Page 50 of Trick Play

She lifted her head, and Reid smiled back at her, then she glanced over to me. “Yeah, you’re right. I guess it worked out okay.”

Reid chuckled.

“I don’t want you to think it has anything to do with you, Haley. They’re messed up. They have their own mountain of issues. Don’t think they don’t love you or want you to be happy because they couldn’t put your needs before their own.”

They’d failed her. I was grateful I could be there when no one else could. Well, Reid more than me. Not that I’d admit that anytime soon.

“I know.” She sighed. “It still stings.”

I gave her a side hug, then Reid came over and pulled her against him, kissing the top of her head. The gesture reminded me of Kennedy.

I shouldn’t have kissed her. It was a mistake. I got caught up in the moment, but I couldn’t help it. She was right there. Closer than she’d been in years.

Her final words were still an open wound. I didn’t care enough to fight for her. She was wrong. I wanted her to be wrong.

But was she?

I’d given up on us so easily. Just the notion of not being enough for her, and I called it quits. The only time in my life I ever quit anything, and it was the most important person in the world. The love of my life.

The one person who deserved me giving all I had, and I walked away.

I took the easy route. The coward’s way. I hid behind my fear to keep from my worst nightmare happening. Her leaving me.

Reid frowned at me over Haley’s shoulder, and I dropped my gaze. It felt like he could see through me. Straight to the failure I was.

Things were bad. This had to be the lowest I’d ever been, but this time, I was ready to fight back. I wasn’t going to give up. I refused to accept things as they came. I was going to show everyone how wrong they were about me.

I’d prove myself to her.

Chapter 17

Kennedy

Returning to any sense of normalcy was exactly what I craved. Even if it was meeting with Mya and Dustin at the cafe about the project I never wanted to be a part of in the first place. Now I was grateful for the distraction.

“I think these look really good,” Mya said without holding back her surprise.

Dustin raised his brows at her. “Did you expect us to screw it up?”

She laughed and took a sip of her coffee. “No, but I didn’t think we’d nail it with our first attempt.”

I stared at the screens, going over each detail, searching for anything that would be tweaked or improved, but she was right. These were amazing.

“We make a good team,” I said. “Would it be dishonest to hold onto them for a few more weeks so it seems like we had to work harder than we really did?”

They both chuckled, and Dustin shrugged. “We run the risk of them coming back with requests and changes and having to work around finals.”

“Fair point.” I pulled my tablet toward me. “So, submit them?”

They both agreed, and I sent the finished file to Professor Mackey with a prayer the athletic department would approve and I wouldn’t have to worry about this anymore.

“Well, it was nice working with you guys,” Dustin said as he scooted his chair back and stood.

“It really was.” I stood as well. Our class was about to start, so we headed to the art building together.

“I wish all group projects were this easy. I swear I’m normally pulling out my hair trying to communicate with people,” Mya said.

“This was my last one. I’m officially done with group projects forever. From now on, it will all be done with colleagues in an office on company time.”