Thick & Thin (Thin Love, #3)(39)
“What’s going on?” I heard behind me, looking down when Aly stood at my side.
I led her away from my mother and her little groupie, watching my father as he walked away from his friends and took his call. We came to the fire pit and stood across it so that my mother and my father were at either of my sides and no one else could hear us.
“I have no idea.” Rubbing my neck, I set my Abita on the ground and looked at her, hoping maybe she could give me some details about what I’d missed living in Miami. “You got a clue what’s all this shit is? He’s grumpy and snapping at Koa, she’s acting like she hasn’t slept in a month and in the middle of all this drama is that *.” I nodded to my left knowing Aly would know I meant Cass. “You hear anything at all?”
“No,” she said, turning to glance at Mom and then moving her gaze over to the basketball court. If Ethan was worried about her talking to me, he didn’t show it. He was guarding Tristian, tried like hell to get the ball from my cousin and did a piss poor job of it. When Aly turned back, she crossed her arms, shivering a little. “Keira has been a little tight-lipped lately.” She glanced at me, like she wasn’t sure if she wanted to say whatever was on her mind just then. “And you know Kona can’t stand me, barely acknowledges me, in fact, so he hasn’t said anything either.”
“That’s not true, makamae.” My face pinched, felt tight at her little confession. Dad had been a little resentful toward Aly for leaving me, but that was a long time ago. “He doesn’t…” I started, shocked that she actually believed that. “Everyone loves you.”
Aly held her breath, fighting the smile that made her lips twitch before she managed to say anything else. And then, just like that, with one cough, she got back on topic. “Mack hasn’t said anything…”
“She wouldn’t know.”
“She sees way more than you think.” Aly shivered again and I couldn’t stand it. I pulled my hoodie over my head and offered it to her, draping it over her shoulders when she didn’t take it.
“Thanks,” she said, drawing the sleeves tight around her. I didn’t miss the way she watched me, how her eyes moved up and down, then that gaze lingered over my chest. My shirt was thin, a vintage Star Wars tee with a frayed hem. But the cotton was soft and it fit me well. I knew Aly recognized it. She’d slept in it about a hundred times.
She smirked a little when I winked at her and once again looked over her shoulder.
“If you want to go watch him play…”
“I don’t,” she said turning back toward me.
For a second, my parents’ issues got pushed back, replaced instead with the urgent need to apologize to Aly. She’d brush off my excuse, pretend it didn’t bother her because that’s what she did, but it still needed to be said.
I pushed the beer bottle from my path, inching closer toward her with my hands in my pockets, and glanced over at the court. Ethan wasn’t paying attention to anything but the layup Tristian managed and I took my chance before I lost it. “Listen, Aly,” I started, not looking at her. “The other day…”
“It’s fine.” Typical. This woman was so bullheaded.
“The other day,” I continued, ignoring her interruption, “I was an *. You came here to share your good news and I…” I looked down at her, shoulders relaxed. “I didn't stop to listen, not really. All I knew is that I wanted you. But in my defense, I haven’t ever stopped wanting you.” She didn’t move, stood completely still as she watched me. That hum of energy pulsed between us, like some sort of instinctual call we both tried to disregard. But it heated the air around us and shot through Aly’s eyes as she stared at me, unblinking. “I know I shouldn’t say that. I know you’ve got…other ties now.” When I glanced over her head, right at the court, Ethan was heading toward us, but Koa held him back, tugged on his arm and started yammering away as only he could. Ethan, though, managed a few steps, still humoring my little brother as they made their way slowly from the court. “I want you to know that if all you can give me, if all you want from me is my friendship, then it’s yours.”
Silently I urged her to speak, wanting to hear her thoughts before her man interrupted, but Aly seemed a little hesitant to answer me. She kept my hoodie around her shoulders but her gaze went to the flames in front of her. “We tried this once before.”
“Yeah, well, we were horny kids.”
She jerked her head up, laughing despite the mood. “And we’re not now?” I tilted my head, not bothering to return her smile. “Sorry,” she said. Her smile disappeared.
“You know…shit, Aly, I love you.” She had to know. “I’m not denying that. But more than loving you I want you to be happy. I want you being in a place I clearly couldn’t put you.”
“Ransom…”
“No…it’s fine.” The scratch of my fingernails against my stubble when I scratched my chin was the only sound disrupting the hiss of the flames as I spoke. “I’m not looking for pity here. I spent six years with you. I loved you, still do, but if all you can offer me now is friendship, then, hell, I’ll take it. I can’t just walk out of your life. All of this,” I nodded toward the house and my family, “you’re part of it too. Just because we aren’t…we’ll never…” I exhaled and crossed my arms so I would keep from touching her again. “Well. You’re ours no matter who you’re with and I’m sorry I forgot that the other day.”