Chapter 4
FOUR
HAVEN
My brother crumples his straw up and throws it across at me, landing it in my hair like the toddler he is—then again, I did it first, so I guess that makes me a toddler too.
“Can you two please attempt to act your age?” my mom huffs, glancing at Memphis. “No wonder why Dallas skips out on our outings half the time. He’s probably embarrassed of these two.” She jerks her thumb toward me before looking across at Dallas. “How are you liking NEU?”
My eyes dart beside me to Dallas. He shrugs, nodding slightly, and just the little bit of movement sends a puff of his scent to my nostrils, making me breathe in forcefully, wanting more because the smell is so damn good. He’s always smelled good, and I’ve forever tried to ignore it.
Well, besides the one time we kissed …
“It’s been pretty good. My coach is a bit of a hard-ass, but that’s all right.” He grins at my dad, who rolls his eyes and points toward him.
“Just for that, I’m probably going to make you run twice as much tomorrow. And guess what, Rivers? It’s going to be damn near seventy out. So you’ll be sweating your ass off.”
I know he’s just busting Dallas’s balls.
When they are at the field, of course my dad expects his players to be professional and respectful, taking everything seriously.
But Dallas has been around our family since we were kids.
My dad knows he’s going to joke around sometimes. He’d probably be sad if he didn’t.
“You see your brother much around campus?” Lane asks my dad, and I can hear the hesitation in his tone, almost like he didn’t know for sure if he should even ask the question.
“Yeah, here and there,” Dad answers softly, taking a bite of his burger. Once he swallows, he wipes his mouth with a napkin. “I will say, he’s doing great things with that baseball team. The players seem to really respect him too.”
“Yes, he is. And he calls Mase at least twice a week and asks him to go for a drink.” My mom bumps her shoulder into my dad’s chest. “And one of these days, he’s going to say yes.
” She kisses his cheek, wiping her hand over it after because she probably left a lipstick stain.
“He deserves to get to know this version of Maverick. He deserves to get to know his brother now that he seems to have turned his life around.”
“We’ll see,” Dad grumbles. “He does seem like a different dude than the spoiled little brat that he was growing up, I’ll give you that.”
Even though my dad just complimented his brother, his tone is still very much unimpressed.
My uncle Maverick came on as an assistant coach for the NEU baseball team last year.
This year, he was promoted to head coach.
And though my father and Maverick are certainly on better terms than they were years ago, there will always be some weird tension between them.
Tension that likely stems from the fact that my mom dated my uncle first. Then he cheated on her, and she hooked up with my dad.
But when she moved to New York and later realized she was pregnant with me, my uncle made it so that my dad didn’t find out until my mom was super far along.
To this day, because of that, my dad holds a grudge.
And I can’t really blame him because one thing about my dad?
There’s nothing he loves more than being a father.
So even missing the doctor’s appointments in those early months while I was in my mom’s belly? Yeah, it kills him for sure.
Not to mention, when they were together, my uncle was a super douche to my mom, and that alone would make my dad hate him.
But they’re better than they were, and I think with time, their relationship will only get stronger.
I can’t lie; I’m glad about that because I kind of like Uncle Mav.
He played professional baseball for years, and the more I’ve gotten to know him, the more I’d like to see him around at family functions.
My brother’s phone rings, and he quickly pushes himself from his chair. “Sorry, I gotta take this. I’ll be back.”
My mom watches him as he walks outside but quickly begins talking to Memphis again. And I’m caught a little off guard when Dallas bumps his shoulder against mine, leaning in closer.
“What, Short, was Tabor busy tonight?” his deep voice murmurs, and I focus on not looking flustered.
“No idea,” I say, relaxing myself and leaning back so that I can actually look at him. “What’s it to you?”
“It’s absolutely nothing to me,” he says, almost matter-of-factly. “It’s just so funny that the guy half the team can’t stand is the one you choose to turn into your fuck buddy.”
I’m thankful that he’s speaking low enough for our parents not to hear. I’m sure my parents know there isn’t anything serious between us and that Tabor is, in fact, my fuck buddy, but I still don’t need to spell it out for them—or have Dallas do it either.
“Hmm,” I say, cocking my head to the side. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were jealous.”
I’m bluffing. I know he doesn’t give a fuck what I do or who I do it with. Aside from the one time that we kissed, he’s always looked at me more like a sister than anything else.
Still … that kiss … it didn’t feel that way. Thank God, because that would be really freaking gross.
A chuckle rumbles from his chest, and he stares at me, so amused at my accusation that he may be jealous.
“Jealous of what, Short?”
“Well, for starters”—I pause, leaning my lips to his ear.
Not in a way that our parents think we’re flirting, but a subtle way instead—“jealous of his huge dick,” I whisper, feeling his body stiffen slightly.
“I’ve seen you in the pool, babe. It’s okay.
I’m jealous of chicks with bigger tits than mine. ”
The truth is, I’m lying. Well, partially. I have seen him in the pool, when his trunks suction against his body, leaving nothing to the imagination. So yeah, that is true.
But what I saw certainly would not have him jealous of what Tabor is packing, that’s for sure. Tabor is average. Dallas, unfortunately, is not.
But he doesn’t know that I’m lying.
“You’re so full of shit.” He tries to speak nonchalantly, but his words come out more in a hiss than he intended them to, I’m sure. “And if his dick is bigger than mine, I’m not sure how the fuck you’re even walking.”
Like so many other times over the years, my heartrate picks up and my eyes so badly want to fall to his lips.
Once, we kissed. And all this time later, I compare every kiss to that one.
Waiting to feel the butterflies float through my entire body the way they did that night.
It never happens though, and I’m scared it never will.
“Whatever you say, D,” I singsong quietly. “Whatever … you … say.”
Turning my attention back to the table, I catch Lane half watching our interaction. His gaze darts between us, like he’s trying to figure out what’s happening before he looks away. It used to be a joke, when we were younger, that maybe we’d get married one day.
Dallas always made a sick face and pretended to gag. Love that for me so much.
For the rest of dinner, I just sit and listen to everyone chatting around me. Noah ended up calling my mom from outside, telling her he had to leave. He didn’t say what was going on, but it’s very unlike him to flake halfway through a family dinner.
My phone vibrates, and when I peek at it under the table, I see that Tabor is texting me, asking to meet up. Quickly, I type back that I can’t because I’m at family dinner, and before I can even slide my phone back into my pocket, he sends me another message.
Tabor: Guess I didn’t realize that Rivers is your family.
I stare at the message, feeling a sick pit in my stomach, not knowing how he would even know who was at dinner. I choose not to respond, but still, he sends another.
Tabor: Do you want Rivers or something?
Tabor: Kind of feels like you’re being sketchy.
My face pales. Guilt pumps through my veins, wondering if maybe I led him on too much. But no, fuck that. Since day one, we both agreed that it was just platonic and strictly hookups. Nothing deeper. If he read the signs wrong, that’s on him.
“He’s fucking insane,” Dallas murmurs beside me, glaring at the screen.
Quickly, I exit out of the conversation. “That’s not your business, D,” I hiss. “Why are you looking at my screen?”
When my phone vibrates again, I decide to turn it off. It may be the coward’s way out, but I’m not dealing with whatever is going on with Tabor tonight. It’s been a long day, and I’m exhausted after the game and this family dinner.
“You realize that’s not fucking normal, right?” Dallas speaks again, and I’m so thankful when the waitress comes to our table with the checks, and our dads hand their cards over. That means we’re leaving soon.
“Just leave it alone, would you?” I utter, stretching my arms and yawning. “It’s not a big deal.”
When I side-glance him, I expect him to fire something back. Or maybe be an ass because that’s what we do. We bicker. Instead, he just exhales sharply, narrows his eyes, and then looks away.
And I have no idea what any of that is supposed to mean. Not a clue.
DALLAS
“Sweetie,” my mom says, touching my arm. “Give Haven a ride back to campus, would you? That way Anna and Mason can go home.”
I sigh, looking upward because, fuck Noah for leaving. I don’t want to give his pain-in-the-ass sister a ride in my truck. Especially not after she seems to be so nonchalant about the fact that her man is acting like a complete fucking weirdo.
“Oh, he doesn’t have to do that,” Anna says before she winks. “Though it would be awfully nice of him.”
“Yeah, I can,” I agree, giving her a weak nod, but behind her, Haven is giving me a death glare, telling me I answered wrong.
For as much as I don’t want to give her a ride, it looks like she feels the same way about going with me.
Once we’ve both hugged our parents, she follows me toward my truck. She’s hardly ever quiet—been like that her entire life. But right now, she doesn’t say a word.
I hit the key fob, unlocking the doors before I walk around to the driver’s side and climb in. Reluctantly, and clearly unimpressed, she slides into the passenger seat.
Turning the key, the truck engine rumbles to life, and when I notice her shiver beside me, I crank the heat up.
I could be super nice and hit her heated seat button, but I’m not about to get that crazy.
We may be cordial when our parents are listening, but typically? We just like to piss each other off.
“So, are we going to talk about why your boy toy is blowing your phone up like an insane person or nah?” I ask, sitting back and waiting for her to talk because I’m not driving anywhere until I find out if this is the norm for them or what. If it is, that’s fucking shitty.
“Dallas,” she grumbles, leaning her head back on the rest and sighing. “We don’t have to do this, you know.”
“Do what?”
She cackles bitterly. “Pretend like you care what the fuck my relationships are like,” she snaps. “Besides, Tabor and I aren’t serious enough for him to be jealous. He’s probably just drunk.”
“Well why is he mentioning my name in those texts, huh?” I ask sharply. “We’re family, Short. He’s going to have to get the fuck over it.”
She’s silent before she balls her little fists up. “Either take me home or I’ll call an Uber.” She’s pissed now, clearly over talking about this. Or maybe she just doesn’t want to discuss it with me.
“Is he controlling?”
“What?” she exclaims quickly. “No, he isn’t controlling. But if he was, why would it be your business?”
“Jesus Christ, Haven.” I call her by her real name now, not the stupid nickname I’ve used since she started playing shortstop.
“We’ve been in each other’s lives since we were kids.
You may annoy the fuck out of me, and truthfully, you make some decisions I don’t really get.
But if I didn’t at least keep an eye on you while you were being careless and naive, do you have any idea how pissed my parents would be at me?
” I pause, raising my voice. “How pissed Noah or your parents would be at me?”
“It’s not a big deal!” She’s practically screaming now. “Tabor isn’t usually like that. And if he was, I would have ended whatever the hell we’re doing!”
“Are you going to end it now?” I fire back quickly.
Her head rears back. “You have no right to ask me that. We’re just having fun.”
Fun. That’s what she thinks is fun. Hooking up with a guy who has a creepy look on his face while he smells her fucking hair when they hug and sends her angry texts when she’s with her family. If she thinks that shit is fun, maybe I don’t know her as well as I thought I did.
“I watched him after practice the other day when he followed you out by the parking lot. He watched you drive away, Haven. And even after, when he came into the locker room, he was throwing shit around, slamming his locker.” My eyes cut to hers, narrowing.
“He’s fucked up in the head, and you need to get away from him. ”
Though she tries to let my words roll off her, I can see in her eyes that I’ve ignited something inside her. A concern, or fear.
When I first came to NEU and found out that they were hooking up, I hated it, and I didn’t even know Tabor then. I just hated the thought of his hands on her body. Or worse, his stupid, undeserving fucking mouth. Now, I’m just worried about her.
She closes her eyes, inhaling a few times before she opens them up and swallows. “Can you please just take me home, Dallas?” She speaks with a type of desperation I’ve rarely—if ever—heard in her voice. “I’m tired. It was a long day of softball, and I have practice first thing in the morning.”
When Haven gets this way, overtired and checking out, there’s no sense in trying to get through to her.
I’d have better luck chatting with my steering wheel right now.
So reluctantly, hoping everything we just talked, or argued, about is enough, I shift the truck into drive and pull out onto the main road.
Haven King has always been the most stubborn person I know. And sometimes, it drives me absolutely crazy.