Page 76 of Bad Teammate
I turned my phone off and called it a night.
28
Derek
It was a moonless night and the sky was black, the only light from the streetlights reflecting off the hood of my car. I drove all over Dallas. I didn’t have any destination in mind. I didn’t have anywhere to be. I just drove, my mind empty, waiting for a better idea to come, waiting for some sense ofpurpose.
Soon it was getting late and I was getting tired. But I didn’t want to go back home—Niko was back there. I didn’t know where else to go, though.
Well, that’s not quite true. I knew exactly where I wanted to go—I wanted to go talk to the person I trusted most, to talk and get this shit off my chest.
I knew he wouldn’t be happy with me, but whatever. It was already in the past.
I pulled up on the curb outside Hath’s house. A light in the living room window told me someone was still awake. I killed the engine and walked up the driveway.
Gently, I rapped my knuckles on the door. Dane answered. He seemed surprised to see me, but I wasn’t surprised at all to see him. Dane and Hath are next-door neighbors so they’re always hanging out together. Doesn’t hurt that their ladies are best friends, too.
“Reavo! Sup, bud?” Dane greeted me with a bear hug. “Didn’t know you were coming over.”
“Neither did I.” I stepped in. Usually, Mackenzie was there to mob me at the door, but it was late and the kiddo was already put down for bed. Which was probably for the best. I barely had the energy to pick up my feet when I walked, let alone the energy to throw a tireless four-year-old through the air over and over.
“You okay?” Dane asked. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Yeah, man, I’m good.” The air smelled of sweet basil and zesty lemon. “Smells good in here.”
“You just missed dinner,” Dane said. “It was guys’ cooking night.”
Once a week, Dane and Hath team up to cook dinner for their ladies, and the four of them (five with Mackenzie) sit down to eat a family dinner. Hath and Dane are two of my best buds. And while I’m super happy for them, if I’m being honest, I do feel a little left out. My best friends found good women and are starting families, and there I am, the black sheep of the group, still living that oh-so-fun bachelor life …sigh.
“Right,” I said. “Forgot you guys did that. What’d you make?”
“Grilled chicken and spaghetti with pesto sauce. Did you eat, Reavo? We’ve got leftovers if you’re hungry.”
I didn’t have any appetite, but my stomach was so empty it hurt. I knew I should eat, or I’d have no energy for tomorrow morning’s practice.
“Yeah, that’d be good,” I said.
“Follow me, bud. I’ll make you a plate.” Dane led me into the kitchen and dining room. Emma and Austen sat at the dining table and talked while Hath, wearing a floral print apron, washed pots and pans in a sink overflowing with soapy water.
“Hey, guys,” I said.
Everyone whipped around, surprised to see me. “Reavo!”
I clapped my hand on Hath’s back. “Sweet apron, bro.”
He chuckled. “What brings you here, Reavo?”
“Not much. I was out for a drive. Thought I’d stop by and say hi.”
I greeted the ladies with hugs. “Emma. Austen. How are you?”
“Good,” Emma said. “How are you holding up, Reavo?”
“Fine, fine,” I muttered, keeping my eyes low.
Something about the way Emma and Austen looked at me—and then at each other—seemed off. Almost like they knew something I didn’t know.
I sat at the dining table and Dane put a plate of spaghetti, topped with grilled chicken, in front of me. I took a bite.
