Page 21 of Made Better Together

CONNOR

JULY 4, ONE YEAR AGO

“So you’re definitely going to this Tolliver party?” Rawley asks, sprawled on his couch watching some fishing show. One of his Waves teammates is having a Fourth of July party this year, where he’s headed in a little bit. Avery is coming with him since she doesn’t have a game.

“Yeah, there’s someone I want to see that I haven’t yet this summer.”

He freezes, putting two and two together. “A woman?”

“Maybe,” I admit glibly.

“Got it,” he says, chuckling. “We’ll probably sleep at Avery’s, so you’ll have this place to yourself.”

He now has his own condo, having moved out of Landon’s house right before his second season with the Waves. Conveniently, he purchased a two-bedroom, so I have a place to stay here.

I don’t expect to have company tonight, though. Instead, I’m trying to downplay any assumptions about Eden’s invite to this party.

It was definitely unexpected. Despite the fact that she followed me on Instagram last summer, we hadn’t connected directly. Our only contact has been when we occasionally liked each other’s soccer-related posts.

Then, she’d sent me a DM on July 2:

EDEN: Hey! Super random, but I wanted to see. Are you in Orlando for July 4 this year? I just got back to Florida from California. Been visiting my mom.

Momentarily stunned to see the message, I hastily replied once I recovered.

CONNOR: Yes, I’m here for a few more days before I go back to New Jersey.

EDEN: Okay. Bree is hosting a party again if you want to stop by.

I’d read the message twice before replying. It was like someone had opened a Tupperware containing my Eden memories and turned it upside down in front of me. They all flashed through my mind. The first time we met. The day I brought Rawley to the Tolliver field. Last year, when I cleaned her shirt.

Those penetrating turquoise eyes, studying me with curiosity.

Inspired by the small stack of remembrances, my latent interest heated back up, even after the passage of time.

She’s in Orlando, and she invited me to a party. There was no way I was going to decline.

CONNOR: Sure.

EDEN: Bring anyone you want.

I hadn’t responded to that last message, not sure of the right thing to say.

There’s no one to bring. No friends here other than Shane, who’s out of town and who’d presumably be invited anyway if he was around, and no date.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve had plenty of hookups, but I haven’t found anyone I’ve connected with since I broke up with my freshman girlfriend, Beatrice. She’d been great, but in the end it felt like we were almost too similar. She was witty, beautiful, and brilliant—but also guarded, contrarian, and uncomfortable relinquishing any decisions to me, even on day-to-day stuff. It didn’t work for our relationship.

We’ve stayed friends, though, and I’ll forever be grateful for the suggestion she made once I started sharing more about my high school years in Alabama.

Since her, nothing serious had evolved at Princeton, or here in Orlando during the summer. So, yeah, I’m flying solo to the party. But it’s a boon, because there’s only one person I want to focus on.

Still, sitting here with Rawley now, I know I need to have zero expectations. Eden’s message was completely out of the blue. We’ve barely spent time together, so this draw to her could prove a thing of the past once I’m at Bree’s.

Or so I tell myself. My body seems to be speaking a different language because as the time to leave approaches, there’s a low-frequency thrum running through my chest.

Expect nothing, I repeat as I drive to the party.

I’m not sure the commands are working, and as I knock on the door to Bree’s house, I let out a puff of air and try again.