“Nice.” He reaches over the counter and gives me a high five. “I do remember this about them—they were both shitty bowlers. He used to get cranky about it, argued with her the one time she beat him, even though it didn’t take much. Said his throwing arm was off after a game.” Mustache snaps his fingers. “Football! I remember now. He said something ’bout being the QB. Musta been before they got that girl I been hearin’ about.”

“That’s me,” I say before I can think better of it, earning me a bemused look from our new friend. “I’m the QB.”

“But you weren’t a few months ago,” Amber says quietly. “And neither was Tim. Which means the guy Cara was dating on the sly was Robbie Oakes.”

Chapter Seven

-AMBER-

Cara.

And Robbie.

Cara—my best friend since childhood, the person I know better than anyone on the planet—had a secret boyfriend. They went to Gutter Kittens. They dated for months. How did she even pull this off? And why?

Well, the “why” is easy in the greater sense—her parents would’ve gone ballistic if they knew she had a boyfriend. But keeping it from the squad? From me? That’s a little harder to comprehend.

But I get it now, why she’s coming so hard for Jack. The very fact that Jack’s here must be a painful reminder of who isn’t. Cara’d be horrified if she knew where I am now, who I’m with.

My first instinct, as usual, is to tell Miguel, but I can’t tell him this. He already thinks I should’ve dropped Cara like a hot potato years ago, ever since her father appointed himself conductor of the homophobia train. Any more ammunition and I worry I’m looking at being forced to choose between them. Especially if Cara knew about the blackmail.

Did Cara know about the blackmail?

God, I hope not. If there’s one sliver of light I can hope for in this entire shitty revelation, it’s that she had no idea she was dating a complete asshole. And if she did know … No, I can’t even go there. She couldn’t have. Cara might be Pastor Whelan’s daughter, but there’s a difference between “I don’t approve of your ‘lifestyle’” and “I will help someone ruin your life because of your sexual orientation.”