself around him, and he didn’t judge her.
“You like to keep people at a distance,” he said.
“Well, now, I don’t have to keep you at a distance.” She shrugged. “Since, you know, nothing’s ever going to happen between us. But, um…that’s all I wanted to say. We should probably get back anyway.”
She opened the door before he could say anything else. The room was stifling. She hadn’t expected it to be that difficult. He had seemed cool with her knowing, but a bit like she had put him in shock. It must be so weird for him to have someone else know that he was gay. At least she wouldn’t have to hide that from him anymore.
But she wasn’t sure why, in that moment, it didn’t feel like as much of a relief as she had thought it would. Clearly, she needed to get laid. All this time without it had addled her mind and made her think things that couldn’t possibly exist.
BRYNA RETURNED TO LAS VEGAS on a total high. As she drove up the street toward her condo, she noticed another car in the driveway. A Mercedes SUV. Fuck.
She parked in the garage and entered through the side door. Inside, her condo looked like a land mine had gone off inside. There was stuff everywhere—boxes piled high, clothes strewed on the couch, and junk littered the floor.
“What the fuck is going on?”
A smile lit up Pace’s face. “Hey, sis.”
“What are you doing to my house?” she cried. “It’s a train wreck.”
“Moving in, of course.”
Bryna ground her teeth. She had forgotten for one blissful weekend that her sleazy stepbrother was moving into her place. She had thought that, by forgetting about it, it would go away. But no, Pace was still standing right there in front of her.
“I can’t believe you’re really fucking moving in.”
“I was offered a spot in the sports dorm, but I decided I wanted to be closer to my sister.” He smirked devilishly. “The team understands.”
“Ew. That’s so nasty.” She shook her head. “You know, I’m never going to be around anymore, and you’d better get all this shit cleaned up. This whole thing isn’t right.”
Pace shrugged. “You had your opportunity to get me not to come to LV State, but you didn’t take it.”
Bryna glared at him. “Yeah. Even if I had gone through with that stupid shit—which would never, ever happen—you would have still come here to spite me.”
“You caught me. How could I resist coming here after they won the national championship?”
“You’re a vile human being. I can’t believe they even recruited you. You know, you’re not going to get any playing time, right?”
She was sure he had already heard this argument, but she couldn’t help one last-ditch effort to try to get him to change his mind. He could still transfer without any consequences.
“We’ll see about that.”
“With Blaine leaving, they’re going to put Marshall in as QB, and you’ll be sitting on the sidelines for the next three years.”
Pace shrugged, unperturbed. “I’ll believe it when I see it. I think I could take Marshall.”
Bryna laughed. “Yeah, I’ll believe that when I see it.”
“Believe what?”
Bryna’s head snapped around so fast that she got a crick in her neck. “Dad?” she cried in disbelief. Her eyes bugged out. She hadn’t even heard him open the front door over the sound of her argument with Pace.
“Hey, sweetheart.” He pulled her into a big hug.
“What are you doing here?” She hadn’t seen him since Thanksgiving, and that had been tense, to say the least.
“I’m here to help Pace move in. It’s good to see you. We’re glad you made it safely back from Miami. What an exciting end to the game.”
“It was,” she agreed.
“Wish I had been there.”
He could have come. She knew he could have. He was here with Pace, but he couldn’t make time for her. It made no fucking sense.
“I think we got all of Pace’s things moved in. I’d forgotten the size of this place. I think it’s big enough for the both of you. Don’t you?”
“Um, no. I don’t think it is.” Bryna pleaded with her father, “I need my own space. I can’t share this with him.”
“For now, this will have to do.” He smiled brightly.
He seemed so relaxed, almost happy. She wasn’t sure she had ever seen her father like this. He hadn’t checked his work phone once since he came inside.
“Are you going to tell her?” Pace asked.
“Tell me what?”
“I wanted to talk to you in person about this, but you weren’t home for Christmas, so now is the time,” her father said.
Bryna wasn’t sure what this was all about. What does he have to tell me that’s so important?
“Come on outside. We’ll talk about it there.”
In a wave of confusion, she followed her father outside. Pace didn’t look too pleased, and that also made her worry. He was normally smug about things.
The twins were lounging by the pool. Celia was standing near the edge of the pool, talking with them, wearing some hideous black maxi dress.
“Celia, darling,” her father called.
“Lawrence!”
Celia had a huge smile on her face. In fact, she was almost glowing with joy.
That was when Bryna saw it. A lump. A round lump. Her head spun, and she reached out blindly for the first thing she could use to steady herself. Pace took her arm, and she swallowed hard.