Page 175 of Most Valuable Players
“So, spill,” he says eventually when he’s done with the rundown on dinner entrees and cake tasting. “What’d you think of Kevin?”
“He was fine.” I shrug even though Nathan can’t see it. “Mom’s happy so that’s good, right?”
“Yeah, I guess so. It’s weird seeing her with someone else though. No matter how nice he is.”
I hum my agreement.
“Are you still calling her and checking in to see how she’s doing?”
“Nah. I mean, we chat every other week or so, but she doesn’t need me to do that anymore. She’s got Kevin, plus Uncle Doug is still checking on her.”
“Yeah, I guess. Chloe and I are going to fly up to have Thanksgiving with her. Bummed you can’t make it.”
“I’m sure you guys will make the most of it.” We’ve got a game on Saturday, so it’ll just be another Thursday around here, although the extra days off school are nice.
“I could never make her smile like you could. Remember that time we went to the water park in Wisconsin?”
I smile, knowing exactly where he’s going with the story.
“She got up on the top of that big slide and she wouldn’t budge. The line was backed up and people were yelling for her to hurry up. There were six-year-old kids going down that thing.”
“She hates heights,” I say.
“Yeah. I’m not even sure why she attempted it in the first place.”
“Because I was too scared to go on my own and you were whining about me tagging along with you and that guy you used to hang out with…”
“Lee,” he fills in.
I nod. “She came up there for me. I knew she was scared too but I didn’t care.”
“Dude, you were like nine.”
“I still knew it was a bad idea.”
“You sang to her, at the top of your lungs, the whole way back down the line.”
“I had to scream so she could hear me over all the people yelling at us.”
He laughs.
I’m smiling now, but I was so embarrassed at the time and Nathan made fun of me for weeks.
“You were always good at calming her down, being her rock. You still are. She might be doing better, but there’s no one that can make her as happy as you. Call her.”
When I get off the phone with Nathan, I send her a text checking in and promise myself I’ll call her tomorrow. With my gift card in hand, I walk out into the living room. Everyone’s back from campus, and Adam has parked himself back in his guard dog position between the door and my room.
I toss the gift card on the coffee table. “I was going to order pizza and get the new Call of Duty. You guys in?”
“Oh, no way.” Rauthruss picks up the card. “Rad, man. I’m in.”
We both look to Adam and he shrugs his big shoulders. I guess that’s a start.
29
GINNY
Hottest guy on campus: Hey, gorgeous. Why aren’t you in my bed?
