Page 67 of Set Play

He throws a hand to his collarbone, clutching imaginary pearls and gasps, “Oh my! Are you asking me to Netflix and chill?” The room is silent for an instant before he breaks character, snorting obnoxiously loud.

I fight my own laugh but lose the battle against a smile. At the sight, Mateo’s laugh softens as he gives me another worried glance. “You sure?”

“I’m sure, Big Shot.”

“That sounds like a great plan,” he says, grabbing my hips and tossing me onto my bed. “Dibs on picking the movie!”

“So, ready to admit it yet?” Reya asks, causing both Gracie and Niamh to look up from their color by number art. Three sets of eyes lock onto me with lethal precision.

I keep my eyes on my copy of ‘Starry Night,’ pretending not to notice. “Hmm, ignoring us, now?”

“No, just not sure what you mean.”

Niamh snorts derisively, making me snap my head up. “What the hell is that noise supposed to mean?”

“Ye know exactly what we mean. Yer just too chickenshit to admit that ye like him. I thought I got through to ye the other night, but ye’d rather live in a delusion. So I’m done helping until ye face the truth.”

Reya and Gracie stare at Niamh, stunned at her anger, but I am so sick of this conversation. She doesn’t even know everything. Shoving my paintbrush into a cup of water, I rise up on my knees to glare at my roommate.

“Damnit, Niamh! What do you want from me? Yes, I like Mateo, but guess what? It doesn’t fucking matter! I can’t act on it without knowing the truth. And that requires Henri but the fuckface is ignoring me! I’m not burying my head in the sand, doing nothing and ignoring the fact that I’m fucking falling in love with Mate—” My voice dies as I clap a hand over my mouth, realizing what I nearly said out loud.

Merde, est-ce que je suis en train de tomber amoureuse de lui? 3

“Did you jus—”

“Nope! None of you heard ANYTHING, capisce?”

1. ¡Eso fue claramente una falta! = That was clearly a foul!

2. Bí i do bhean! = Be a woman!

3. Merde, est-ce que je suis en train de tomber amoureuse de lui? = Shit, did I just say I am falling in love with him?

Chapter 36

Mateo

March 27 12:17PM

Me:

Hey, this weekend…U, me & Italian food. U in?

Read

March 28 9:09AM

Me:

Coach said u called out. Is everything okay? Call if u need anything

Read

Yesterday 1:12PM

Me:

Ok, what the hell? u looked right at me and walked away. We were fine when we played Tampa, so…what changed?