“Me neither,” he says softly as I smile. “When you look at that, always remember how awesome you are. Don’t ever doubt your greatness, Bay.”
I nod as I put the ring back in the case. Looking over at him, I ask, “Dad, do you feel like the captain position is mine?”
He looks up from the ring and meets my gaze. “Why do you ask? You know I haven’t decided yet. Tomorrow, I’ll know.”
“I know, but sometimes I think you know Sinclair was made for the position.”
He nods. “I do know that.”
“So it won’t be mine?”
He shrugs. “Give me a reason tomorrow to choose you, and it’s yours.”
“The guys don’t respect me the way they do him,” I say softly and sadly. “They love him.”
“And they’ll love you, once you actually try. You’ve been closed up, and I really don’t understand it. You’re actually a really nice girl, but there is something about Sinclair that makes you crazy, and you two are basically cats and dogs.”
My mouth pulls up at the side as I nod. “He gets under my skin. I hate that he respects me, but also knows he can beat me. It drives me insane.”
“That’s the kind of guy you want as a friend,” he supplies, and I shrug.
The only problem is, I don’t want him as a friend. I want more, but that scares me.
He scares me.
I don’t say that though. Instead, I say, “Yeah, maybe.”
Smacking my leg, he says, “Okay, well, you get some rest. Big day tomorrow.”
“Yeah,” I agree as I go to move under my blanket, but then he pauses at my door. “Oh yeah, there was a package on the front stoop for you.”
“Huh?” I ask as he disappears and then comes back with a big case of what I’m pretty sure is mustard.
“Yeah, some weirdo sent you a box of mustard. I think it might be Delanie, and if it is, tell her thank you. At least now I won’t get yelled at when I forget it,” he jokes as he lays the box on the ground before handing me the note. Confused but amused by the gift, I tear the card open.
And find that it isn’t from Delanie.
Princess,
You owe me a shirt.
And I’ll go out on a limb and say a kiss, preferably when you haven’t been puking.
I wanted to get you something better, but all I know about you is that you have walls that are hard to get through and you like mustard.
Maybe you should give me something more to work with?
Happy Birthday,
Sinclair.
When I lay the card down, I’m grinning like a girl who just got asked to the prom by the gorgeous, popular jock. No one has ever given me something like this. But within seconds, my grin disappears. Because as I look down at the case of mustard, I think it might be the sweetest gift anyone has ever gotten me, and it could possibly be my favorite.
Which would make me the worst daughter in the world.
And also tells me that I’m in trouble.
Because I want to let Jayden in.