Page 21 of Top Shelf

CHAPTERTEN

tyson

“Sorry,what?”my brother Tate asks as I help him load football equipment into his truck. He’s the offensive coordinator here at Crooked Creek High. Our pops is a Crooked Creek legend, the winningest high school football coach in the state. Tate played for him, then played in college at the University of Maryland, and then came back here to coach with Dad. They love it. I teach history here, so I usually get roped into helping set up for practice or whatever else they need me to do.

The truth is, us Calways just like being around each other.

It’s something I never really realized was out of the ordinary until I got older. That my siblings are some of my best friends. That I enjoy nights in with them more than I ever enjoyed going out or getting crazy.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good party. But if you told me I had one night left to live, I’d be on the back patio of my dad’s house, holding one niece in each hand while my sisters and brother sat around with my dad, laughing and talking.

Tate throws the last of the cones into the back of his truck and slams it shut, spinning around to me dramatically. We’re almost the exact same size. He’s four years old than me, but as we aged, we got mistaken for twins all the time. Both with the same dark hair and tan skin our mom had. The only real difference is that Tate has green eyes, like our mom did. I have the Calway browns.

“You’re pretendingwhat?”he asks again. The expression on his face is a mix between amused and completely shocked. He crosses his arms over his chest.

“You heard me,” I chuckle, rubbing the back of my head.

“How the absolutefuckdid that happen?” he asks. “I mean, part of me wants to laugh because it might as well be fifteen fucking years ago. But part of me also wants to whack you over the head for playingthiskind of a game with the one girl who completely fucked you up.”

Our eyes meet again.

Ah, yes, there’s my protective big brother.

Tate is the quietest one of us all. He always has been. He’s really only ever outspoken when he needs to be, like on a football field. He’s not shy, necessarily, just an introvert. But when he has something to say to one of us siblings, he says it. Loud and clear. He doesn’t give off that much affects him, but he takes his role as the oldest pretty seriously. And the truth is, we needed it. When our mom died, our dad went dark for a while. And Tate gave up what could have been a much longer career in football to be there for us.

He started coming home from school a lot, commuting to class instead of staying in the team dorms. It eventually cost him his starting position. Dad always says he had a chance to play in the NFL. And he blames himself for Tate missing that shot.

Tate says he has no regrets.

“I know, I know,” I say with a shrug. “But what was I supposed to do? This guy…I’m telling you, Tate, he’s a fucking asshole. He fucking followed her across the country to torment her instead of just giving her a divorce.”

Tate whistles and shakes his head.

“Yeah, that’s not okay,” he says. “But this…”—he motions to me—“this could be a lot, Ty. You sure you can keep it straight?”

I smile and flap my hand, as if to saynoproblem.

“I got this,” I say. He rolls his eyes.

“Well,” he says, clapping my shoulder, “I’ll be here no matter what. If you’re happy, I’m happy.”

I smile as he walks around to the driver’s side door.

“But good luck explaining this to our sisters,” he says with a wink before he gets in the truck and peels off. I chuckle and shake my head, making my way to my own truck. He’s right. He might be a little more level-headed and forgiving as the brother. But my sisters? They’ll be ruthless.

They don’t forgive and forget so easily.

But maybe this will all be over with before they even know.

Just as I’m pulling out of my spot, my phone rings.

Fuck.

“Hello, lovely sister of mine,” I say in my sweetest voice.

“Don’t you ‘lovely sister’ me, you dumbass,” my older sister Demi says over the phone.Goddammit, Tate.I laugh.

“I take it our dear brother gave you a call,” I say.

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