Page 120 of Overtime
“Aran, seriously. Is there something wrong?”
“I’m in love with someone.”
After that, there’s silence at the table. Someone laughs at the back of the bar, beyond the pool tables. That’s some excellent comedic timing, huh?
I ease my hands down and lift my face. Both of my sisters are as wide-eyed as they physically can be. If I had any willpower, I’d snap a picture for blackmail purposes. But I can’t bring myself to move a muscle other than to keep talking and getting it all out before I chicken out.
“And I don’t know how to go about it because I’ve never felt like this before. And by the way, I already messed it up with her, so I’m playing on hard mode here, and I’m losing so bad it hurts.”
Wow. My chest feels tight. Like it physically hurts to say all this aloud. Like I was pretending it wasn’t this bad while I kept it all bottled up.
“I…” Luz closes her mouth. Opens it again. Twice more.
I glance down at Luz’s glass, but she hasbothhands firmly clasped around it. She’ll never give it to me. How the hell am I going to deal with the rest of this conversation, though?
“Wait, wait.” Olivia raises both hands as if Luz and I are about to fight or something. “You’re telling me that you, Aran Jose Rodriguez—best known as ‘the Iceberg’—are actually capable of emotions?”
“Hardy har har.”
Luz turns to her. “This is breaking news to me too.”
I frown. “I told you I can pass a damn Captcha.”
“Maybe what’s more shocking is that there’s a girl on this planet who can capture the attention of this serial dater,” Liv says, resting her chin on her hand. “When can I meet her?”
“Never, if I can’t get her to forgive my ass.”
“What did you do, you turd?” Luz asks.
The food starts arriving, and before I can use my burger as an excuse to stay quiet for a while, Liv pulls my plate toward her and destroys my plan. Normally, neither of them could pull this off. No one’s reflexes are faster than mine, and no one’s ever hungrier than me. But today, I’m not normal.
Today I smell of eau de desperation.
Sucking it up, I give them the abridged version of the tale. I skip over the parts my little sister has to stay innocent about, but I don’t gloss over all the parts where I screwed up. And as I explain, I realize I botched everything up from day one. Because the second I set my eyes on Madeline Berkley and her strawberry earrings, her bad spying skills, her blushing cheeks, it was like I knew this was it. I was toast. And I chose to ignore it and play my own nefarious little game.
I may be objectively depressed, but once I’m done talking, I slide my plate over and tuck into the first burger.
Luz runs a hand through her long hair, while Liv observes me like I’m a puzzle she can’t crack. Joke’s on her. I don’t understand me either. Why couldn’t I just tell Strawberry I liked her back when I had the chance? It wasn’t like Coach was breathing down my neck and making me say what I said.
“Yeah, I’m a freaking coward,” I say aloud while I munch. “I’m terrified of hospitals and I’m scared shitless that someone I care about will leave me. So I try not to care about others, and I freaked out when I realized I care about this girl. A lot. Pass the mustard.” I motion with my fingers at Liv.
Wordlessly, she grabs the condiment bottle from the corner of the table and sets it before me. I squirt mustard on my fries and stuff a handful into my gullet.
Luz gives out a short, snorty laugh. “I can’t believe you just said all that with such a straight face, and while eating as usual.”
“What? Do you want me to starve?”
“Heaven forbid.”
“You have such a middle child complex.” Liv shakes her head and grabs her as yet uneaten lettuce wrap burger. “Abandonment and trust issues all rolled into one.”
“I’m proud of you, hermanito.” Luz reaches over and pats my hand. “Growing up hurts. And I know you haven’t had it easy, anyway, with two whacky sisters who have always kept you busy.”
Liv reaches out for one of the fries, and I smack her hand away. “Don’t touch those. They fry them in peanut oil.”
“What?” Liv leans back with a huff. “How dare they.”
“My point exactly,” Luz says, motioning between Liv and me. “Aran, you’ve always been such a caretaker, and it’s our fault. Our parents’ too, to be honest. But have you never wanted anyone to care for you?”
