Before I can answer, the back patio door slides open—my mom must’ve let them in.
“FAITH!!” Maya screams as she barrels into the yard at full sprint. My dad barely has time to react before she throws herself at me with a full-body, koala-bear hug.
“So good to see you!” I laugh, hugging her back.
April trails behind her, grinning.
Ever since she started dating Morgan, she’s gone from shy to radiant. Love looks good on her—like someone flipped the light on inside her soul.
“Hello, Mr. Easton!” April chirps, turning toward my dad. “I don’t know what Faith’s told you about Greene State, but I honestly don’t know what I’d do without her. Your daughter is precious. And since you raised her, I can only assume you’re amazing parents.”
“Yes,” Maya adds with a wink, completely deadpan. “And sexy, too. You guys havegreat genetics.”
My daddy—part-time preacher, full-time Southern gentleman—freezes. Opens his mouth. Shuts it. Honestly, it's kind of a thrill watching Maya short-circuit the man who once gave an entire sermon on purity and modesty.
That’s Maya for you. She’s not bi, technically. But she’s also notnotbi. She’s just… Maya. And she rocks.
We head back inside to the kitchen, where the rest of my friends are already chopping garlic and onions with my mom, like they’ve lived here all their lives.
April, Alex, and Maya are all gathered around the counter. DJ (Alex’s boyfriend) and Grant (Maya’s boyfriend) are handling the steak. Finn and Chris are balling up the ground beef and belting “That’s Amore” like it’s karaoke night.
My heart swells. There’s just something about being surrounded by your people—yourchosenpeople—that makes the rest of life’s chaos fade into the background. For now, at least.
“Yo, what’s up, Faith?” DJ calls out. “Really cool to see where you’re from.”
The other guys echo him, offering waves and smiles.
“Oh, Faith, could you open those cans of beans on the counter?” my mom asks.
“Of course.” I grab the can opener and join the action. “So—how was the drive?”
“It was wonderful,” April says. “We had two cars, so every time we took a break, we played musical chairs. It was a ten-hour drive, so we had to keep it entertaining.”
“Morgan couldn’t come?” I ask.
She shrugs. “He’s back with the team. Baseball stuff.”
“Holy crap, April!” Grant yells from the living room, flipping through channels. “Morgan’sstartingfor Seattle today. He’s going up against Jake Napleton.”
He turns back to us, eyes wide. “Like,theJake Napleton. Isn’t he like the GOAT of all pitchers?”
Daddy perks up, curious. “Wait just a minute. Y’all know Morgan Kennedy? That new prospect for Seattle?”
“I think SportsCenter was running a feature about him,” I say, thinking back to last night—right before they cut to Hunter.
“That’s April’s boyfriend, Daddy. He’s a couple years older and played at Greene State.”
April blushes, smiling with pride.
Daddy looks impressed. “How did you two meet?”
April’s cheeks goredder. “It’s a really long and complicated story,” she says.
I bite down on my lip to keep from laughing.
Because theactualstory? It starts with Maya having extremely loud, swinging-from-the-rafters makeup sex with Grant, locking April out of her dorm room, and ends with April having a one-night stand with Morgan…who turned out to be herbossat her internship.
So yeah. Definitelynota story Daddy needs to hear.
