Page 71 of Play It Off

I nod. “Uh-huh. Tell me what’s new.”

“Well ... I’ve found a new group to play bunco with. We meet on the first Thursday night of the month. They’re a great group of women. We have a lot of fun.”

“That’s nice,” I say, and I mean it. My poor mother. At least she has some friends. “You told me last time we talked that you were getting your closet redone?”

“Oh yes. And that’s coming along nicely too. Well, we’ve only got the plans drawn up, but they’re going to start working on it soon—”

“Why are we talking about this shit again?” Dad asks, sounding bored. He even yawns for good measure.

“Because I wanted to know what’s going on with Mom,” I remind him, my voice tight. My gaze shifts to hers, and I try to ignore the flare of fear I see in her eyes. “What else?”

“Oh, not much.” She waves a hand, like she’s dismissing herself, and damn, I hate that. “What about you, Gavin? How’s school?”

“Great. Doing well.” I can feel my father seething in his chair, but I don’t give a shit. Making small talk might be painful sometimes, but it’s better than listening to my dad talk shit and tell me how pathetic I am.

“You’re still on track to graduate?” she asks.

“Definitely.” The server appears with a fresh drink, and I take it gratefully, already sipping from it as he removes the empty glass from the table and rushes away. “Hopefully going to get drafted.”

Dad makes a harrumphing noise of disbelief, but I choose to ignore it. Ignorehim.

“Have you met anyone?” I return my gaze to my mother’s, and I see the hope there. “Dating someone steadily?”

I think of Sienna and what we’ve been doing the last couple of months. Sneaking around and pretending we’re not into each other when we’re around our friends. Her brother. They have no idea I’m balls deep inside Sienna pretty much every night I get the chance to see her, which is often, thank God.

Though that’s such a crude way to put it. Balls deep. I care about her. She makes me smile. She makes me laugh. She makes me want totry harder and do better, and I am doing all those things for her. This woman who’s embedded herself into my life so deep, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get her out of it.

And I’m okay with that. I really am.

“I have,” I finally answer, my words coming slow. Hesitant. “We’ve been seeing each other for a couple of months now.”

“Haven’t heard a single word about that,” Dad says, like he’s trying to call me out on a lie.

“That’s because I haven’t told you.” I send him a withering look, sick of him. Sick of everything.

And missing Sienna with every fiber of my being. I’d give anything to have her here with me tonight. Sitting by my side and sending me those sweet smiles. The ones that remind me everything is going to be all right. She’d pat my thigh when she’d feel me growing tense, and I’d appreciate her watching out for me because the two people who brought me into this world never seem eager to do that.

My parents showed up at the game unexpectedly, and I didn’t get the chance to invite Sienna to come with us. And I’m glad I didn’t subject her to this painful dinner. My dad doesn’t deserve to be in that woman’s presence. She’s too good for him. Sienna is too good for me, as well, but I somehow got lucky and she seems totally into me.

“What’s her name?” Mom asks, sounding genuinely interested. Maybe I don’t give her enough of a chance. Maybe it’s wrong of me to lump her in with Dad when it comes to everything he does, but I can’t help it. They’re a team, and they always have been.

What’s weird is it’s always been a team of two versus ... me. Their own kid. I never understood that. I still don’t.

“Sienna,” I say, my heart growing lighter at just saying her name out loud. I rub at my chest, missing her like crazy.

“Coop’s sister?” My fatherwouldknow exactly who she is. Great. “You think that’s smart, son?”

I take a big chug of my drink before I answer him, needing the alcohol to give me strength. “What are you talking about?”

“She’s your teammate’s sister. You aren’t going to last, so why piss that guy off when he’s on your side? Though I suppose it doesn’t matter much, considering your season is almost over.” Dad leans back in his chair, contemplating me. “Women are a distraction, son.”

As my mother sits next to him. Such a stand-up guy. “Having her brother on the team means Sienna understands what I’m going through. She gets it.”

“A woman could never understand. They don’t know what it’s like.” He lightly swats Mom on the arm with his fingertips, making her flinch. “Right, hon?”

“Right,” Mom echoes, her voice faint.

I sit up, reach for my drink, and finish it off completely before I speak. “My woman understands.”

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