Page 166 of Face Off
“I bought some plants at the farmer’s market on my way home from practice, so I’m arranging them with all the other horticulture that’s taken over Piper’s living room. Where are you?”
“I’m at Dallas’s.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah.” I nod again, even though she can’t see me. “It will be. Can I come over? There’s something I need to talk to you about.”
“That’s awfully vague.”
“I’d rather do it in person.”
“Jesus, Maverick,” Dallas hisses.
“That isnotwhat I said to do,” Reid whispers, and I ignore them.
“Oh.” Emmy clears her throat, and I hear shifting on the other end of the line. “You can come over whenever. I’m not doing anything tonight.”
“Sounds good. I’ll be there in a few.” I hang up and look at my best friends. “Well?”
“As someone who’s slept in the hotel room next to you and heard you hooking up with more women than I can count, you’ve never called someone ‘baby’. Not like that.” Hudson gently shoves my shoulder. “You lovesick idiot.”
“I haven’t?” I ask.
“Nope. That was a first, and it was so cute, I think I’m going to be sick.”
“Stop making fun of me. I’m going to get going. Wish me luck?”
“You don’t need luck.” Dallas tugs me into a hug, and two other sets of arms wrap around me. “It’s going to be fine.”
“I sure as shit hope so. I don’t know what I’m going to do if she doesn’t say it back.”
“She’s going to say it back,” Reid tells me. “Just relax.”
“Go get your girl, Mav,” Dallas says.
“I hope she knows she’s our girl now too,” Hudson adds.
“I love her,” I say again. “Let’s fucking do this, boys.”
FORTY-EIGHT
EMMY
I’m panicking.
Maverick has never sounded so anxious before. There was a crack in his voice, like he was fighting to keep a secret bottled inside. He was out of breath, and I think he might have been terrified to call me.
I don’t know what that means.
I’m preparing myself for him to tell me something awful.
He’s going to break up with me.
He’s sick.
My dad got hurt and he wants to tell me the news so I don’t turn hysterical.
Waiting for him is torture. I stare at the clock on the microwave and watch the minutes tick by, wondering where the hell he is.
