Page 224 of Catch Me
“Never.”
For the first time, I thought maybe I could face the fear, the anger, that loomed ahead.
Maybewecould.
*****
“When is your dad coming?” Linc asked.
I looked up from my beer, then spun it slowly on the counter. The bar was busy tonight, which I was actually glad for. It helped that there were no lulls of silence that would allow me to sink into my head. Being with the guys was good too.
“Friday,” I replied, keeping my voice neutral.
“And Trav will be here, right?”
“Of course.”
He smiled a little. “If I say I’m proud of you both, is that weird?”
“Super weird.”
With Linc on one side and Kai on the other, I didn’t feel like I was in danger. I wished Travis was here, but he couldn’t be in Seattle at all times. After I dealt with my dad, I was thinking about going to Atlanta for a little while, as long as I didn’t have any work obligations in Seattle. Most of what I did was virtual anyway, so as long as he wasn’t tired of me, I’d jump at the opportunity to be with him. If he needed to travel for all of his famous person shit, I’d go with him. I knew that there were some big companies that wanted to sponsor him now that he was a World Series winner and the highest grossing pitcher in his rank right now.
That was wild to think about. I didn’t give a fuck about money or even fame, although it would be nice to have my name known for my art someday. Travis could be broke as a joke and I’d never think twice about it.
“Are we watching a movie after this?” I asked.
“Maybe there’s something at the theater,” Linc suggested. “Willow is hanging out with West at our place, so it’s not a good spot for a movie right now.”
“They never shut the hell up,” Kai agreed with a laugh. As always, there was warmth in his eyes when he talked about West. As much as he bitched about him and acted like he was the bane of his existence, he adored the guy.
“I’ll watch whatever’s playing,” I said. “If it sucks, we can drink away the cringe.”
“No wallowing.”
“I’m not wallowing. It’s about the cringe, I said.”
“Have you practiced what you’re gonna say?”
“Do we have to come back to this?”
“Hey, I think it’s best to be prepared. When I have something big happening, I stand in front of a mirror for hours.”
I grimaced. “That’s awkward. I can’t talk to myself like that. Travis does, though.”
Linc chuckled. “He’s such a dork.”
“We’re all dorks,” Kai countered. “Just different flavors.”
“I think practicing is a good idea.”
“What are we practicing?” someone asked from behind us.
I glanced at Til with a frown. He had a massive hickey on the side of his neck, which probably explained why he was late.
“Telling his dad to fuck off,” Kai explained.
Til’s eyes lit up as he hopped onto a stool. “Can I do it?”
