Page 32 of Empty Net

A loud laugh bursts out of him, and I flinch at the sudden noise, grabbing my head as the throb moves right through me again. The room spins once more, and yet again, I regret my choice to drink so much last night.

“Shit. Sorry,” Fox says.

“It’s okay. It’s not like I didn’t know what I was doing drinking that much.”

“If it makes you feel any better at all, Lawson was the first to vomit at practice today.”

I smile. “You know what? Thatdoesmake me feel better.”

“Keller did, too.” He laughs lightly. “So, how are you really feeling after last night?”

“Well, my stomach is killing me, and as delicious as this breakfast is, there’s a really good chance it’s going to wind up in my toilet later.”

“That’s…unfortunate. But I meant the whole your-mother-thinking-we’re-dating thing.”

“Oh. That.”

He chuckles. “Yeah, that. How, uh, how are you feeling about it this morning? Want to renege on it?”

Yes!

It’s the first thing to pop into my head, and I realize how true it is. I absolutely do want to take it all back. But…I can’t seem to find it in me to say so. The pros of this agreement far outweigh the negatives. Especially since I woke up to no less than four texts from my mother this morning about my new boyfriend. She’s clearly already invested in this. We have to see it through now.

“I’m good with it. Are you still okay with it? Want to back out after seeing my ass this morning?”

If I thought his cheeks got red before, it’s nothing compared to now, and I experience entirely too much satisfaction while observing it as I sip my coffee calmly, watching him squirm under my gaze.

“I, uh, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have looked.”

Even though I should expect it, it’s somehow the last thing I thought he’d say.

“Kind of hard not to at that point, yeah?”

He clears his throat, moving from one foot to the other. “Still. If my mama knew…” He shakes his head. “It wasn’t very gentlemanly of me.”

I shrug. “It’s fine. I’m sure your mama would have understood.”

He smiles warmly. “Honestly, yeah. She probably would have laughed.”

“Do you have a good relationship with her?”

“I do. She’s the best. I know it’s not ‘cool’ for a guy to love his mother—the guys tease me for it all the time, even though some of them are total mama’s boys themselves—but I love mine. She’s too amazing for me not to, you know?”

I don’t know, actually. My relationship with my mother is rocky at best. But I’m glad it’s not like that for Fox. I think it would break my heart if that were the case. He’s too good of a person to have shitty parents like mine.

“That’s actually who I was talking to last night before you came out on the balcony. I was calling my family. Tradition and all.”

“That’s really sweet, Fox.”

He shrugs like it’s no big deal, but to me, it is a big deal. I would kill for a relationship like that with my parents. I wish the two people who should love me unconditionally actually did, wish they didn’t put all the expectations on me that they do. I wish I were enough for them.

I take another drink of my coffee to swallow down that realization, then stuff another fried piece of potato in my mouth while Fox finishes his sandwich. I still can’t believe he brought me food and came over to check on me. It’s further proof that we don’t belong together. He thought about taking care of me today while all I thought about was my missing Louboutins and which app I’ll use to order dinner.

“Anyway,” Fox says, pushing off the counter, wadding up his wrapper, and tossing it into the paper sack. “I just wanted to stop over and make sure you were good and didn’t need me to take you to the hospital for one of those IV things to rejuvenate you.”

That honestly doesn’t sound like a bad idea. I could probably use that right now.

I wrap up my sandwich, saving it for later, and hop off the stool. “Thank you. You really didn’t need to come over, but I appreciate it.”

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