Number Neighbor

Part 17

"What the hell happened?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I guess he decided he didn't get the memo about not sleeping with everyone else. And then he just flipped it all on me. He said it was my fault. A little scuffle and now my dad wants to kill him."

I shook my head. "He put his hands on you?" I could feel the tension in my jaw.

"Just a couple of shoves before I kicked him in the balls." She looked up at the television. "Interception!"

I settled in next to her and stole her pepperoni stick. "Don't ever downplay someone putting their fucking hands on you. Nobody ever deserves that."

"I know. Believe me, I know. I guess I just try to forget because it makes me feel small, and I never felt that way before in my life."

I shook my head, touching her cheek. "Nothing about you is small."

That didn't go over well. She cracked a smile and laughed. "Are you trying to put me down right now?"

"Quite the opposite. I am trying to make you feel good."

A whimper slipped from her lips, she sighed. "Gah. You are so good."

"Am I?" I let out a nervous laugh and she shook her thoughts away, and I wanted so bad to know what was going on inside of her head.

"Yes. And I am sorry I treated you like you weren't. That was very judgmental of me."

"No worries. I get it. It's easy to think the worst about someone you hardly know." When you were famous, it was easy to be the arrogant asshole that could just snap his fingers and get anything he wanted. And it was hard to find someone who didn't think that about me. Sage was a bit of relief.

"I didn't care about being famous. I just enjoyed being on a team and playing sports. So, when I made it, it was great. Minus being in the spotlight, but I know this is what I want to do, and I am happy and grateful for everything that I have." It was lonely sometimes though. Other than my friend group, I trusted very few people. Someone was always out to get something.