35. Teddy
CHAPTER 35
TEDDY
“We should take my car.”
I guffaw at Mascen’s absurd suggestion. “Why would we take that?” I point at his bronze-colored Land Rover behemoth. “When we have this?” I move my hands to encompass my sleek, sexy cobalt blue Porsche.
We have an away game today, and normally we’d be on the bus with our teammates, but the two of us had to stay behind for an interview with a local magazine. Thank fuck Coach was the one who mis-scheduled the interview or we would’ve had hell to pay. As it is, with the interview done, we’re stuck road-tripping it together to our game. True, we could drive separately but that doesn’t make much sense, and time will go by faster if I have Mascen to annoy.
“Because,” Mascen intones, pinching his brow, “your car screams mid-life crisis, insecure, and most importantly small peepee.”
“Did I seriously hear you use the word peepee ?”
He holds up a hand to silence me. “Whereas my beautiful Rover here says one thing and one thing only.”
“And what’s that?” I challenge, arms crossed over my chest.
“Big. Cock.”
“Do you want to compare sizes right now because I’m happy to whip it out and prove you wrong?”
“Keep your pants on McCallister. I see enough of that thing in the locker room.”
I smirk. “It’s huge, isn’t it? Nothing small about it. You can’t miss it.”
He throws his arms up in the air and curses under his breath. “Forget it. You drive.”
“Yes!” I jump up and down in victory.
“Get in the car,” he commands in a booming tone, like a parent. “We’re going to be late.”
“Yes, sir.”
I slide behind the wheel, put the address in my phone, crank up some tunes and we’re on our way.
“We’re going the wrong way.”
I swing my head forcefully in Mascen’s direction, surprised when I don’t get whiplash. “No, we’re not. I put the address in and everything.” I point down at my phone in the cupholder that’s been spitting out directions for the last hour and a half of our six-hour trip.
“I’m telling you, we’re going in the wrong direction. We should’ve headed east and we’re going west.”
“How would you know?” I sound defensive, but how can I not? Everyone uses their phone’s these days, and Mascen’s over here acting like Dora the fucking Explorer with a trusty map—only this one seems to be in his head.
“Common sense, dumb ass.” He starts pointing at signs and spewing out words that make no sense to me, but finally I agree that he’s right, and I’ve put in the wrong location.
Coming off the highway, I fill up with gas while Christopher Columbus—fitting since that dude was as big of an asshole as Mascen—figures out the new course.
“You want anything?” I poke my head in the car at him, desperate for some snacks.
“Just some water … maybe a sandwich if they don’t look like shit.”
I rap my knuckles against the hood of the car and take off for the store, gathering the goods.
When I return, Mascen has a map up on his phone and starts rattling off what we need to do.
“Time’s going to be tight,” he warns, buckling in.
“Don’t worry, I’ll get us there no problem.”
Lie.
Not an intentional one, but who could’ve predicted we’d get stuck in traffic—a complete standstill—because of an accident.
Mascen is a jittery mess beside me. “This wouldn’t have fucking happened if you’d let me drive. Then we wouldn’t have gone in the wrong direction for too long.”
“It’s not my fault you didn’t realize it sooner,” I defend. “Besides, at least we’re not the ones in the accident.”
Mascen’s eyes flash at me, the kind of spark that screams murder. “You’re about to be in a bloody accident if you don’t shut your mouth.”
“You’re stressed, sweetie, so I won’t take anything you say to heart. Promise.” I pout my lips at him.
“I have never wanted to punch another human being more than I want to hit you.”
I sigh at this, gripping the wheel. “You’re not the only one.” The teasing light-hearted tone leaves me, a world-weary weight settling upon me.
“What’s that mean?” His question is a cutting demand as I crawl forward an inch.
“Nothing. Forget I said anything.”
“No,” he insists in a very un-Mascen-like way. “Tell me. You meant something by it.”
I don’t say anything, and Mascen isn’t the type to push too hard, so silence fills the car.
Until I decide to rip the Band-Aid off and put it out there. “My dad hits me.”
My heartbeat pounds in my ears. Vanessa was the first person I ever shared the truth with. Now there’s one more person in the world who knows.
“Fuck,” Mascen curses into the silence of the car. “Seriously, man?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow,” he mutters, shaking his head. “Shit. I don’t know what to say. Sorry seems weak.”
“You don’t have to say anything.” I stare straight ahead. “It’s not your fault my father is a manipulative, abusive asshole. That’s on him.”
“Is it shitty to say I never would’ve known? You’re always so fucking bright unlike me. I haven’t had the best relationship with my dad, but I know he wouldn’t lay a hand on me or my siblings. He’s a good man, we just butt heads.”
I glance at Mascen, allowing the car to crawl forward another inch. “That’s because you guys are too similar.”
“Trust me, we’re not.” He snorts like the idea is ludicrous.
“Maybe not in obvious ways, but what do I know? I’ve only met your dad a few times.”
He must decide to change the subject, because out of nowhere he says, “You and Vanessa looked cozy the other night.”
I know he means at Harvey’s. We definitely were heavier on the PDA than we’ve ever been, because now it’s different. Before I was always hesitant to push her for too much beyond the role I had bribed her to play.
“Things changed with us.”
“In Greece?”
“Yeah.” I lean around the steering wheel, trying to see if there are blue lights in the distance, but nothing. Apparently, we’re still far from the crash site.
“You slept with her.” It doesn’t escape my notice that he framed it as a statement.
“I don’t kiss and tell.”
“Since when?” he accuses with an amused uptick of his mouth.
Glowering at him, I bite out between my teeth, “Since Vanessa.”
He throws his head back and laughs, clapping his hands. “You’ve got it bad.”
“You’re one to talk,” I grumble under my breath. “Look at you and Rory.”
Where Cole and Zoey are a peaceful, humble sort of love, the one Mascen and Rory shares is a loud cacophony. I don’t know what that makes Vanessa and me.
“Yeah, yeah,” he chants, dismissing my words. “I know.”
A look crosses over his face, one of stupid carefree love. It’s funny to see on his normally rigid face. But I guess that’s what love does to us—turns us into fools.
Silence fills the car for a good long while, the car barely crawling forward.
Mascen grows more agitated by the second, his knee bouncing so hard the whole car shakes. “We’re going to miss the fucking game. I told Coach to cancel the stupid interview, but he wouldn’t listen and now look.” He points an angry finger at the unmoving traffic. “This is insane.”
“I can’t make it go faster.” He levels me with a glare and reaches for the handle. “What are you doing?” I’m aware I sound like a panicked child being abandoned by his parent, but I don’t care.
“Walking.”
“You can’t walk all the way there!”
He leans back in the car. “I can try.” He slams the door shut.
I quickly roll down my window, sticking my head out so I can yell after him. “Come back, Sweetums! I’m sorry! We can work this out! I promise to do that tongue thing you like later!”
He gives me the finger over his shoulder.
We don’t make it to our game.