I Dare You (The Hook Up #1)(16)

I put the groceries I bought in the cupboard and wake Dad up. He’s fallen asleep watching one of my old high school football games. It brings back memories of when Mom was alive and we were a whole family. Sure, we never had much, not with a dad who couldn’t hold down a job and a mom who railed at him constantly, but for me, it had been better than this.

He stirs in his recliner and looks up at me with bleary eyes. Smaller than me with thin shoulders and a haggard face, he’s in his fifties but looks older.

“You been drinking?” I ask sharply, feeling more like the parent than the child.

He stands and stretches. “No, just tired. I worked at Bill’s today changing oil on some cars he had.”

I exhale, staring at him. That’s good. As long as he works, everything is fine. I nod. “Just keep it that way.”

Dad gets up to make us dinner: leftover meatloaf and potatoes from last night. While he finishes up, I wait outside the bathroom while Raven takes a shower so we can talk through the door. I’m paranoid she’ll fall even though her balance has improved. I wish we could afford more than three days a week of a nurse who comes in to do these things.

After dinner, Dad loads the dishwasher and I tuck Raven in her bed. As requested, I make up a random story about a princess and her one true love.

She sighs as I stand up to turn off the light, careful to make sure her butterfly nightlight is still on.

“Mav?”

I pause at the door and hold in my exhalation, not wanting her to see how bone tired I am. I’ve been going since eight this morning when I hit the gym to box.

“Thank…you.”

“You don’t have to thank me every time I come see you, goofy.”

She sighs. “It’s…hard…for…you. Do…me…a…favor?” Her voice is small.

“Anything.”

“Kiss…Delaney.”

That wasn’t what I expected. I thought she’d ask for another cookie from the cupboard or another story.

“Why would I do that?”

She shrugs under the covers as she tucks her chin in, her eyes droopy. “You…just…need…to.”

“I’m not sure Delaney wants me to kiss her.”

“She…does,” she says. “I…have…a…TBI…but…I’m…not…stupid.”

I huff out a laugh. “Okay.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

Guess this means I’m kissing her whether it’s a good idea or not. I mean, I’d do anything for my sister.





Delaney



“What you need is a fresh start with a rebound guy,” Skye says with a toss of her long red hair as we sit inside Buffalo Bills, a rowdy restaurant and bar near campus. We’re in the back in a leather booth, munching on peanuts from a pail as we wait for Tyler and my—shudder—blind date to show up. We came a bit earlier than the guys so we could catch up, and so I could get my nerve up with a drink. I haven’t been on a date with anyone but Alex since freshman year, and it feels weird.

I take a deep breath. “Tell me more about this Bobby Gene guy—which is a really weird name, by the way.”

Bubbly and eager, she waves me off and starts in. “Just ignore his name. You’ll love him. He’s on the baseball team but not a horn-dog. He’s nice—like you requested. No athlete floozies chasing him, no fetishes that I know of.”

“Key words being that I know of.” I smirk.

“You’re just anti-guy right now. At least he isn’t a football player.”

That is true.

She straightens her red halter top, which matches her hair. “Plus, Bobby Gene’s Tyler’s friend, so this is important.”

“Of course,” I murmur, but I’m feeling ambivalent. I mean, she’s put a lot of effort into arranging this, so I don’t want to be negative, but…Tyler’s a bit of a jerk. I’ve noticed him checking out other girls when they’re together then playing it off when she calls him on it. Maybe it’s nothing. Maybe I’m just in a funk because my boyfriend cheated on me.

Whatever.

I just hope Bobby Gene is nice.

Skye gets a thoughtful look on her face. “You know, I wanted to tell you that I saw Alex on campus today and he looked…I don’t know…sad.” She sees my face and holds her hands up. “I mean, yes, he’s a major douchebag and I’ll hate him until the end of time for you…” Her voice trails off as she grimaces, giving me a please don’t be mad at me look. “But, I don’t know, maybe someday you guys can be friends again?”

I stare down at my drink. That’s the rub—we were all three great friends. I also adore Alex’s family in Texas, and now I’ll never get to see them again. Ugh. I don’t want to think about him right now.

A noncommittal shrug is my answer.

She sighs. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have even mentioned it.”

I nod. I know she misses him too since he was over at the house a lot. Before she met Tyler, we spent lots of nights hanging out, cooking, and watching movies together. There were even times I was a little jealous of the camaraderie she and Alex had, but I knew she wasn’t interested in him that way and he loved me. Ha. Right.