Page 94 of Anti Player

I get off the swing. “Would you like me to push you on the swing?” I offer.

“Yeah.” He bobs his head.

I push him fast and bubbles of laughter escape him. When I look over to Maddie, she keeps swiping at tears. We spend a good twenty minutes at the park and then we walk back to the Nobles’. I should be feeling a lot worse than I am, but Asher holds my hand and there is something in his support that makes me feel like my mom doesn’t really matter anymore. I’ve always had a family; they just aren’t blood related.

CHAPTER

TWENTY-FIVE

Madison

It’s been almost a week that we’ve been back home. We are allowed to go see Dad tomorrow and I have mixed feelings after hearing what happened with Kaleb’s mom. Kaleb has been guarded since we’ve been home, which is understandable with my brothers around, but I miss his arms around me. I miss making love to him, but what really gutted me was the day Asher went running after Kaleb after he witnessed his mom saying a bunch of mean things to him. He told Kaleb he loved him, and my heart cracked down the middle because it was so honest and pure. He could just blurt his feelings because he feels safe with Kaleb. Only I can’t do the same. Kaleb said he never wants to settle down. He clearly feels like he is one of Asher’s uncles, just like my brothers. I don’t think he would want to be a father. He so much as told me so.

I get a notification on my phone. It’s an email from the culinary school in Texas. It says congratulations in the subject line and my heart kicks up pace. Is it congratulations you were accepted or congratulations you got the scholarship? Because without the scholarship I can’t attend that school. My blood rushes in my veins as I read.

Dear Ms. Noble,

We are delighted to announce that you are our Mercier Scholarship winner for this upcoming school year. You have two weeks to reply to this letter. As you know the scholarship includes your full tuition, as well as living expenses for the year.

Congratulations on this achievement,

We look forward to hearing from you,

The Team at the Bourdais School of Culinary Arts

I begin to jump up and down and dance. I run down the stairs and find my brother on the floor of the family room playing Lego with Asher.

“Brett, OMG, OMG,” I bounce up and down, holding my phone.

“What is it?” he asks, looking at Asher and making a silly face.

“I got the scholarship,” I squeal.

Brett stands up. “Holy shit. That’s amazing, Maddie.” My brother picks me up and twirls me around.

“Me too,” Asher calls out. Brett picks him up and twirls him around too. Then my brother places him down.

“What does this mean?” Brett asks, placing his hands on his waist and breathing fast.

“We’re moving to Texas,” I say.

“Is that what you want?” Brett asks.

“That school is a dream of mine. I love living in New York but it’s a year,” I say to my brother.

“And that year can turn into more,” he says. “You could end up settling down in Texas and building a life there.”

“Would that be so bad?” I ask Brett.

“You’d be far away from me,” he says, and I can see that he doesn’t like this idea very much.

“Brett, it’s a full scholarship. A once in a lifetime opportunity,” I say to him. I also figure it’s for the best becausecome September my fling with Kaleb will be over. I’ll be left heartbroken, and if I still have to see Kaleb around it will be too hard. Especially if he starts to bring other women around now that his virginity issue has been solved.

Brett pinches his lips together. “If this is what makes you happy, then congratulations.” My brother envelops me in a big bear hug.

“We’re moving, Mommy?” Asher asks.

I nod. “But I don’t want to move. I have friends in New York. I don’t want to leave Syd, Liam, and Crew.”

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