Page 10 of A Little Complicated

My mom scans the boxes littering the family room and orders, “Theo, why don’t you go pick up some breakfast for us while I help Lia—”

“Nope,” I interrupt. “I love you guys, but I think it’s time you got out of here.” I push my parents toward the door, adding, “I can unpack on my own like the strong, independent woman you raised me to be, and if you don’t leave now, you’ll be late for Tatum’s piano recital.”

“Your little sister would kill us if we missed it,” my mom agrees. “Although, we were hoping to stop by to say hello to the boys.”

“You really think the boys want to be woken up this early on a Saturday?” I challenge.

“Good point.” Mom follows my lead and pushes my dad toward the door, but he half-heartedly resists before giving in like a great, big teddy bear.

“Fine.” He slaps the brim of the hat I stole from him. “You can keep the hat.”

I bat my lashes and give him a syrupy-sweet smile. “Aw. It’s cute you thought I’d give it back in the first place.”

With a grunt, he hugs me goodbye, and my mom does the same, giving me one final squeeze as we all head outside. The sun is shining brightly in the sky despite it being relatively early. I lift my head, basking in its warmth as my parents walk to the midnight blue truck in the driveway.

“See you soon!” I call.

“Love you!” My mom waves as they climb into the truck, pull onto the street, and leave me in blissful silence.

Well, other than the birds.

Yup. They’re chirping in the trees lining the sidewalk and acting like the cherry on top of a pretty picturesque morning. It makes me feel like I’m Snow White, and if I didn’t have neighbors, I might start whistling. Basking in my excitement, I stretch my arms out and lift my head toward the sky again.

Hello, freedom.

Hello, future.

Hello, college life.

2

MAVERICK

Scrubbing my hand over my tired face, I kick a stray red Solo cup littering the floor and make my way down the hall.

I shouldn’t have partied last night.

I’m hungover and feel like shit.

My head throbs. The party is a blur, but at least I woke up alone. Or maybe it would’ve been better if I hadn’t. Then again, the idea of hooking up with someone makes the tequila in my stomach churn, so I shove the thought aside.

When I reach the family room, I catch my buddy, Reeves, looking out the front window with a coffee cup clutched to his chest. The guy appears as hungover as I feel. His body is slumped, bags are under his eyes, and his lids are hooded as he takes a sip of coffee.

With my shoulder pressed against the doorjamb, I grunt my greeting to him. “Fuck tequila.”

“Dude, come here,” he orders.

“What is it?”

He tilts his head toward the window but doesn’t stop staring at whatever is outside. “Just come look.”

Pushing away from the doorjamb, I stride toward him and glance out the crack between the dusty, white blinds. There’s a girl in jean shorts with toned legs and a white cropped top. Strawberry blonde curls spill beneath a black hat and hang down her back as she looks up at the sky. My mouth goes dry in an instant.

“Fuck,” Reeves breathes out. “Am I right?”

Slapping his hand away from the blinds, I force the view of my front yard to disappear. “Don’t waste your time.”

“Why not?’

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