Page 131 of Pucking Tangled
“I’m just saying,” he declared,holding up a finger. “Little Casey couldn’t skate backward without crashing intoat leastthree other kids.”
“That’s slander,” Casey called out from the hammock. “I wasstrategic.”
“You were a menace,” his dad countered.
Waylon looked like a kid in a candy store. The man was practically bouncing up and down as he said, “Tell us about the time he cried because his helmet was too tight again.”
“Oh,thatwas a classic,” Casey’s mom chimed in, sliding into the conversation with Mia and her mom trailing behind. “He insisted it was cutting off circulation to his brain. Said he needed to be medically excused from drills.”
Casey groaned. “I regret this whole day.”
Mia sank into the hammock beside him, pressing her knee to his. “I don’t. I needed this.”
He looked at her. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. I just wish that Luca and Waylon’s parents could have been here, too. Have either of them said anything to you about them?”
Casey made the hammock sway again with a gentle push of his foot on the ground. “No. Why?”
“Waylon said something about his parents calling to read him the riot act. They told him he was humiliating himself, and they didn’t approve. He said they were ‘close-minded’ assholes.” She made air quotes with her fingers.
He hissed. “Damn, that fucking sucks.”
“He told them that he’s finally found his real family, whether or not they chose to like them.”
“I don’t think they’ve ever really gotten along that well. I’m glad he knows he has us. For better or worse.”
“Till death do us part?” Mia said with a laugh.
“Maybe one day.” He brushed a stray hair behind her ear. “You heard anything about Luca’s parents?”
“Nope.”
“Hm. I don’t know much about them. Hopefully, they’re not close-minded assholes, too.”
“You know, I’m surprised that our parents took this so well.” Mia squeezed his hand.
“I’m not,” he admitted. “My parents have always known I walked to a different tune.”
“Did you really doodle my name on your notebook?” She smirked.
“Once. I think she’s bluffing about still having the book.”
“Should I find out?” Mia teased.
“Hell no.”
FORTY-SIX
Mia
It was wellafter midnight by the time they went inside to get ready for bed.
Her parents took the downstairs guest room while Owen and Casey offered up their room to Casey’s parents.
“You two should take my room,” Mia whispered. “I…uh…I’ll sleep in Waylon or Luca’s room tonight.”
“Why are we whispering?” Casey asked.
