Page 101 of Forever Relentless

I considered it. “I don’t know what the heck I said, I’m not here to give any of you advice.” I needed to put a stop to this. “I’m not here for any of you at all. I don’t care about you.”

Her smile vanished, and she gave me a curt nod. “Right, I . . . I’ll be seeing you.”

“Hopefully not.”

I turned and walked away, and her words floated down to me.

“I hope they don’t see you either, Briar. Be careful. Remember what they’ve already gotten away with.”

I hesitated for one moment.

As if I could ever forget.

Chapter 21

Noah

“Coach Hembry said I didn’t need to worry?”

Dante looked between Dustin and me, and he looked pissed off. I knew Dustin was also pissed off, but more so at me because I don’t think he wanted Dante to know.

I wasn’t built for that shit. There was enough backstabbing going on as it was. I didn’t need to add to it.

“That’s what he said.” I ate a slice of pizza.

“Your idea to lift our social media presence is having more and more merit, every day.”

I saw Dustin’s flat stare, and I felt a twinge of regret.

“I think the whole team focusing on it, as well as us, has merit,” I argued.

“Yeah.” Dante looked at Dustin. “Thoughts?”

Dustin cleared his throat. “I asked Hadley to help me with mine. Moore does so well with the relationship angle for his, I thought, why not?”

“And it would have more traction with you,” I said around my next mouthful. “Given your new status.”

He nodded but didn’t make eye contact.

Dante looked down at his chicken salad. “Why are there mangoes in the chicken salad?”

“Same reason there’s pineapple on pizza. It’s an excuse to make you eat fruit.”

Dustin snorted. “Pineapple on pizza is not about fruit. Tomatoes are fruit; they’re on pizza. Pineapple on pizza is just a sin against pizza.”

“I didn’t say I liked it,” I protested. “I don’t know anyone who eats it.”

“Quinn,” Dustin spoke with his mouth full of his dinner. “The mean girl from Cardinal,” he added for clarification. “She likes pineapple on pizza.”

“And I rest my case for the Santos and their fans being weird,” Dante muttered.

I thought about it. “I see her liking it actually.” I looked up at Dustin. “She has a particular taste. It fits.”

“I’ll tell Gray next time I talk to him that you think he’s an acquired taste.”

“Particular taste.”

“Why does anyone need to talk to Gray?” Dante mumbled.