Page 115 of Forever Defiant
Savannah half shrugged. “I prefer ‘following at a distance.’”
“You’re crazy,” I told her. “I like it.”
She reached for the dial and then pulled back. “I forgot.”
“Oh no, put the radio on. I was just being a bitch.” I grinned when I saw her face. “It was two hours, Savannah, you had nowhere to go. Of course I was going to find a way to interview you.”
She punched me so hard she gave me a dead leg, then she turned the radio up so she couldn’t hear me. She wasn’t mad, though. I saw her smirk, so I leaned back in my seat and enjoyed the ride.
It felt good to be finally doing something.
The guys stopped at the same roadside diner we’d visited. The look on Dante’s face when we walked in was one I genuinely wish I could have captured on film. I avoided looking at his companions. It didn’t matter; I was aware of exactly where he was sitting anyway. That was the problem.
Savannah sat down beside Dante in the booth. “Really? You don’t think this is a little petty?”
He looked genuinely confused. “I—”
“Hadley and I went on a road trip without telling you, so it’s tit for tat, and you and your friends go on a road trip?”
I hadn’t put that together. I frowned. Was this why we were here?
“It’s not like that,” Dustin said around a mouthful of fries. “Ava is really cool. She knows so much about football. She’s the perfect person to ask.” He pointed his drink at Dante. “And she had a huge crush on Dante, so she was always paying attention.”
Dante glared at him. “You’re not helping.”
“She has what now?” Savannah demanded.
“She’s Jett’s girlfriend,” Dante explained. “Jett Santo. QB for the Cardinal Saints. Nothing?” he asked with a little bit of despair.
“Why does his girlfriend have a crush on you?”
“No. She doesn’t. It was before she was with him. She might have, but I don’t think so. I...” He stopped, shooting another glare at Dustin. “Dust used to hook up with her best friend, and Ava and I talked football.”
Noah slurped his soda. “Is that a euphemism?”
“Of course Dustin hooked up with the friend,” I muttered with a sweet smile at him. “That’s your MO, isn’t it?”
“Why am I getting heat for this?” he demanded, turning to look at me. “I didn’t even know you then.”
“Slater, you don’t even know menow.”
He leaned in — just enough — like he knew exactly what his proximity did to me. “Peterson, I think I know youverywell, don’t you?”
“Okay, that’s enough.” Noah stood. “Everyone outside. We’re getting attention.”
I looked around, and he was right. They paid, and then we gathered around Savannah’s car. Four people actively avoiding eye contact, and Noah towering over all of us like he was about to hand out detention.
“You guys are driving me crazy,” Noah snapped. “Savvy, they know a girl who’s a legit football fan. She speaks in stats. No one’s hooked up with her. She dates his archrival, Jett Santo. Don’t ask me. It’s a flimsy reason, and apparently, Dante ‘just doesn’t like him.’ Dust remembered her this afternoon. Tonight is the only night we don’t have training tomorrow morning, crazy early. That’s why we’re going now. Nothing to do with trying to get one over you.” He turned to me. “You two, you havegotto figure your shit out. You’re giving me a migraine.”
There was silence. Then Savannah spoke up.
“I forgot the coaches had given you the morning off,” she mumbled.
Dante shot Noah a grateful look. “I should have asked if you wanted to come.”
“Whose car are you in?” Savannah asked, looking around.
“Mine,” Dustin said, pointing to a sleek red thing not far from us.
