Page 88 of Anti Player

He reaches over and gives me a hug. “Thanks, baby.” I rub his back and then suck back my tears. “You must be hungry. Let’s have lunch.”

While I’m making lunch, Kaleb sends me a text.

Kaleb:Do you need anything for the flight tomorrow?

Me:We have to cancel our trip. Can’t go.

Clearly Brett wasn’t in touch with him either.

A few moments later there are two knocks on the door and Kaleb walks into the apartment.

“Hello,” he calls out.

“We’re here,” I holler from the couch.

His hair is wet and he’s wearing a pair of joggers and a T-shirt. When I look at his feet, I realize he’s barefoot.

“Kaleb,” Asher says excitedly, and he runs toward Kaleb. My son collides into Kaleb and hugs him.

“Hi, buddy.” Kaleb hugs him back and ruffles his hair, but it’s the concern in his dark eyes that guts me.

“What happened? Are you and Asher okay?”

“Asher, can you go play in your room and give the adults a minute to talk?” I ask.

My son doesn’t like to be sent away with Kaleb here.

“Okay, Mommy.” He frowns.

“I won’t be long,” I assure him, and he nods with his head bowed walking to his room. The fact that these boys have gotten so close shouldn’t be a problem because Kaleb is a friend of my family, but it is a problem since I’ve grown feelings for him.

With Asher out of earshot, I reply, “Asher is fine. It’s me who is feeling all messed up.”

“Talk to me, Maddie. You’re scaring me,” he says.

“My father is dying,” I blurt. “Brett and Henry are both back home together. My dad wants to get sober now that he’s in liver failure.” A manic laugh escapes me because of the irony of this whole situation.

“Shit, Maddie, I’m sorry. I know you guys have all kinds of mixed-up feelings where your dad is concerned,” he says thoughtfully and he takes a seat beside me.

“I do. We do, but my brothers have decided to help him, and it doesn’t feel right that I should be here when they’re there,” I confess. We’ve always been a team when they weren’t trying to protect my ass or act like my father.

“You want to go home,” Kaleb surmises solemnly.

“Yes, no, I don’t know.” I throw my hands up in the air, and Kaleb leans over and gathers me in his arms. It’s then I feel the prick of tears. When have I ever had a man I could really talk to about my problems? None of my boyfriends were ever supportive in this way.He’s not your boyfriend,the voice in my head reminds.

“It’s going to be okay. I don’t know if there’s a right or wrong answer here,” Kaleb states. His response takes some of the pressure off because my brothers clearly feel adamant about helping our old man.

He holds me as I fall apart, as my emotions get the best of me. I always dreamed of my father being a better man. I’d see my friend’s families with their kind parents and how they were like a unit, and I craved that feeling. I prayed for my dad to getsober but it never happened and when I left the house, I realized it never would. I made peace with it.

My cell rings and I pull from Kaleb’s embrace, even though I felt like I never wanted to leave his arms. It’s Rebel.

“Hi, Rebel,” I say.

“How are you?” she asks.

Because I’m such a mess, and she seems like a super nice person, I reply, “I’ve been better. I don’t think Asher and I are going to make it to Florida.”

“Oh no, what happened?” she asks.

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