6. Chapter Six
Chapter Six
Scarlett
Moretti’s hums with the familiar sound of voices as I make my way to the register to pick up dinner.
Tonight's menu: a large pizza with extra cheese. As the wait staff helps the person in front of me, I let my gaze roam around the dining room when green eyes I’d know anywhere slam into mine.
Suddenly the air is being dragged from my lungs.
Of course the Bennetts would be here after Steven’s first practice.
It’s tradition.
I should’ve ordered delivery.
Steven’s crooked grin makes my belly do a little flip, like a new dog treat recipe done right on the first try. When he gives me a tentative wave, my cheeks pull up, and I wave back.
All eyes at the table turn to see who Steven’s looking at, and my cheeks pull up higher at their warm expressions. That is, until I see the mischievous glints in both Wyatt’s and Miles’ blue and green eyes. Overheated, I slip off my jacket and make my way over.
“Scarlett!” Mrs. Bennett, now Mrs. Bennett-Thornton, calls, waving me over. “Are you staying for dinner? Steven mentioned you couldn’t make it tonight.”
My gaze darts to Steven to find him avoiding me.
“I’m not staying. Emma has me working on a podcast, and I’m behind. I have to get home and get that done tonight.” Three sets of eyes land on me, and I do my best not to squirm. Pushing a strand of hair behind my ear, I pull my jacket against me. “I’m just here to pick up dinner.”
“The boys were talking about Emma when Jacob and I got here.” She turns and glances at each one of her sons. Wyatt and Miles roll their eyes, and Steven’s twisting a plate full of ziti in front of him. “Do you think she could work on setting them up?”
“Mom! I have no problem finding women to date,” Miles narrows his eyes, glaring at her.
“I know, I know. Being a starter for the Mavericks has its perks, but I don’t just want you to date, honey. I want you to find a girl you can marry.”
“Mom, this is starting to feel like nagging,” Wyatt grouses, frustration lining every bit of his face as he rakes a hand through his hair. “You’re making the whole falling in love thing feel like a chore.”
My lips twitch at how dramatic the two professional athletes are acting. I wonder if they normally act like divas.
I can’t help but glance at Steven. He watches the interaction between his mother and brothers, a wry grin on his face.
As if he senses me watching him, he looks up. His smile falls, and his eyes turn stormy. He’s only ten feet away, but he may as well be across the country with how far away he feels.
Clearing my throat, I focus back on Steven’s mom. “Emma only takes on people who want to work with her.” Both Miles and Wyatt’s attention immediately pivots to their younger brother. Their eyes shimmer with humor. And my face gets hot.
They know.
“Emma requires all potential clients to fill out a detailed questionnaire. It’s a bit much, if you ask me.”
A cough comes from beside me, and I look down to find Steven holding back laughter.
“There has to be some exception?”
Chuckling, I shake my head. “None, sadly.”
“Becca, leave the boys alone.” Jacob stretches his arm across the table and grabs her hand. “They’ll figure it out.”
“Finally, a voice of reason!” Wyatt throws a hand in the air.
Mrs. Bennett-Thornton’s face softens as she stares at him across the table.
“Yeah, when I’m eighty!” She winks at me, shaking her head in amusement.
“Hey, I have an idea.” Miles is looking at Steven in a way that has my belly swirling. “We’ll fill it out if Steven does.”
Ground open up and swallow me whole, please.
“That’s a great idea!” Wyatt looks at me, holding back a smile, before smacking Steven on the back and grinning like a fool. “What do you say, little brother?”
“I say that I don’t think you should include me in your schemes.
” Feeling a weight on my face, I look over to find Steven watching me intently, and my belly plunges.
That message isn’t just for his brothers.
When he focuses back on his brothers, my shoulders fall away from my ears. “Sorry Mom, but this isn’t happening.”
Exhaling, my insides knot. I am not comfortable with all the hidden meanings and back and forth. Glancing at Steven’s mom and stepdad, their brows are furrowed as they look at Wyatt, Miles, and Steven.
When her eyes find mine, I paste on a smile and shrug a shoulder.
As much as that’s the answer I want to hear from Steven, I know that it won’t suffice. I need him to fill out that questionnaire.
“Sorry, Mom.” Wyatt reaches out and squeezes his mother’s wrist, not sounding sorry at all. “Looks like that hankering for grandbabies will have to wait a bit longer.”
“What about you, Scarlett?” She spins and rests her hand on my arm. I feel all the color drain from my face.
All three Bennett brothers’ eyes widen, and Steven’s face is bright red. “What about me?”
“Any chance you have a boyfriend, oh I don’t know, hiding somewhere?” Her eyes land on Steven before pointing at some random table to the left. “Like over there?”
“Umm…” My gaze flicks toward Steven of its own accord.
And his eyes pop open, just as his lips part slightly.
Lips that I kissed less than twenty-four hours ago.
I know exactly what I want to say, and I’m sick of pretending that I don’t want to kiss my best friend, over and over again.
But I don’t. One promise keeps me silent.
Pushing down the urge to come clean, I pull my gaze away.
My throat closes around the words. “No. Sorry. No one hiding in the corner.”
Her eyes dim a bit, and she gently squeezes my arm. “When you're ready, sweetie. It will happen.”
I nod, the back of my eyes stinging, and I throw a thumb over my shoulder. “My food’s probably ready, and I need to get started. Otherwise I might be up all night trying to come up with ideas.”
“I have an idea,” Wyatt says from across the table, and my mouth goes bone dry at the gleam in his eyes. “What if you do something about secret crushes?”
Miles smacks Wyatt’s chest, a Cheshire cat smile on his face. “That’s a great idea! I’m sure there are tons of friends out there with secret crushes on each other.”
I changed my mind. They are no longer two of my favorite humans, and I regret ever telling them that they were.
Steven scowls at his brothers, and for the first time since yesterday, we’re on the same page.
“I think that’s a great idea,” Steven’s mom says, her eyes sparkling. “What do you think, Jacob?”
“I love it.” He winks at his wife. “Those types of relationships are always so angsty.”
“Angsty?” Miles asks. “Where the heck would you just pull out a word like that?”
“Please say it isn’t so,” Wyatt groans. “Don’t tell me she’s got you hooked on her romance novels.”
Jacob throws his head back and guffaws. “Got you. Your mom talks in her sleep.”
All three boys groan, as if that’s actually worse than him reading romance novels.
“But I do like the friend and secret crush idea for a topic, Scarlett.” He grins at me. “It’s a lot more common than you think.”
Feeling like I’m in a movie with a really bad script, I let out a nervous giggle, not looking at any of the Bennett Brothers. “It is a common theme, isn’t it?”
“Very common,” Wyatt mumbles, grinning broadly.
I gently pull at my collar. My entire body is hot.
“Well. I’m umm…I’ll see you all later. Thank you for the idea.
” Swallowing hard, I whirl away and bump into something hard.
“Oh, I’m so sorry.” I say to one of Moretti's servers.
Without looking back, I forge ahead, needing to put as much distance between my best friend and his meddling family.
Deep chuckles and a few coughs come from behind me, but I don’t stop until I’m at the register. I pay, grab my lukewarm pizza, and head for the exit, ignoring the strange looks I’m getting from the other patrons.
Before stepping through the exit, I turn a wobbly smile at the family sitting in the corner. They all lift their hands and wave, bemused expressions on their faces, except Steven’s.
His is contemplative.
It’s a look I know all too well. The one he wears when he’s trying to put the pieces of a puzzle together.
And I’m a little afraid I’m the puzzle.