Page 35 of Somebody to Love You

“Yeah,” I admit.

“What’s her last name?”

“Watson.”

Maverick taps at his phone for a minute, then whistles low under his breath. I grit my teeth, knowing what he’s going to say before he says it. “Azalea. This lady is a MILF.”

“Maverick!” I snap, spinning around to look at him. His face falls quickly as he realizes that I am very muchnotamused. “She’s like fifteen years older than you. And she’s dating mydad.”

“Sorry, Zale,” he says, sounding like he means it. I turn back to my puzzle, still annoyed. I don’t acknowledge him, but I also don’t shrug him off when he gives my shoulder a quick rub.

A minute later he leans toward the coffee table, balancing his elbows on the edge of the couch cushion. “Can I help?”

“Sure,” I say, accepting his peace offering. Something about Maverick and the sincere, endearing way he tries to mend fences—even those that are barely scratched—always softens my heart. Reaching around me, he grabs a puzzle piece, looks at it for a minute, and then slides it into the lone empty spot on the right edge. I narrow my eyes. I’ve been trying to find that piece for twenty minutes. “I didn’t know you were good at puzzles.”

Maverick smirks at me. “I’m more than just a pretty face and a good bat, baby.”

The floorboards above our heads creak as my dad paces his office, and I find myself saying, “I think what bothers me the most about Dad dating is that he’s moving on, but he hasn’t given me what I need to do the same.”

“When was the last time you asked? Try again. You never know—”

“I’ve been asking him since I was a little kid.” I can feel myself growing frustrated again. I don’t like that I’ve snapped at him twice now; it’s not his fault I’ve been tightly wound ever since Dad asked me to meet Jess. “He’s made it pretty clear that I’m going to have to do it myself. So I will.”

Maverick fumbles around with a yellow piece for a few seconds, then sits up, placing his feet on the floor. They rest on either side of me, his knees hovering near my shoulders. He leans down to wrap his arms around my neck from behind, and I press my nose into the crook of his elbow.

“Then ignore my shitty advice,” he says, “and do it the way you want to do it.”

“Thank you.” I sigh. His arms drop away, and for some reason, I miss them. “It’s just complicated.”

“I know it is.”

“I’m sorry for being grumpy with you.”

Maverick slides down to the floor, settling cross-legged beside me. “Forgiven.”

We fall back into comfortable silence, working the puzzle together. It’s one I’ve done several times before, a 500-piece springtime scene of birds and flowers. Maverick matches my pace, quickly assessing pieces and moving them into place. I smile to myself.

“You know what we should do,” he says after a few minutes, not looking up from the table.

“What?”

“Drive up to Chicago and see a game. You know, now that you’re a fan.”

“I’m not a fan,” I say quickly.

Maverick laughs. “Quit bullshitting me. I know you watch baseball when I’m not here.”

My jaw drops. “I do not.”

“You posted an Instagram story of your dinner the other day, and the game was on in the background.”

I drag my lower lip between my teeth, fighting a smile. “Okay, fine. I watch it sometimes. It’s soothing background noise.”

“Seriously, though. It’s only a five-hour drive.” He nudges my hand aside so he can check a puzzle piece against an empty spot. It’s not a match. “There’s a weekday series against the Mets coming up. They’re night games. We could drive up, go to the game, stay the night, and drive home the next day.”

It does sound fun. Still… “I don’t want to ask my dad for money. He just gave me some because I needed new summer clothes.” And I may be irritated with him, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to turn into a brat.

“I’ll pay for it,” Maverick says easily. “I have money that my parents saved from when I was born until I graduated high school, and then they turned it over to me. Two tickets, a hotel room, some food and gas… it’ll be a few hundred bucks. No big deal. I’ve barely touched the money so far.”

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