Kicking Reality

“We won the game today!”

“Congratulations!” I beam with joy. “Dad must be so happy.”

“He’s here with us. Actually, he and Coach are downstairs talking about something.”

It wasn’t uncommon for the cameras to film private conversations. If Ash consented to this conversation being on the show, Cliff may use this footage. Most of the time, unless the topic on hand was interesting, it ended up on the cutting-room floor.

“And Logan? He must be just as pumped as you.”

Ash laughs, chasing down a blue Powerade before responding. “So pumped that he’s on the balcony surrounded by his girl posse. Did I tell you Alessandra wants to move out? I think she’s over the random girls dropping by.”

I keep my smile fixed, trying to ignore the ache in my stomach. The feeling is odd and unsettling. The same feeling I got when Mom and Dad took Ash to Disneyland one year and I was forced to stay with my grandparents because I had projectile-vomited all over the hotel room.

The matter of fact is that we had a fling. It wasn’t even a fling. It was a moment of insanity. That moment of insanity should not translate into jealously—full stop.

“Tell him I said congrats and give my love to Dad.”

“Will do.” He appears distracted, talking to someone in the background. “Oh, and Alessandra and I have some news.”

“You’re pregnant?” I blurt out.

“No,” he answers panicked, almost breaking into a sweat. “We’re thinking about having a proper wedding, something low key. Once this season dies down.”

“That?

??ll be nice.”

Wes takes the cell from my hands, saying hello to Ash. They talk for a couple minutes about the game even though Wes had no interest in sports unless it involved a ring and two girls in bikinis.

“Great. We’ll be there,” Wes finishes, handing the cell back to me.

Dad and their coach had entered the room forcing Ash to say goodbye. As soon as the call ends, Wes starts to talk to me about Ash’s wedding despite my mind being elsewhere.

“You didn’t tell me Ash got married?”

“Yeah, it was the reason I flew back home. Remember that weekend?”

He barely holds a smile, annoyed that I had even brought it up especially in front of the cameras. Karl knows this is a sore topic—spending almost every day with the both of us—but zooms the camera in to catch our conversation at a more intimate level.

“Oh yeah. I totally forgot,” he lies. Brushing it off like it meant nothing, he lifts his legs and rests his feet on the coffee table. “Who else was there?”

“Just my family.”

“Your family?”

“You know mom, dad, sister, brother.” I spell it out in plain English, not understanding the stupid question or where he is going with it.

“That’s it?”

“And Logan. But he doesn’t count. He’s like a brother to me. Reiterate . . . family.”

“Then you’re lying,” he states, arms crossed.

I turn to face him. “I’m not lying. You asked who was there and I told you.”

“He spends an awful lot of time with your family.”

I wanted to stab Wesley Rich straight in the eye. He knew I didn’t like to talk about my family in front of the camera. It was a part of my life I tried to keep private despite Ash and Mom being known. Logan had always been a topic that Wes avoided. They had never actually met. The only reason Wes had met Ash was when Ash flew over for a couple of days last year without Logan.