Page 39 of Better Than Revenge

“Why?”

“I don’t know. Maybe I’m still trying to pretend it didn’t happen.” Maybe I didn’t want to tell them he’d so easily stolen the spot I’d worked incredibly hard for. Maybe they’d think that meant I wasn’t good at the thing I wanted for my future if someone with zero experience could steal it that easily from me. They’d think I was a failure.

I found a mini tri taking place in Pismo Beach, only about thirty minutes from us. I turned my screen and showed Theo. “The second Saturday in April. Same weekend as football tryouts. It’s serendipity.”

He squinted at my phone, then read one of the captions under the picture of the ocean, “Swim with the sharks? Is that their selling point?”

“I assume the biking and running portions are not with the sharks,” I said.

“Too bad.” He gestured toward my foot. “Other leg.”

I put my other foot on the bumper, screenshot the page, and forwarded it to my mom. My phone buzzed with what I assumed was my mom’s response, but it was Deja in the group chat:We still on for lunch at the diner today? I work till 1. But after that.

Maxwell:I need to hear all about training with the hottie.

Lee:I’m right here.

Me:I can hardly sit or stand. But yes!

“Do your parents think a triathlon with the sharks is a bad idea?” He obviously thought that’s who I was texting.

“Oh, no, just Deja and the guys confirming lunch today.”

“We’re going to lunch today?”

“Not you. Me,” I said. “With my friends.”

“Got it,” he said.

“Wait, do youwantto come?”

“Absolutely not,” he said, straightening up and beginning to stretch beside me.

“Good, because after you pranked us into coming early to the party on Friday, you wouldn’t be welcome anyway.”

“Early? You were late.”

“No, I mean the real party.”

He laughed. “My grandma’s birthdaywasthe real party. I invited other people after you got there because I realized you were embarrassed.”

I paused and reassessed that night. How he’d talked to his mom, probably asking if he could have friends over. How she’d argued with him for a couple minutes but then conceded. “Why did you invite me in the first place? You knew I’d be embarrassed to come to a family party.”

“I didn’t expect you to come. I had kind of thought you were kidding.”

“Nice,” I said.

“I know you don’t think so, but I really am a nice guy.”

I didn’t know what to believe about Theo. My instincts were telling me to keep him at a distance. Between what I’d experienced with him and the stories I’d heard from Jensen, I was wary. “My muscles say otherwise.”

“Your muscles are going to love me.”

“Both my brain and body hate you right now,” I said, meeting his eyes.

His mouth curved into a half smile, and he nodded toward the school. “Let’s learn some football.”

We headed through the halls toward the field.