Page 63 of All I Need

“CAN WE STOP FOR FOOD?”

“I packed a cooler and a bunch of snacks. It’s in the back seat.”

“Cool. Thanks, man. I was starving.”

“It’s been a few hours since you demolished six eggs for breakfast. You were probably wasting away to nothing.”

“It felt like it,” Grayson mumbles, shoving a huge bite of sandwich into his mouth.

“Your dad going to make it, you think?”

He shrugs like he doesn’t care either way but I know better. “Dunno. He said he was going to try but I doubt it. He’s been kind of flaky or something lately.”

“Flaky how?”

“Just like, not really flaky, I guess. More secretive or something. It used to be when he’d Facetime me he’d be walking around the house or the yard, showing me things he’s done to the place but lately he just sits in one spot and doesn’t say a whole lot.”

“Maybe it’s just stress. Or, you know, his old age. He is about to turn forty, you know.”

“Like you have much room to talk. You’re thirty-five.”

I reach into the cooler and grab a soda, popping the top and taking a long drink before placing it in the cup holder. “Yeah, but I have the body of a thirty-year-old.” I flex my forearm in front of him and he shoves me away.

He pushes back into the seat like my arm is somehow offensive. “Gross.”

“How is that gross?” I ask, mock glaring at him.

“How is it not? Don’t talk about your body, man. That’s just… gross.”

“You said that already.”

“That’s because it is. Though,” he pauses, turning to me with a shit-eating grin. “I bet Ellie doesn’t think it’s gross.”

Just her name brings a smile to my face.

“Holy crap, Walker! Look at you.” he punches my shoulder before finishing off the rest of his sandwich and downing some Gatorade. “You’re all googly eyed over her.”

“I am not.”

“Are too.”

“Am…” Our childish argument is interrupted by the sound of his phone. He lifts it up, typing away as I slow down the pickup in the heavy Chicago traffic.

“It’s dad,” he mutters.

“And?”

“He said he’s gonna be there.”

“Yeah? Good. It’s been a while.” He’s quiet, head resting on the back of the seat and I wonder why he doesn’t seem more excited about it. “You don’t want him to join us?”

“It’s not that. It’s just… he almost acted like he was doing me a favor for coming. Like it was a burden.”

As much as I like the guy, hearing that makes me want to punch him right in the balls. How Grayson could ever be a burden to anyone is beyond me. I know I won’t be able to keep my mouth shut this weekend but I’ve learned when and where to do it. I’ll talk to Mick when it’s just the two of us. For now, I do what I do best, keep Grayson happy and say the words I know he needs to hear.

“You’d never be a burden to anyone, kid. He’s probably just distracted because of work and packing to get here for the game tonight.”

“Yeah, maybe.” He doesn’t seem convinced and the older he gets, the more he reads between the lines of his dad’s words and actions. Mick better figure his shit out soon or he’ll lose Grayson all together.

---