Page 196 of Most Valuable Players
“I love you, Heath.” He flinches. “I’m sorry if that’s too much for you to deal with, but I do, and I don’t want to just forget it.”
36
HEATH
“Ihaven’t been this hungover in years.” Mav drops on the couch and chugs half the Gatorade bottle in his hand with one long drink. “Getting drunk after being sick and hardly eating all week, I’ve basically got the tolerance of a high school chick.”
I’m silent and he nudges my foot on the coffee table. “What’s up with you? You’ve been quiet all morning.”
“I’m fine.”
“Girl fine or really fine?”
“I said I was fine.”
His brows lift and he smiles, but he drops it. He finishes off his drink and stands. “Ready to go to campus? I’m starving.”
“Let’s go out for breakfast today instead of the dining hall.”
“Yeah, that sounds rad. I want pancakes. Text Ginny and we can swing by and pick her up.”
“She doesn’t want to come.”
“What? Of course she does. I’ll text her.”
“No, don’t. We’re not… she’s…” Jesus, I can’t even finish a sentence that puts an end to whatever we were.
Maverick stops and the hand holding his phone falls to his side. “What the fuck did you do, Payne?”
I’d like to resent his automatic assumption that I’m at fault, but of course I am. I let out a giant sigh. “I’ll tell you over pancakes.”
* * *
He doesn’t pressme to talk until we’ve both got a heaping stack of pancakes on our plates. Only then does he ask what happened. I fill him in on last night, unable to eat more than a bite or two.
“That’s cold.”
“What was I supposed to say?”
“I’m not sure.” He shrugs and takes a large bite of his food. He looks thoughtful as he chews and then swallows. “You really think love is bullshit?”
“Don’t you?” If anyone would understand, I figured it’d be Maverick. His childhood was as fucked up as mine, just in a totally different way.
“No, man. Love is beautiful.”
“How the fuck would you know?” Damn, I need a muzzle lately. “Sorry, that came out wrong, but you know what I mean. Who’s ever said it to you and not screwed you over?”
“Well, you’ve never said it, but you love me and you’ve never screwed me over.”
“That’s not the same.”
“Isn’t it?”
“Not unless you’re over there thinking about me naked.”
His lips part and pull into a smile. “Relax, you’re not nearly kinky enough for me.”
“But seriously, man. You think there’s someone out there that’s capable of speaking the words to you and really meaning it? No strings, no ulterior motives, two people who care deeply and want to support one another?”
