“Someone let Vanessa choose,” Blair says and shudders to show how much she dislikes it, but she takes a drink when Gabby hands it to her anyway.

“Hey, Zeke,” I say to the big, quiet guy hanging back. He’s got a basketball in his hands and he and Wes are the only ones without caps since they graduated last year.

“Good to see you, Chloe.”

“Alright, are we doing this now that everyone is here?” Joel asks, taking the ball from Zeke.

I look around, trying to discern what this is as the guys huddle together.

“How are we dividing teams?” Wes asks. “Boys versus girls or are we splitting a couple to play five on five?”

“A basketball game is how we’re celebrating?” I question Blair.

She sighs, a dreamy look on her face. “It’s fitting, really. One last game before we all leave.”

“You and Wes are staying in Valley, right?”

Her eyes slowly meet mine and she nods. “Yeah, I’m going to grad school, and Wes signed a two-year assistant coach contract.” She shrugs. “It’s going to be sad with everyone leaving, but Gabby will only be a couple of hours away and with the wedding this summer, we’ll get to see everyone at least one more time. But I know these guys; they’ll be finding excuses to see each other and if they don’t, we will.” She hip checks me playfully.

“Definitely,” I agree.

“So, what do you say?” She nods her head toward the group.

“I’m awful at basketball.”

“I find that hard to believe, but you can be on my team because I’m the reigning PIG champion.”

She links her arm through mine, and we head toward the guys.

“Girls versus guys,” she states confidently. “We get the ball first.”

The girls spread out, and the guys match up to defend their respective partners. Nathan walks toward me, all swagger, with a competitive gleam in his eyes.

“You can’t handle this, Payne.”

“That so?”

I nod, head held high with false confidence.

Blair checks the ball to Wes and so it begins. I think the guys are going easy on us at first, but when Gabby and Blair pull off some pick and roll play and actually score, their shocked boyfriends up their defense.

Vanessa shoots and it bounces off the front of the rim. Zeke rebounds and tosses it with one hand to Nathan. I square off, blocking his direct path to the basket. He dribbles left to right, behind his back, between his legs. He’s showing off, and I’m enjoying every second of it. I lunge for the ball and come up empty, but instead of blowing by me, Nathan keeps taunting me.

I narrow my gaze and deepen my stance. I mean business. One side of his mouth pulls up, and he leans down so that our faces are only inches apart.