Page 39 of Wild About You
I’m probably going to regret this in the light of the morning, but I find myself nodding. “No payment necessary. Consider it a favor. I will chill with her while you’re gone. Let’s just start there.”
12
LIVING WITH PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES IS THE WORST
TYLER
“Rise and shine.”I stand over Everly’s bed with a glass of water and Advil.
She winces and rolls over. Ash is on the other side. He nudges the mattress with his foot. “Morning, Little Sharpie.”
She glances between us. “What is going on?”
“Little family therapy session,” I say, and put the water and pills on her side table. “Get up. Put on your running shoes and meet us downstairs in five.”
“Living with professional athletes is the worst,” she mumbles, and puts the pillow over her face.
It’s ten minutes before she shows, but Everly comes downstairs dressed in sweats, eyes barely open. “You can’t really expect me to run this morning.”
“Sure, I can. Little sweat, a good breakfast, you’ll be good as new.”
Leo is waiting for us outside. He and Ash take off on our usual route, but I hang back with Everly. She falls into a slow jog next to me. I don’t say a word until we’re about a mile from the house.
“You scared the shit out of me last night.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“I’m not going to tell you not to drink because we both know I did when I was your age, but you have to be smart, Ev. You want to have a beer, fine. Do it surrounded by people you trust, not people who are going to let you take it too far and leave you God knows where, or worse, drive you home after they’ve been drinking alongside you.”
She stays quiet, but she doesn’t have that look on her face like she’s not listening to a word I’m saying, so progress.
“I ordered you a new phone. It’s on my plan so you don’t have to worry about it getting shut off again.”
“Thank you.”
“Why’d he shut it off anyway? I thought things were better with your dad?”
“They were for a while when he and Mom were trying to work things out, but since he moved back out, he’s flaky again.” Everly’s dad and our mom have had a roller coaster of a relationship since the beginning. They’re madly in love, they hate each other, they’re working it out, and on and on. Unfortunately, Ev is often put in the middle of their games.
“Well, this one is yours no matter what.”
She glances over at me. “You mean if you send me packing?”
“I’m not going to do that. You should know that by now, but we have to figure out a different way because I’m going to be gray or in cardiac arrest by the time I’m twenty-five.”
She snorts and rolls her eyes.
“We leave tonight for Vegas. I’ll be back late Tuesday night.”
“Okay. Got it. Declan will be checking in on me, I assume?”
“No. Declan is playing Tuesday.”
I get a genuine smile out of her. “Really? That’s awesome. I can’t wait to watch him play. He says he’s the best player on the team.”
“I bet he does,” I say with a chuckle. “It’s great news but it means that when I’m traveling, I don’t have anyone to look in on you.”
“I promise I won’t go out drinking again. It was one time.” She places a hand on her stomach and winces. “Trust me.”
