Page 157 of Most Valuable Players
Mav looks to Heath, who glances to his mom. “You guys probably want to get back to the hotel?”
I’m not sure if it’s a question or statement and neither is she. Lana nods, though I detect maybe the slightest disappointment. “It has been a long day.” She smiles stiffly. “If you two want to stay with your friends…”
“Nah, I’m tired too. Mav?”
Mav’s brows pull together. “Sure, man, let’s go back. I’m beat.”
“Catch you guys later,” Heath says, finally meeting my gaze and letting it slide around the table. “Good meeting you Mr. and Mrs. Scott.”
They walk off from the table and out of The Hideout.
After they’re gone, my attention and desire to be out wanes. Don’t get me wrong, I’m enjoying seeing my parents, but I talk to them almost weekly, so there’s not a lot to add. And… I might also be thinking of a certain boy. I don’t know his family dynamics. I know his father died when he was young and I know his mother hasn’t visited him at Valley, but I don’t know the why or how and if the two are related.
Heath isn’t very chatty about his family, and okay, we haven’t done a lot of talking lately. When we decided to date, we caved to months of sexual tension and haven’t come up for air yet.
Mom and Dad drop me off in front of the dorm and I head up to my room. I unlock the door, push it open, and flip on the light. Movement catches my eye and my heart goes to my throat. “Oh my gosh, you scared me.”
Heath sits on my bed, his back against the wall, and his long legs hanging off the side.
I glance back to the door. “That was locked, right?”
“Your RA let me in.”
My brows raise up toward my hairline. “She did?”
Rachel, my RA, isn’t known for being all that lenient on rules, which hasn’t ever really bothered me since I don’t spend that much time here.
“I told her I was surprising you for our one-year anniversary.” He looks a little embarrassed which makes me laugh.
“Have you ever had a one-year anniversary?”
“Nah.” He chuckles. “It was the first thing that came to mind with Rauthruss and his girl’s big anniversary this weekend.”
I move to the bed and sit next to him. “Six-month anniversary?”
He shakes his head. “I’ve never even had a one-month anniversary.” A small shrug of his shoulders and then he leans into me. “What about you?”
“Bryan and I were together for two years. We didn’t really celebrate the milestones. For one, we could never agree on the date. He thought it was March third and I swore it was the seventh.”
Heath’s chest moves with a silent laugh and he takes my hand, running his thumb along the inside of my palm.
“How was dinner?” I ask.
“Weird.”
I scoot back against the wall and lean my head against his shoulder. “How so?”
He lets out a breath and brings our joined hands to his thigh. It’s a few moments of silence before he answers. “I knew meeting Kevin would be weird. He seems nice, but he’s just like this stranger who is the center of my mom’s world now, and I don’t know her life like I used to. Even Maverick’s random jokes and comedic commentary couldn’t push past the awkwardness.”
“I’m sorry.”
He sits tall and I do the same so I can look at him.
“It’s over. Besides, she seems good so that’s worth something.” He clears his throat. “So, back to this anniversary thing. Why do people get hung up on the number of years or the exact date?”
I want to ask him more about his mom but can sense his need to talk about something else. “I’m not sure. I think people like to have milestones to celebrate or maybe it makes them feel like their relationship is the gold standard if they can slap an award on it.”
He grunts a response.
