Chapter Twenty-Seven
Dean
Isat cross legged on the bed as I watched Maverick pace the hotel room floor.
He had his hands buried in his hair as he chewed on his bottom teeth.
He was struggling on this tour, and even though we only had two weeks left, being away from Jackson was taking a toll on him.
Suddenly, Mav stopped to stare at me with wide, emerald eyes.
“I can’t do this.” His voice shook. “I have to go home, Dean. I can’t... I want Jackson.”
I nodded. “Okay.”
“No, you don’t understand. I. Can’t. Do. This.” He slapped his hand over his heart. “I’m losing my mind right now.”
This was bad. “Maverick.” I shot to my feet and wrapped my arms around him, expecting him to push me away. Instead, he clung to me like I might disappear. “It’s okay. I’m here with you. I’ve got your back, big brother.”
“I’m supposed to have yours.” Maverick sniffed softly. “I should be protecting you,” he whispered.
I only held him tighter. “And you did. But now it’s my turn to take care of you for once.” I thought of all those times that Maverick stepped in to make sure that asshole of a father didn’t hurt me. “Let me protect you this one time.”
A loud sob ripped from Maverick’s throat as he clung to me, his fingers twisted into the back of my shirt.
He made a choked sound before he pushed away from me and shook his head, tears streaming down his face.
“I can’t let you see me like this.” He shoved his hand into the pocket of his jeans to pull out his phone.
“I need Jackson.” His fingers trembled as he tried to unlock it, and he shouted when he couldn’t do it.
“Do you want help?”
“No!”
But when Maverick dropped his phone, his entire face crumpled, and he burst into tears again.
“I can’t do this, Dean. I just can’t. I need to go home.
I hate being on the road and all this hustle and bustle bullshit.
It’s not normal. I need normalcy in my life.
I hate... I want... Please.” He dropped onto the floor and buried his face in his hands.
“Okay.” I sank to the floor next to him. I reached for my own phone and quickly called Jackson as I wrapped an arm around my brother.
“Dean.” Jackson was already on high alert. “What’s wrong? Is everything all right? Is he okay?”
“Say hello to Maverick for me, Jax.” I put the phone up to Maverick’s ear and watched as my brother’s entire body relaxed. His eyes lit up at the sound of his fiancé’s voice. His lips curved into a smile, and he nodded his head as cheeks tinted pink. That was all he needed.
Maverick looked at me. “I miss you, Goose. I hate being away from you,” he whispered.
I couldn’t hear what Jackson said, but whatever it was caused Maverick’s cheek to burn cherry red.
“Yes,” he answered. “Yes,” he said again and giggled softly.
“Okay.” He stood up and moved away from me to get a little privacy.
I smiled and turned away to give my brother a little privacy.
This was all our shitty parents’ fault. If they hadn’t tried to force Maverick to be someone he wasn’t; if they had just let him love Jackson the way he wanted, none of this would be happening.
Jax was his soulmate. The one person he was meant to be with.
Watching the way he calmed Maverick just by talking to him on the phone was proof of that.
“Dean.” Maverick was holding the phone out to me. “Jax wants to speak with you.”
And just like that, his panic attack seemed to be over.
“I should have called you right away,” I said when I put the phone to my ear.
“This tour is killing him,” Jackson answered back. “Tell me he’s taking his medication and talking to his therapist. He skirted around the topic when I asked. He doesn’t seem well.”
I watched as Maverick moved over to the window to stare outside. “I think so.” Was this something I should have been paying more attention to? Did I need to watch him more closely? We had two weeks left on this tour before we could go home.
“Can you just promise that you’ll watch over him?
I know he’s spending time with Killian, and that’s good, but I trust you, Dean.
You’re his brother, and he loves you. Please, just make sure he’s okay.
I wish that I could be there with you.” Jackson sounded close to tears himself. That wasn’t what I had wanted.
I nodded. “Of course.”
“Thank you. I have to go, but tell Maverick I love him.” Jackson ended the call just as Mav turned to smile at me.
“He’s amazing, right?” My brother beamed happily at me. “I was such an idiot to let him go the first time.”
I climbed to my feet. “Are you taking your meds, Mav?”
“Sure.” He went over to his suitcase and produced an orange bottle, which he shook at me, the pills rattling around inside.
“Every morning after I shower. I think it was just all the stress, you know? Missing Jax and the pressure of touring. All the press and shit. Those people are horrible. I hate the questions. They’re so intrusive sometimes.
I hate moving from place to place. I want to just stay home and have that stability.
Cook for my man every night. Maybe have a house full of kids.
” Maverick smiled at me, his green orbs suddenly bright with happiness.
“I want that, you know? After Jackson and I get married. A big home that we can fill with kids. I want to adopt so many of them.”
I smiled at him. “I could see that.” It was something I never wanted, but Maverick would be an amazing father. He had a lot of love to give. “Jax said that you and Kill have been spending time together?”
I wasn’t jealous of my best friend and brother.
In fact, I liked it. I wanted them to be close.
Up until recently, the two of them had acted like they hated one another.
Using fists and saying cruel, terrible words that I would never repeat.
It made sense now that we knew Maverick had been hurting.
Jealous about what Killian had with Matty. What he had wanted for himself.
“Killian’s pretty great when I’m not being an asshole.” Maverick dropped his gaze before he looked up at me again. “I’m so sorry, Dean.” His chin quivered as he stared at me. “For earlier, and for all those years I was so terrible to you.”
I put my hands on his shoulders. “Nope, we’re not doing that again. I’m not mad anymore. I forgive you,” I assured him. “You’re my big brother, and I love you. That’s all that matters.”
“I can still be sorry.” He gave me a shy smile. “We set a date.”
I stared at him in confusion for a second. “You set...a wedding date? Mav, that’s awesome. I’m so excited for you.”
“Yeah, and we’re going to get married in Canfield.
At Jackson’s parents. I’m a little nervous about going back there, but it will be worth it.
I have so many good memories at his parents’ house.
” Maverick flushed as he smiled at me. He looked so happy right now.
“Jax is still trying to convince Tom to be his best man. Hopefully, he’ll say yes.
I mean, he has to, right? He’s Jackson’s brother. ”
I hadn’t seen Tom Olson since we left. Why wouldn’t he want to be his brother’s best man? Unless they had a falling out of some sort. Like he had with Blake, or at least, I assumed Tom and Blake had a fight, because they had been best friends, too.
“I’m sure he’ll say yes. You must have so many ideas for the wedding.”
“I do, but are you sure you want to hear them?”
“I wouldn’t bring it up if I didn’t want to.”
Maverick giggled. “Okay, I literally have like a huge folder of things.” He went back to his suitcase to find his laptop. He smiled at me again. “You can’t tell Jax any of this. I want it to be a surprise.”
“I promise.” I made a zipping motion over my lips as we both sat down on his bed and Maverick opened his computer.
Maverick blushed as he opened one of the folders. “I want to wear this.” It was an actual crown. Like a princess would wear. Or in my brother’s case, a prince.
“You would rock the hell out of that,” I assured him.
He turned an even darker shade of red. “You don’t think it’s stupid?” He chewed on his bottom lip. “I saw it in another wedding photo, and I just thought it would look good.”
“Mav, you would look perfect wearing that. And I think Jackson would love it. He loves you. He’s going to like anything you wear.” I wasn’t sure why Maverick doubted himself so much. Jackson worshiped the ground he walked on. “You’re going to look amazing,” I added.
He blushed again and tucked a piece of white hair behind his ear. “I just want to get married. Well, I really want to marry Jax. He’s the only person I’ve ever wanted.” He giggled and slapped his hand over his mouth. “Sorry, I just...” Maverick sighed happily. “It’s always been him.”
“I can see that now.” And I wish I had seen it earlier, but I couldn’t go back in time to change things. “You’re going to be so happy.”
Maverick nodded. “So are you and Beau.”
“Well, sure, but we’re not in love or anything.” I was terrified to admit my feelings to Beau after he ran the last time. He hadn’t said a word about that picture of Jun, but I knew he had seen it, because Jax told Maverick. And he hadn’t been happy.
Maverick popped a brow. “You keep telling yourself that.” He bumped my shoulder. “You just wait and see. You’re going to end up getting married, just like me. You’ll be a stepfather to Cole and have your happily ever after. I can feel it.”
Maybe if I wished hard enough, that would come true.