Like the remainder of our ski trip, our reversed bus trip and flight back to SeaTac, where Logan and I stopped and Harper and Jake parted their separate ways, the four of us were quiet. At the risk I was petty, I threw disappointed looks at both of them, Harper in particular.
Realize I'm an old soul but those two need to grow the fuck up.
My irritation melted away the moment Logan shut our apartment door behind us and wrapped his arms around me. After a slow, shared breath, I squeezed him tight and choked out, "Glad to be home."
"Cramped apartment and all," he replied, kissed me briefly, then dragged our suitcases into the bedroom.
The corners of my lips curled up as I just watched as he left.
Wasn't talking about the apartment.
Over the days that led up to the PAC-12 game, the hype and attention exploded exponentially, and unfortunately only half of it was centered around the actual game. Instead, ESPN aired our entire interview which somehow launched a rivalry between Jake and Logan that simply wasn't there. With the exception of game-related posts, Logan locked his social media pages from the onslaught of pro-USC messages and meme's.
"Do they not know Jake is my brother?" I asked Logan at one point. He only shook his head at the nonstop QB-rival conspiracy theories that Jake and Logan were enemies and mass-deleted a few posts that snuck in after he'd linked to Mike Sorrell's game day preview article.
Once Logan set down his phone and inhaled dinner, he only offered a wry smile and no further insight into the obvious thoughts that ran through his head. Instead, he shifted the topic, "So, classes next semester. Just you let you know, I double-up on my Bio labs during the non-football season terms, so -"
"So you'll be busy in the afternoons," I finished with a smile. "No problem, my jobs don't change. If anything, tutoring gets worse from students wanting to raise their GPA enough to pass into the next year."
By far the worst, and most desperate, students were seniors that needed a minimum GPA to graduate. Their patience was thin, stress levels elevated, and willingness to achieve the bare minimum ranged from admirable last-ditch effort levels to deplorably embarrassing.
With the exception of meals, I barely saw Logan before the PAC-12 championship game. Since we were thankfully still on winter break, I used the free time and got my spring quarter books, cleaned the apartment, cooked up a storm of leftovers and frozen-ahead meals, even updated my blog for a few recipes. For the first time since Dad's funeral, I felt closer to my normal functioning, productive state.
After I posted some healthy Christmas dessert recipes, my eyes and fingers paused when I saw a particular private message in my blog site's inbox:
wheresLT: We need more videos!! Pls post one of u and ur mancandy asap!
"Maybe after the season," I mumbled, although Logan's football schedule wasn't the reason I hadn't posted any videos this semester, I was.
Or, not wanting to draw attention to myself is the reason.
Although Mr. Reynolds assured me more than once that he'd declined Ryder's for-show-only apology invitation, my suspicions were raised after my, Jake, and Logan's interview was aired again. While I appreciated my small circle of close friends, UW was an open, welcoming campus that anyone easily walked onto.
That's crazy though, right?
Ryder wouldn't do anything that makes him look bad before his court date.
Instead of my scheduled court appearance in a few weeks, I turned my attention towards our Nevada trip. Within a blink, Logan left with the entire team, although I breathed a sigh of relief when he told me he roomed with Wes and Darrius.
Since Charlie traveled with the team and stayed with the physical therapy staff, I flew in with Monique to Las Vegas' airport, where I also met up with Mom, Brody, and Grace. Harper's Dad wrapped up a case but she texted me that they'd meet up with us at the hotel and visit the aquarium there before we all went to the game.
I hadn't realized that 'Paradise, Nevada' meant that Allegiant Stadium was right near Las Vegas until Mom texted me that our travel plans were secured. The Huskies blocked out the majority of the rooms at The Luxor and USC similarly at the MGM Grand. In what felt like a strategic plan, Mom, Grace, and Mr. Reynolds all booked rooms at the Mandalay Bay hotel. A bit further away, both Monique's and Darrius' families stayed at Caesar's Palace because that was Momma Williams' dream hotel.
On our flight to Vegas, Monique filled most of our conversations, which alternated between her wedding plans down to every detail she'd already decided on and several murmured prayers for 'patience and strength' because her parents' hotel room was surrounded by Darrius' family.
The minute details, down to the silverware and music selections to a warning about late-summer Louisiana mosquitos, blurred in my mind until a faint headache throbbed behind my eyebrows. In a possible moment of weakness that I regretted as soon as I saw the cocktail napkin-size dresses Monique had selected, Charlie and I agreed to be bridesmaids in her wedding, which touched us both until we realized we were two of fifteen girls.
I don't even know fifteen people that well.
Monique and Darrius obviously had a wider social net, based on the nearly three-hundred person guest list she rattled off that sounded like the entire town of Shreveport had been invited. While Monique was an only child who traveled to the groom's location for the wedding, apparently many people had watched Darrius grow up and excel in football.
I can only imagine how they'll react if he gets invited to the NFL combine.
"He really needs to do well in this game," she murmured while we dragged our luggage into a small pickup area and sat down on a backless metal bench. "His last year, he's keeping his cool but he's nervous."
"I'm sure he'll do great," I started when she tugged on my arm.
"Ellie, there they are!" she cried out loudly and leapt up from her seat.
Since our flight arrived first, our small overnight suitcases were already with us. A girly squeal left Monique's body and her full lips broke into a big smile at the tall, well-dressed power couple that approached us with confident, long steps, marched right up to Monique, and wrapped her up in a big, two-sided hug.
"Mom! Dad! Missed you so much." Monique screeched out loudly as she pulled back. "Glad you made it! You remember my friend, Ellie."
"Hi." I stood up, smiled, and shook both their hands. "Good to see you again."
I'd only met Monique's parents, who were both accountants and lived in Oregon, a couple of times at UW events but she looked absolutely just like her mom. With her flawless skin, beautiful almond-shaped eyes framed with thick lashes, and perfectly executed makeup, Monique's mom looked more like her sister. Her dad was tall and thin with very short black hair and pensive eyes that held in more than he shared.
"Hi Ellie." Monique's Dad nodded tightly at me. "Exciting season this year."
Just like that. He knows Logan's my boyfriend.
"And exciting news for your family," I teased him back and shifted my eyes down to Monique's engagement ring.
"Don't remind me," he groaned but his dark brown eyes flashed from behind his frameless glasses. "I'm already reworking her budget for overages. Is it too late to elope, Mo?"
"Daddy," Monique chided with a sweet grin. "As your favorite child -"
"My only child," he corrected her but smiled brightly and pressed a kiss onto her temple.
"And therefore your favorite -" Monique started when a loud half-scream, half-shriek erupted from the baggage claim area behind us. With a quick turn around, she added, "Lord give me strength."
"Outta my way! There she is, there she is!" The very loud, very distinct Southern charm of Momma Williams rang out steps before her small frame appeared. "My future daughter-in-law!"
"Aww..." I started when one sharp look from Monique shut me up.
"Mo!" Another female voice chimed in and I recognized Darrius' cousin Porsha, although this time she wore braids that went all the way down to her hips and swung as she walked. Her slender arms extended and hugged Monique just a step before Momma Williams wrapped both of them up, despite their obviously drastic height differences that left Momma's head right at Monique's shoulder.
"Aww, Precious," she cooed softly and my heart melted at the sweet undertones of her voice. With a slight pull back, she grabbed Monique's hand and eyed her ring, "Looks good on you. Even on those stick-bony fingers."
"Thank you Momma, fits perfectly." Monique winked at me over top of Momma Williams' head.
"Miss Ellie!" Momma Williams' eyes lit up as she turned towards me. "Where y'at?"
Where am I... No, how am I.
"Good, Momma Williams." I gently wrapped my arms around her warm embrace, which fit flush against me since she was actually an inch shorter than me. "Good to see you."
"Mmm-hmm," she hummed in response, then pulled back, grabbed my upper arms in her hands, and eyed me from head to toe. "Now... Miss Ellie, we'd better see yo' tiny ass there so while we laissez les bon temps rouler! I also gots big plans to teach you how to pinch the tail and suck the head at the rehearsal dinner."
My lips parted and hung open so long my tongue dried as I stared at Momma Williams. At the sensation that the blood drained from my face, I was never more grateful for Porsha when she leaned over and whispered, "Eatin' crawfish."
"Oh..." I swallowed, then mentally facepalmed myself at the mental image I'd thought up instead. At this point, the blood had definitely rushed back into my face, and then some.
Not at all what I thought she meant.
Thankfully, my embarrassment was spared by the next voice that called out to us.
"Ellie?" A familiar, Canadian-accented voice called out. "Gosh, she's hard to find in crowds... Oh, it is her! See Brody, I told you that was Ellie. Hi Sweetie!"
My lips pulled into a smile that dissolved as soon as I saw Grace's tall, slim figure that towed poor Brody behind her. Both of them were dressed in jeans and, of all choices of shirts, the red 'Canada' T-shirts I'd gotten for them during our trip. Sure enough, Logan was right and Brody's face was about the same color of red as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and kept his eyes glued downwards.
"Hi Grace - ohh," I grunted upon the impact of her tight hug.
"Ellie, girl Canadian tan looks good on you!" she rushed into my ear. "Logan told me you had a good time, hope he behaved."
Canadian tan?
My skin couldn't have been paler the longer I lived up in Washington and I rubbed one pale palm over an even paler forearm. Before I answered, her eyes flooded with a slight gray color and her head tilted slightly sideways. "Hope Logan behaved himself. Promise I'll have words for him if he didn't."
He definitely wasn't the one... misbehaving.
"Perfect gentleman," I assured her and pulled back. While Grace distributed a round of hugs to anyone within her arm's reach, I elbowed Brody gently. "Hey Brody."
"Hi Ellie," he mumbled quietly.
My neck craned back as I looked up at him and studied his soft brown eyes for the source of his unusually bitter mood. "You alright?"
"Yeah." He sighed quietly, then looked down and tugged at his shirt. "No. Mom insisted we wear these. We look like tourists and were asked six times so far this morning where in Canada we're visiting from."
"I think you look handsome," I teased, which pushed a slight tint of pink across his cheeks, but the distracted look in Brody's eyes told me that wasn't what actually bothered him.
Before I realized my arm moved, my hand clutched his upper arm. Guilt seeped into me at how I'd forgotten about an important change for Brody after Thanksgiving. "Brody, your court date. How did it go?"
His face cracked into a wide grin. "Took a few weeks for the paperwork but easy, uneventful, and I'm now Brody Hightower."
"Aww..." A bittersweet sensation rushed through me, since I wasn't sure this was happy news but Brody looked happy, so I hugged him tightly. "When do you come back up to U-Dub for the tryout?"
In a moment that made both Logan and I truly happy, he informed me that UW was on Brody's list of west-coast schools that invited him for a football tryout, although the list of schools for baseball was almost as long. While I was excited at the possibility that Brody slotted into a wide receiver position, particularly since Seth was a senior, I had a suspicion Brody was a better fit wherever he cast his own shadow.
At least he's got a lot of options at this point.
"February," he confessed quietly. "I have no idea what I want to do though."
"We didn't either until we... visited everywhere," my voice faded and I rolled my lower lip under my teeth as the memory of how Logan and I first chose completely different schools, multiple states apart, and the awful conditions that led to that decision. I swallowed tightly and looked up at Brody. "I'm sure you'll figure it out."
"My grades aren't the best," he admitted while we walked up to his and Grace's flight's baggage turnstile and waited with the crowd.
I tilted my head back because while Brody wasn't as tall as Logan, he sure was taller than me. "So it's football or baseball?"
"Guess so." He stepped back and stuffed his hands in his pockets again.
"If it helps," I nudged his upper arm with my shoulder. "Logan and I don't have it completely figured out yet either. Just find a school that feels like a good fit and let the rest fall into place."
Brody stood silently for a moment, like he at least considered my words. With a stiff nod, he muttered, "Thanks Ellie. I'm... glad you took Logan back."
My smile preceded my confession, "Between you and me, I've never stood a chance with him... But what about you? Any girls caught your eye?"
The blush on Brody's face definitely deepened but right when his mouth parted, the conveyor belt at our feet groaned, creaked, and started up. Once the loud thumps of luggage sounded out, I snuck a glance up and Brody, who looked more than relieved he hadn't answered my question.
Something tells me Brody has a girl.
Since UW and USC blocked out their respective hotels' rooms against 'outside influences,' Mom and I, along with Grace and Brody and eventually Harper and her dad stayed at Mandalay Bay.
Flanked with palm trees, set with the biggest swimming pool I'd ever seen, and covered with whatever building material glittered the sunlight off its surface, the triangular, almost Y-shaped hotel was nice. Mom had gotten us a standard room with two double beds that had a direct view of the adjacent black pyramid and sphinx.
My skin raised with goosebumps whenever I thought about the PAC-12 championship game, how once again one between my boyfriend and brother came out the winner and the other's dreams were crushed. While I paced back and forth between our hotel window view, waves of discomfort rolled through my stomach until a round of nausea threatened to make its appearance known.
On one hand, Logan and the Huskies really were the unexpected team, the surprise, the underdogs. Their flashy offensive plays, led by Logan and his receiver core, were exciting and unpredictable. But then Jake and the Trojans were the more seasoned team, the expected, even assumed winners. Their mirrored 11-1 record just had that one blemish, an unlucky bounce on a field goal in Huskies' Stadium, that most people - okay Trojans' fans - had already written off.
"Let's kill some time before we go to the aquarium," Mom suggested from behind me.
A quick door closed behind us, knock on the door across the hall, thumbs up from Grace and frown from Brody later, the four of us found ourselves in the two-story, tan marble covered lobby of the Mandalay Bay hotel.
I paused at the sight of a tall, thin man next to a blonde bombshell at the check in desk with one familiar, gigantic suitcase behind them. Right as my steps approached them, a loud, "David!!" cried out from behind me and flinched up my shoulders.
Mr. Reynolds turned around and gave Grace a big smile and a hug before she almost choked him to death, then moved onto Harper with the same greeting.
"One of these days I won't be breathing after your hellos, Grace,," Harper grumbled in my ear when she gave me a weak-armed hug, then pulled back and smirked at Brody. "S'up, Dimples."
Brody surprised both me and Harper with his response, "Reynolds."
"Ahh, no," she warned him as her arms gently hugged around him. "Not you too. Only room for one arrogant asshole in my life."
"We're walking around," Mom said to Mr. Reynolds when he leaned over and pressed a kiss on her cheek that released an inner swoon from me.
"Supposed we don't need to check in right now." His eyes drifted to Harper, who nodded, then over to Grace, who clasped her hands at her chest.
Her blue eyes beamed brightly when she pointed towards the attached casino. "I'm itching to try one of the slot machines."
"Why don't you just throw your money into the fountain, Mom?" Brody lifted one eyebrow at her, but she waved him off with a huff.
Harper and her dad checked their luggage, then trailed behind me and Mom, who walked behind Grace and Brody. Within three aisles of game tables, slot machines hummed and clicked around us and casually played a few games until we apparently found Grace's weakness: an old-school hand-cranked slot machine.
"C'mon! Momma needs to retire!" she chirped out, then jerked the slot handle down.
After a few circled clicks, the numbers slowed while Mom and I waited behind her with baited breath. Brody's large frame leaned against the side of the machine, his eyes fixed on Grace until the spinners stopped.
One seven.
Two sevens.
Three sevens.
"Ahh!" Grace screamed and shot both arms straight up into the air while the machine lit up with electronic fireworks.
My mouth dropped as coins rained down and clinked into the metal tray at the bottom of the machine. Mom and I squealed loudly and jumped up and down at her luck but Brody just clamped both palms onto his mom's shoulders.
"Time to stop," he warned her with a gentle tug.
"But," Grace started with a whimper and her fingers reached for the pull handle again, but not before Brody intercepted and grabbed her wrist.
"That's how they get you." He frowned. "Walk away while you're still a winner, Mom. You're up twelve hundred, use it for all our travel trips so far."
"He's right," Mr. Reynolds added with a chuckle. "Most people come here with hopes of being a big winner and leave only with empty pockets and a stomach full of prime rib."
"Absolutely no fun, the both of you." Grace rolled her eyes but scooped up her winnings into her lap, then carried them in a self-made shirt container while her hands grasped at the hemline.
The coins sagged and clinked against each other while Grace walked around the floor aisles. A few steps behind, Brody groaned, "Can't take her anywhere."
"At least she walked away." I smiled at the back of his brown-haired head, which towered over both me and Mom. The look he tossed me over his shoulder showed he was anything but convinced.