I glanced at Maisie again, speaking more to her than I was to Brody. “Gage asked me to come around to the rink, so I might see you there.”
She inclined her chin in acknowledgment, that soft smile lingering on the corners of her lips as she lifted those green eyes to mine. “We’ll talk. Thanks again for today.”
“Bye, Callum!” Brody called when Maisie started the car and waved at me before she eased out of her parking spot.
I just stood there for a minute, watching her navigate the packed parking lot before finally disappearing around the bend. By the time I was in my own car and cruising down the highway, I knew I needed to get my head straight before dinner, so on a whim, I called Gage.
He answered on the second ring. “What’s up, bro? I thought you were embarrassing yourself on the green today?”
“Been there, done that,” I joked, but I sounded distracted, even to my own ears. “We only played nine holes, so we’re done.”
“Ah, I see. Your stamina isn’t what it used to be?”
I laughed. “My stamina is just fine. It’s good to know how supportive you would’ve been if it wasn’t, though.”
“Hey, I wouldn’t have been able to relate, but I would’ve offered to buy you a drink to commiserate. Although I hear alcohol makes it worse.” I practically heard the shrug in his tone.“What’s going on, then? You kind of sound like you’re about to either confess a crime or declare your undying love.”
“Nah, it’s none of that, but I, uh, I think Maisie might be the one.”
My heart pounded against my ribs. The landscape outside the car blurred with the intensity of my focus at the road dead ahead. There was a long beat of silence. Then he let out a low whistle. “MaisieMorgan? You mean you finally landed her? I suppose I shouldn’t be so surprised, though. God knows, it took you long enough.”
I frowned at the windshield. “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t play dumb.” He chuckled. “You had a huge crush on her back at Cal Poly. She was literally the only girl on campus who wasn’t interested in you, so naturally, she’s who you wanted.”
I scoffed. “I don’t remember that.”
Except it wasn’t the truth anymore. After blocking her memory for years, I totally remembered her now. Maisie in the library, hunched over a pile of books, never sparing me more than a polite nod while every other girl tried to grab a seat at my table. I also remembered thinking she was too serious, too focused, and that it made her off limits.
Gage snorted. “Sure, of course, you don’t remember. I mean, why would Callum Westwood have liked the only girl in school who presented a challenge? It’s ridiculous. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
I ignored that. “Either way, things are different now. I feel like we could be good together. Brody’s a great kid too.”
My friend finally sobered at the mention of the kid’s name, the humor and teasing vanishing from his tone. “Don’t you think that’ll be a problem with your family? They’re not crazy about complications, are they? I distinctly remember you saying that they like things to be a certain way, and only that way.”
“Please. Have you met my family? We eat complications for breakfast.”
Yet, as the access gates of the family estate came into view, ornate metal and ivy breaking up the ten-foot walls around the property, I wondered if that was true. My grip tightened on the steering wheel and I groaned.
“Okay, maybe you’re right. Maybe Brody’s existence will be a complication, but I can handle it.” The gates swung open in front of me and I swallowed hard. “I just need to figure out the best way to break the news.”
CHAPTER 14
MAISIE
Georgia tucked her legs under her as she sank into the chair beside mine on the porch, a glass of sweet tea in her hand. Brody’s laughter rang out as he sped around the cul-de-sac with the neighbor kids, all of them running wild with bikes and scooters.
With the sun slowly starting to dip on the horizon and the scent of barbecue hanging in the air from the neighbor’s yard, I felt like I could finally let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. My chest still felt tight though, like Callum’s presence had rewired the very air I was breathing and my body was struggling to reverse the after-effects.
Georgia nudged me with her elbow. “Okay, spill. You’ve got that look on your face like you’ve just stolen an entire chocolate cake from your grandma’s house.”
I groaned, tilting my head back against the porch railing. I watched Brody play in the quiet street with his friends. “It’s not like that.”
“Sure, of course, it’s not. Your grandma lives in Michigan and we don’t have any cake, so why exactly do you look guilty and giddy at the same time?”
“Because I feel both of those things,” I admitted. “Callum, Brody, and I spent the day together. Being around him is exhilarating and awful at the same time. Does that make sense?”
“No.”
