We finally get a night to relax and cut loose on Friday. Our next game isn’t until Sunday, so Coach gave us tomorrow morning off to rest up. We have a big push until the end of the season to make the wildcard cutoff for a chance at the playoffs, so a night to chill is exactly what we all need.
Ash tosses me a beer. I catch it and hand it back. “I have to take Everly to a friend’s house first.”
On cue, she comes downstairs with a bag slung over one shoulder, hugging her pillow to her chest. She looks around at the guys and girls already over, drinking and hanging out. “Figures you guys throw a party the first time I’m leaving for the night.”
I take her bag from her, and Ash throws his arm around her shoulder. “We aren’t having a party because you’re leaving, Little Sharpie. It’s just convenient timing. Want a shot before you go?”
I glare at him, sending him chuckling and stepping back.
“Kidding. Have fun.”
Ev and I start out the door. Jack is walking up the drive. He eyes the bag and pillow. “Where are you two going?”
“Tyler is dropping me off at a party.”
Jack stops in front of her, one dark brow raised. His gaze slides to me. “An overnight party?”
Everly rolls her eyes. “I swear, it’s like I have a whole team of big brothers. I’m eighteen, not eight. Besides, this place is far less kid-friendly than where I’m going tonight.”
“Except we can’t keep an eye on you there,” he says. He crosses his arms over his chest. Jack is an intimidating guy when he wants to be, and right now he wants to be. “Is your loser boyfriend going to be at this party?”
Instead of answering she steps around him and heads to my car.
“You didn’t answer my question,” Jack yells after her. When she flips him off without looking back, he grins and slides his gaze to me. “Are you coming back?”
“Yeah.”
He nods, gives Everly another glance, and then continues inside.
Everly’s friend Grace doesn’t live too far. I pull up to the house and kill the engine.
“Please don’t come in,” she says as she opens the door.
Relenting, I stay in my seat. “If you need anything, call me.”
“I already promised Piper I would text her if I wanted to leave.”
“I was actually thinking more along the lines of you burning the house down and needing me to drive the getaway car.”
“Ha, ha,” she says, and then sticks her tongue out at me.
She hurries away from the car. I wait until someone opens the door and Everly steps inside before I pull away from the curb.
An hour later, I’m sitting in the living room with my teammates and their friends. I haven’t had a lot of time for branching out to meet new people, but right now the person I’d like to see is nowhere around.
I’m slowly working on my first beer as I wait for Piper to show up. I told her to take the night off since I was free, but I obviously didn’t think that through because I assumed she’d stick around for the party at our house.
“Have you seen Piper?” I ask Ash when I see him playing video games on the couch with Leo.
“No, not since this morning. Why?”
“Nothing. I haven’t seen her either.”
“She’s probably enjoying her night off. Like you should be doing.” He tips his head toward my mostly full beer.
Jack’s sitting on the chair closest to me, not playing but watching them. A girl is perched on his lap and one hand rests on her thigh. “Looks like our little stunt at the school worked?”
“I guess so. She made a friend.”
His nod is slow, and he takes a long swallow of his beer before he says, “Good for her.”
Scarlett arrives a little later. Leo hands me the controller so he can say hello to his girl by attacking her mouth.
I sit and play, but as soon as they come up for air, I ask, “Have you heard from Piper tonight?”
Scarlett shakes her head. “I talked to her earlier. Why?”
“She’s not here.”
“Is she supposed to be?” Scarlett asks with a smile. “She said something about going out to dinner. Do you want me to text her?”
“The boyfriend,” I mutter. Fuck. I keep forgetting about that dickwad.
Scarlett’s gaze narrows and she bites the corner of her lip before saying, “Yeah, maybe. I’m sure she has her phone if you need something.”
“Nah.” I stand and thrust the controller back at Leo. “I don’t need anything.”
I bounce around the house, saying hey to everyone and keeping one eye on the door. I should have asked her to hang out tonight. Would it have stopped her from going to see him? Maybe not, but at least I wouldn’t be standing here wondering.
Declan and Maverick are playing pool in the game room. The latter steps up to me and offers me a wrist bump.
“Ty, my man. You’re just in time. Declan is kicking my ass. I can’t take any more.”
I take the pool stick when he hands it to me and nod toward the Mad Dog bottle sticking out of the back of his jeans pocket.
“I think it might have something to do with that,” I say, pointing the cue toward it.
“If you mean I haven’t had nearly enough yet, you’re absolutely right.” He takes the bottle, unscrews the cap, and takes a long drink.
Chuckling, Declan rounds the table and asks, “Do you want to break?”
“Nah, go for it.”
“Let’s make it interesting,” Maverick says. “Every sunk ball earns someone a drink.”
“Fine by me.” Declan shrugs and looks at me.
“I changed my mind. I want to break.” I move to the end of the table and rack the balls.
The music is going, more people are starting to show up. By the time I rack the balls and set to break, we have an audience of three girls.
Maverick might be happily married, but he’s never met a stranger. They gravitate to him, and he chats them up. Which is good because neither Declan nor I give them more than a nod and hello.
I sink the first three balls. Declan drinks after each one. I move robotically dropping ball after ball. Thoughts of Piper on her date have me in some sort of trance.
“Eight ball to the left pocket,” I say without even realizing I’ve just run the table. It isn’t until I stand tall and everyone is looking at me that it hits me. “Guess I won.”
Maverick laughs and comes over to slap me on the shoulder. “Damn. That was impressive. Another round?”
“Maybe later. I have something I need to do.”
I drop my beer in the kitchen, grab my keys, and then text Piper on my way to my car, Need to talk to you. Where are you?
She responds immediately. Having dinner at Pink Mamas. Is everything okay? Did Everly call?
I don’t feel the least bit bad for her thinking something is up with Ev. Not right now when she’s with him. She doesn’t belong with him.
She texts again as I’m driving, but I don’t look. I push the car downtown to the restaurant with the pink neon light in the window. I stop at the valet and toss my keys. It’s a nice place. Somewhere I wish I’d brought her.
I bypass the hostess stand and weave through the tables until I spot her. She’s in a corner booth. Her back is to me, but I swear even from behind one look at her knocks the air from me. Her long, brown hair hangs down her back. She laughs and gives me her profile, and I hate him for making her look so happy.
I let my gaze go to the guy across from her, sizing him up. Light brown hair, glasses, smaller than me but still built. He tosses a playful smile at her, then tips his head back and laughs at something she said.
For a flash I question if maybe she does belong with him, but I squash it as quick as it comes. She can’t because she belongs with me and I’m not interested in sharing.
My legs eat the space between us. I stop at the end of the table, ignoring the guy and facing Piper.
“Tyler,” she squeaks in surprise. “What are you doing here? Is Everly okay?”
“She’s fine,” I assure her. “I’m here for me.”
Her brows draw together. “For you?”
“I don’t know him”—I jab my thumb toward the direction of her boyfriend—“but I know you’re wasting your time on anyone that isn’t me.”
Her brows lift and her body tenses. “Is that right?”
“Yeah. And you can be pissed at me for saying it, but I think deep down you know it’s true.”
I’m not done, but I stop to give her a chance to speak. I’m putting it all out there. We’ve been dancing around it for weeks, and I’m done pretending she isn’t everything.
