He gives Boone a brief, hard hug. “Welcome to the family. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my brother as happy as this. Thank you for that.”
The door slams again. Hopper shivers. “We really need to get that fixed.”
His eyes light up when Anders Bash walks into the space. Anders, known for his joking ways, crosses the space and pulls Hopper into a tight hug, touching his forehead to Hopper’s.
They need no words.
The others stand as the friends commune with each other, silent tears falling.
They part, and Hopper gestures toward Boone. “My son is beautiful, is he not?”
“Yourson?”
Maverick is standing there, bags in hand, an art portfolio tucked under his arm, mouth agape, and a deep, horrible pain in his eyes.
Wordlessly, he sets down the bags and leans the portfolio against the wall. Then walks out the door, taking the air out of the room with him.
24
MAVERICK
I hitthe sidewalk at a run, my heart exploding in my chest.
Yesterday had been…amazing. Between the purple belt and Boone kissing me, coming with me, I felt like, for the first time, I actually had something that was mine. The beginning of something special.
Then I had such a good conversation with Pauly that I’d foolishly allowed myself to think I was building a life I could be proud of.
The car unlocks automatically as I approach—because I’m wearing the bracelet my dad had to make for me, so I’d stop losing my keys—and Boone shouts, “Rune! Wait!”
He quickly makes up the distance between us, breathless as he approaches.
“My name isMaverick,” I remind him, opening the driver’s side door. “And you’ve been lying to me.”
Boone looks stricken.Good.
He starts to nod, and Hopper joins us.
The resemblance is so obvious now.
I really am very stupid.
But…why?
So many thoughts hit me all at once that the words stall on my tongue.
“Is that why you finally slept with me? Because you knew you were going to do this?”
Guess I do have the words after all.
“Absolutely not,” Boone rushes to say, eyes swinging between Hopper and me. “You make all of this so much more complicated.”
Ouch.
Fucking…ouch.
With this level of notoriety and money comes people who pretend to be your friend or your lover just for clout. That, I’m used to. He could’ve said he used me to get to Hopper, and I would’ve gotten it. But the worst thing he could’ve said in this moment, the absolute worst thing he could’ve said, is that I’m thecomplication.
Because I’m always the complication.
