“You should hear it from him.”
“You suck.”
“Love you too, sis. Just so you know, Javi just asked Bailey when you’re going to come. He saved a Jell-O for you,” Henry says, and even if whatever Hunter’s about to tell me makes me upset, it’s not going to stop me from going to the hospital.
“I’ll be there are soon as I’m done with whatever this is. Are you sure you can’t give me a hint?”
He clears his throat, and this doesn’t make me feel good. “Sorry, I can’t.”
“Thanks. I guess I’ll see you in a bit,” I say dryly, wondering when life is going to be calm again.
“We’ll be here,” Henry says before hanging up.
It seems like Hunter and I have been doing nothing except grasping at the knot tying us together. I love him, but we justcan’t seem to catch a break. Part of it’s my fault after the ripples I caused by deferring.
But we’re past that. Things are supposed to be good now.
I’m trying to forget how weird it felt yesterday with Bailey. Maybe it’s finally time for me to come clean with Hunter about what happened between Bailey and me in high school, but it’s been so long. I don’t want to drive a bigger wedge between the twins than I already have.
I’m not feeling much better by the time I’ve parked next to Thalia’s SUV. I reach for my necklaces, separating the chains from where they got tangled in my braid as I walk up the stairs to the front door.
It’s been years since I’ve knocked on their front door, but I hear the arguing the second I walk in.
“—didn’t ask you to do this! Why didn’t you say anything?”
Holy shit, that’s JJ.What the hell did Hunter do to make him so upset?
“Because you would’ve told me not to,” Hunter says, sounding far more levelheaded.
“Hunt, you should have talked to us first. What if the transfer waiver doesn’t work, and you have to ride the bench for a year?” Sebastian says, and I stop in my tracks.
Transfer waiver? What the fuck did Hunter do?
“Then I support the team from the bench. The head coach at Beaumont called me himself this morning to offer me a spot on the team even if I’m not able to get the waiver, and I said yes. It’s already done, Dad,” he says, and I wonder if this is how Hunter felt when I said I was deferring. Except my deferment wasn’t taking me all the way to the other side of the country.
When did he decide this?
I feel awful even thinking it, but is this supposed to be payback?
“This is about your future,” Thalia adds, and I step into the doorway to see Hunter with his arms crossed over his chest as he leans against the counter.
“I’m aware it’s about my future. You also told me when I committed to Oceanside that it didn’t matter where I went to school. I wasn’t going to tell you about it until I heard about the transfer waiver, because I didn’t want to freak anyone out without the full picture. I didn’t know they were going to announce it so fast.”
“Take it back. Tell Oceanside you’re staying, andtake it back,” JJ says, a hard edge to his voice.
“I can’t, and even if I could, I’m not going to. How many times did you ask me last year to transfer?”
I knew JJ had mentioned it a few times to Hunter, but he always laughed it off when we talked about it. I didn’t know it was something he ever considered.
“You haven’t let him explain,” Marley says, and JJ steps into my line of sight, moving to stand in front of Hunter.
“Did you only do this because I’m a drug addict? Because you’re afraid I’m going to relapse?”
“Honestly? Yeah, but it’s not the only reason,” Hunter says, looking him in the eye. “I miss playing with you, JJ. You don’t have to like my decision, but you’re my big brother, and I want to be there for you. I should’ve done it months ago when I got in. I’m sorry I didn’t.”
This doesn’t really seem like a great time to interrupt.
“I want you there because youwantto be at Beaumont, but I don’t need you there to be my babysitter. If you had asked, I would’ve told you that all I need is for you to believe I can stay clean, and I’ll be honest if I’m having a hard day.”
