“You need to be back by ten,” Case said, crossing his ankles atop the coffee table. “Ten-o-one and I’m ratting you out.”
“Don’t be jealous I have a date, and you’re stuck here.”
“Hook me up with Riley, and I’d have a date.”
“She’s not interested,” I said, opening the front door. “I’d have better luck hooking you up with a nun.”
“Dream crusher!”
I stepped outside as Adam shut his truck door. He closed the distance and kissed me without pause. For the first time in a while, we weren’t occupied with football or hospital visits. He was the only person who existed in my world, and I was the only one who existed in his.
“What are you doing the rest of the night?” he asked, his mouth quirking upward as he pulled his face away.
“Why? Are you trying to get me in trouble?”
His smile widened, and I glanced at the house. My parents were at the Booster Club meeting across town, and Case wouldn’t bug me unless it was an emergency. My options were open.
“I’m up for whatever,” I said, “but you’d better have me home before ten. My parents will blow a gasket if I miss curfew.”
“Noted.”
His feet crunched over loose gravel, and the passenger side door creaked open. I slid inside as our porch light turned on.
Two houses down, staked to the ground with spotlights on them, Riley’s yard held painted turkeys and a HAPPY THANKSGIVING sign. I glanced at the decorations as Adam hurried down the street, passing Tate’s Mustang parked outside.
“He’s accepting an offer from UNC,” Adam said, indicating the car.
“Really?”
Adam nodded, his eyes on the road. “He texted me earlier. Said your dad got the call this afternoon and talked to him about it. I’m happy for him. It’s a good program.”
“But Riley applied to the University of South Carolina,” I answered. “They decide to try long distance?”
“I think Tate’s hoping she’ll change her mind. Long distance rarely works, even for a couple as solid as them.”
Concerned, I glanced at Adam. Long distance was the only way we could stay together and go to separate colleges. If he didn’t think long distance was doable, we had a problem.
“You’re not into trying long distance?” I asked.
“Are you?”
I shrugged and looked at the sidewalk through the window. Orange leaves riffled in the breeze, swept away by darkness and a season they couldn’t control. Tension filled the truck as we rode the rest of the way in silence. When we reached his house, Adam pulled into the driveway and parked.
“What’s up?” he asked, his brow furrowed. “Why do you look like that?”
“I look like nothing,” I replied. I pushed open the truck’s door, but Adam caught up with me before I reached the yard.
“I know you better than that,” he said. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” I repeated.
“Claire.” He blocked the sidewalk and towered over me like a statue in the dark. His jaw clenched as his eyes scanned my face. “I can’t read your mind,” he said, “and I don’t have the energy for this. Tell me what’s wrong.”
“You wouldn’t even try long distance, would you?” I asked, my words muffled by the sound of leaves scraping across the pavement.
“Do you really think it would work?”
“Maybe.”
He sighed and scratched his jaw. “I’ve never been in a position where I had to think about the possibility of long distance,” he said, “and it’s not something we need to worry about right now. I still have colleges to tour, and you might decide to change your mind. Who knows, maybe the decision will be made for you. Maybe it won’t even be an issue.”
I took a step back, trying to register what I hoped he hadn’t said. “I’m sorry,” I answered, holding up a hand to halt him. “Did you just imply that maybe I won’t get into Auburn?” He frowned, and I shook my head, feeling the sting of unspoken betrayal. If he didn’t think I could get in, he didn’t deserve to know I was accepted. “How dare you.”
“I wasn’t trying to make you mad,” he said, his tone turning sharp. “I just meant keep your options open. Get a backup plan in case something goes wrong.”
“In case I don’t get in?!” My fists balled at my sides. “That’s a real dick thing to say, Adam! How would you feel if I said maybe you wouldn’t get a football offer? Or, maybe you’ll tear up your knee and end your football career for good?”
“That’s not fair,” Adam answered, his tone softer than before. “I wasn’t saying you wouldn’t get in. I’m sure you will. You’re smart. You know that.” He pivoted and stalked to the front door, his footsteps echoing off the porch as he sifted through his keys. “I don’t even know how we got to this point. I told you about Tate and Riley, and somehow it turned into an argument between us. What am I missing? How did we get here?”
“Well, you started by attacking long-distance relationships. Then you pretty much said I may not get into Auburn. You’re at two strikes, and you’re working toward a third.”
“What do you want me to say?” He pushed open the door and stepped into the dark. The light in the entrance flickered on. “I already told you I wasn’t trying to piss you off with the Auburn thing. All I want is for you to keep your bases covered. If Auburn works out, great. If it doesn’t, have a backup plan. As far as long-distance relationships go, I won’t sugarcoat what I think of them. Nine out of ten times, they don’t work. You may not like it, but that’s how I feel.”
“I feel like you’re being a jerk,” I said.
“I feel like you’re being unreasonable.” He moved into the kitchen, ignoring me as I remained cross-armed in the entrance. “You want ice cream?” he asked, poking his head around the corner. “I bought some from the store yesterday.”
“You just ate.”
“And now I’m eating again. Come in here so I can stare at you while I scoop. If you want to stay mad at me, fine. Just do it with me here. I don’t want to miss out.”
I entered the kitchen. He smiled at me as I walked through the door.
“I hate it when you do that,” I said, scowling at him as he grabbed two bowls.
“Hate it when I do what?”
“That,” I said, motioning at him. “You go from pissed to happy in point five seconds. It isn’t fair.”
He grinned and placed the bowls on the counter. After scooping a decent helping into both, he returned the ice cream to the freezer and licked the spoon before tossing it into the sink.
“Life isn’t fair,” he said, cornering me against the counter. “But we deal with it and move on. This is something we have to deal with, but we don’t have to deal with it right now. Let’s move on.”
“What if I don’t want to?” I said, looping my hands around his neck.
“Would it help if I said please?” His teeth scraped the space between my neck and my ear and I arched into him.
“I have to be home soon,” I answered, feeling his hand move along my spine. “I have a test in English tomorrow, and I still have to study.”
“What if I volunteered to help you?” he replied.
“Then maybe I’d take you up on your offer.” His mouth tugged upward, and he kissed me. “Okay,” I said. “I’ll definitely take you up on your offer.”
“Good answer.”
He kissed me again, this time rougher, and I tugged on the hair at the base of his neck. His hair had grown shaggy and was in desperate need of a cut, but the curls at the end made it easy to twine my fingers through the strands.
“We have to talk about this eventually,” I said, pausing.
“I know,” he agreed, “but not tonight.”
He pulled away, took our bowls, and headed to the living room. I followed, grabbing the remote from the coffee table as he took a spot on the couch.
“Been meaning to ask you,” I said, taking the bowl he handed my way, “you going to the hospital on Thanksgiving or do you plan on staying in town?”
“I’ll be there some of the day,” he answered, looking at me as he took a bite. “Why? You want to do something?”
“We can. My mom usually does dinner, and I’m free after that. Most of the family will be there—including, but not limited to, my hipster cousins and my uncle Phil. You can come if you want, but you’ll probably get a ton of questions about football. We usually watch a game or two. Phil thinks he’s an ESPN analyst. Sure he’ll bug you about prospects, stats, and everything in between.”
“Phil sounds like my kind of guy,” Adam answered, nodding. “I’ll head to Charlotte early that day so I can do lunch with my grandma beforehand.”
“Sounds perfect.”
“Yeah.” He took another bite of ice cream, his attention flickering to the bowl as he pushed the spoon around it. “Claire,” he said, looking up. The features of his face were softer, almost sad, as he gave me a small smile. “Thank you for including me in your family stuff. It’s been a while since I’ve been in a group setting like that. It really means a lot.”
“Anytime.”
He went back to eating, but I hesitated, my mind stewing on the words. Where was the rest of his family? Was it really just him and Wanda?
“Adam,” I said, drawing his attention. “Can I ask you a personal question?”
He nodded.
“Where are your mom and dad?”
He paused and looked up from his bowl, the spoon clutched between his thumb and index finger. The green in his eyes looked less vibrant, almost wistful. He cleared his throat and set the spoon in the bowl and the bowl on the table.
“I’m not trying to pry,” I said. “You just … you said what you did about it being a while since you’ve been in a group setting like that and I—”
“You’re fine,” he answered. “We would’ve talked about it eventually. It’s not like I keep it a secret.” He sighed and raked his hands through his messy brown hair, his eyes on me. “Can I take you somewhere?”
“Yeah.”
“Then grab your coat. It’s going to be cold.”