Despite that, I recognized what Daniel didn’t say with his words, he made up for with his actions. While Penny spoke, he always kept constant contact with her. Like a protective hand on her leg, or an arm around her shoulders.
Williams side-eyed me. “I know he’s nice, Maybelle. That’s the problem. He’s my competition. I can’t like the guy.”
“Well, have you tried talking to Penny about how you feel?” I asked.
He nodded. “I tried after the scrimmage. It didn’t go very well. I guess there isn’t really a competition. She’s pretty smitten with that guy.”
I felt bad I couldn’t encourage my friend to keep trying. While Williams was great and would treat Penny with all the love and respect she deserved... Anyone with a pair of eyes could see she and Daniel were it.
“Chin up, you’re great and I know you’ll find someone just as great.”
His fallen face didn’t change, but he nodded standing from the bed. “So, what’s the deal with you and Turner?” he asked, and my accusatory eyes narrowed at him.
“Nice subject change.”
He shrugged and waited for a response.
“There’s no deal. We’re friends and that’s all,” I said, busying myself by hanging my shirts up in the closet.
“Friends?” Williams barked. “I doubt that will last long.”
I paused mid-fold of a shirt and shot him an annoyed look, but he wasn’t looking at me. I followed his gaze to Trey’s football jersey that poked out from under a few other shirts.
Well, crap. I definitely forgot to give that back… Or may have just forgot to hide it a little better. Either way, Noah Williams caught me red-handed for a second time.
A nervous giggle escaped me. “Weird. How’d that get there?” I leaned across the clothing, plucked up the jersey, and tossed it under my bed.
Williams shook his head at me as I returned to hanging up my clothes. “You’re a weirdo.”
When I didn’t answer, but my deep red blush was enough proof of how I felt, he spoke again, “Are you playing friends because of what we saw between him and Juliette?” He approached, leaning a broad shoulder against the wall next to me.
“That and you all forget that I’m new here.” I bit out, my embarrassment feeding into my tone with more harshness than I meant. “You guys may know me, but I don’t know you. I barely know myself and I have a lot to learn before anything can happen between Trey and I again.”
He continued to stare at the side of my face, crossing his arms over his bare chest. “Okay, you have a point,” he conceded. “But the funny thing is, none of us really know you either.”
I paused and looked up at him. “What do you mean?”
“We all knew Liam, but you and I, I think, only spoke twice before the accident. I believe you met Penny once and Trey was close with your family. But I don’t think you guys talked much until that last week leading up to the accident.”
I bit the inside of my cheek, considering this before I said, “Well, kudos to you guys because I never would’ve guessed. I thought for sure we’d all been at least friends before. Considering how welcoming everyone has been.”
“You were super quiet. Hard to get to know or even talk to kind of quiet. Before, it made no sense to me that you and Liam were siblings, let alone twins. Except for the same hair and all that, of course. But now—” He paused, looking like he might be stumbling over hisemotions. “I meant what I said earlier. It really is like having Liam back. You’re easy to be friends with like he was. The only difference is, you’re a lot more enjoyable to look at.”
A surprised laugh erupted from my throat at the sudden shift in the mood. “That’s good, I guess.”
Williams’s brilliant white smile was verging on heartbreakingly gorgeous as he chuckled.
“You know, random thought, but what if you and I went to this football banquet thing together?”
His eyes tapered skeptically at me.
“Don’t look at me like that. We’d go as friends. I just thought better go together for a fun time instead of sulking over what we don’t have right now,” I explained, gesturing with my head out to the living room.
From where we stood, we could see Penny embracing Daniel and Trey unpacking boxes with Bear.
Williams appeared to be considering the offer for a moment but shook his head. “No. I can’t do that to my boy.”
I snorted. “Your boy is taking a hot cheerleader to said banquet. Trust me, he’ll be fine.”
