“May.”
“Boy or girl?”
“No idea—Charlotte and I want it to be a surprise.”
“Nice.” I nod, glancing over her shoulder. “Amy with you?”
I’ve been missing my mentee and her soothing presence, especially considering how stressed I’ve been. But if I can just hold it together and make sure we win all our final games, I’ll be able to make up for lost time with her in April—without skipping any practice.
“Nope. I’m guessing she’s at the shop.”
“With her new BFF?” I frown, and that seems to surprise her.
“I thought you liked Ronny?”
“Sure. I’m talking about Esteban, though…”
Raven’s eyebrows shoot up. “I’m sorry—what?”
Guess that makes two of us in the anti-Esteban fan club.
“Esteban?” she presses. “As in, Brooklyn Esteban?”
“Why do I feel like I just fucked up…”
“What the hell is he doing here?”
A flush blossoms over her cheeks as her lips narrow, and the way she’s looking at me reminds me so much of Firebird.
“I have no idea,” I say helplessly.
Something’s telling me I should keep quiet.
Raven starts panting hard, and I’m suddenly scared she’s about to give birth right here in the mall.
“Should I go get you a chair?”
“Go get me a shotgun.”
“Ravy?” Charlotte’s head pops up over the aisle. “Are you okay?”
Her eyes drift over to me, and she gives me a quick wave before rushing over to her wife.
“Esteban is in town,” Raven gasps.
The two women exchange knowing glances, and I shift on my feet. What is goingon? And who even is this guy? Something in Raven’s tone is making me nervous.
“We need to go home. Now.” She tosses the shoes she was holding on the nearest shelf. “I need to speak to my sister.”
I watch as the pair of them stalk out of the store, and I pay for my sneakers, my mind racing as I head back to the car. I know Raven is super protective of Amy, but still… The way she acted back there was weird. I’m pretty sharp—when we went to fetch the Dodge back from New York, it was clear Firebird mixes with a lot of random people, and when I saw Esteban standing there with her that day, alarm bells were ringing. And now they’re getting louder.Fuck.With the game coming up, I can’t afford distractions like this.
Amy’s made so much progress since she moved here, though, I remind myself. And I know how to rein her in if she starts spinning out of control.She’s got this. Or at least, that’s what I tell myself as I head to the gym. I’m guessing the butterflies in my stomach are to do with the game. I always get a little edgy—that’s my normal. I force myself to focus back on my breathing and the match, repeating over and over to myself that nothing else matters right now. But it’s not working, and when the buzzer goes off over the court, all I can think about is Amy.
And that’s a problem.
24AMY
Amy Hitman!”
