Clayton shrugs. “He can come to as many as he wants. I’m going to PSU.”
“I love that you love my alma mater so much,” I tell him, clapping a hand on his shoulder. “But there’s nothing wrong with exploring options. Alabama is a D1 school.”
“Doesn’t matter. I know where I’m going. I’ve known since I was twelve,” he says, meeting my eye.
The admiration there, the respect… it’s enough to make my throat squeeze tight like there’s a fist around it.
Erin smiles, leaning her head on my shoulder as she says, “Well, I for one think you’ve got your head on straight. Palm South is the best university there is.”
“And they’re going to be the best football team there is when I’m there,” Clayton says.
The two of them high five across me, and Mom and I shrug, knowing that — at least for now — we’ve been beat.
I’m on a high after dinner, and with Clayton going out to celebrate with his friends and Mom going to sleep, it leaves only Erin and me. Once I confirm she’s as far from sleepy as I am, I bundle her up and pack a few blankets, taking her to my favorite rooftop.
“Wait, wait, wait,” she says through a mixture of laughter and tears around midnight. The moon is hidden behind thick, navy-gray clouds tonight, but it somehow illuminates her just enough for me to see that beautiful smile. “You’re telling me that you,” she says, pointing at me. “And Skyler?”
She laughs again before she can even get the rest of the sentence out.
I nod. “Yep. Right here,” I say, patting the rooftop under our blanket. “It was her first time coming to Pittsburgh with me. She was single at the time, and so was I, and we were very, very drunk.” He shrugs. “Everyone always asked if we had ever had feelings, I think we just got curious.”
“And did you?” Erin asks, her voice a little tinged with something akin to jealousy. “Have feelings for her, I mean?”
“God, no,” I say instantly, shaking my head. “Not like that, anyway. We made out, got about as far as me taking her shirt off, and then we both burst into laughter.”
“Sounds like you two.”
“We’re best friends,” I explain. “We’ve been through a lot of shit together. I’d kill anyone who hurt her, and I know she’d do the same for me.”
“So I should call Kip and warn him?”
I sigh. “Don’t get me started on that fiasco.”
Erin chuckles, then crawls over from where she was reclining on the blanket to cuddle with me. “Okay. Now I’m cold,” she says.
“We can go back to the hotel,” I say softly in her ear, dragging the tip of my nose up her neck. “I know many ways to warm you right up.”
“Mmmm,” she says. “Yes, please. But let’s stay here a while. This view…”
We both sweep our gazes over the city lights, the way they dance over the river and twinkle like stars all around us.
“You really think we could end up here one day?” I ask her after a while.
“I think it’s as possible as staying in Florida. I mean, it’s not like you’re super in love with your job, right? And I could go anywhere after graduation.”
“You know,” I say. “I’ve been thinking about that, actually. My job. You know the account manager I work with, the one who hired me as her personal trainer?”
“Giselle, yeah?”
I nod. “Well, she thinks I might be onto something with my training and nutrition. She thinks I could open my own business.”
Erin goes stiff in my arms, then turns to face me, her eyes wide. “Oh, my God. I can’t believe I didn’t think of that first.”
“You really think I could do it?”
“Are you kidding me?” she asks, knocking on my abs like a wooden door to illustrate.
I laugh.
“Look at you! You know more about fitness and nutrition than anyone I know. I’m in the best shape of my life since we started dating, and I didn’t even have to hire you.”
I shrug. “I don’t know.”
“I do. And you have the graphic design skills, the coding experience to do a website. You might need to hire some help eventually, but you could get started on your own. For sure.”
“Giselle said the same thing.”
“Well, she’s a smart woman.” Erin kisses my cheek. “I can help you with a business plan.”
“Will you be my sexy little lawyer on call, too?” I tease, biting her neck when she turns back around and leans into me.
“I’ll wear your favorite pencil skirt and everything.”
That earns her a moan from me, and she chuckles, but then goes silent for a long while.
“They’re questioning me this week,” she says.
I swallow. I don’t have to ask who. The case has been slow going, but the detectives and lawyers have already questioned me, the girls, and the fucking assholes who raped Erin, as well as their disgusting friends. Who would go to bat for them, I can’t imagine — but they have to be pure scum.