Page 43 of Keeping Score

Chapter Ten

Brody

Ihad a plan.

The logistics were a little hazy, but I felt secure in the fact that I knew what my next step was.

I needed to do three things.

Propose to Maggie

Convince Liam not to abandon the team

Somehow figure out the best way to go about both of those things.

I could only think of one solution.

Cassie.

My favorite little blonde was my go-to person for emotional talks about our mutual Brynns. Shockingly, my girlfriend and best friend weren’t always the best at opening up. Especially when it came to their feelings.

But Cassie? She seemed to have this superhuman ability to clock their emotional states with freakish accuracy, giving me insight that I never would’ve considered.

In a way, she was like my own personal psychic. Only she didn’t charge me for her services.

“Where’s Liam tonight?” I asked, looking around the living room as if he might pop out any moment and yell at me for going behind his back to talk to his wife about his potential career-ending choices.

“He’s at dinner with Maggie,” she said, sitting down in the armchair across from me. “Didn’t she tell you?”

Huh. I thought she had dinner with her dad tonight.

“I guess I mixed up the details.” I scratched the back of my head. Or forgot to listen to them.

That tended to happen sometimes. Especially when I had life-altering plans on my mind.

“I—” I started, hesitating on which aspect of my crisis to dive into before getting distracted by whatever she was pouring into the mug in front of me.

“What is that? It smells amazing.”

“Lavender tea,” she said. “It’s good for stress.”

“Do you think I’m stressed?” I laughed.

She didn’t say anything, just looked pointedly at my rapidly bobbing knee.

I paused mid-motion, clearing my throat before I reached forward for the cup.

“You’re good, Cass,” I shook my head with a smile. “I’ll give you that. And that’s actually why I came here to see you.”

“You came here to see me?” she said, lighting up a little at the notion. “I thought you came for Liam, realized he wasn’t home, and felt bad leaving.”

“What?” I drew back. “No, of course not. Cassie, we’re friends, too.”

She nodded, as if pleased by the words that I thought should be common knowledge by now.

“So, spill.” She leaned forward eagerly. “What can I do for you?”

“I’m here about our SOs.”