“Welcome home, Ms. Haverbrooke,” our butler—if that’s even what they are called now—says.
I roll my eyes, waving Julian off. He’s worked for my family since my dad became the commissioner. It’s a little ostentatious in my opinion, but my dad loves him. So, whatever. “I’ve asked you for years not to call me that. It’s Avery.”
He smiles as he takes my bags. “Nonetheless, welcome home.”
“Where is my mom? Dad?”
He grimaces as I walk beside him through our massive house. I hate this house. It’s too big, too empty, but Dad wanted the best of the best. It’s never felt like a home—hell, the first time I even felt like I was home was when Jace wrapped his arms around me. “They are out to dinner with your brothers.”
“Couldn’t wait for me, I guess,” I mutter and his arm comes over my shoulders as we enter the kitchen. Laying my bag down, he pats my back.
“No worries. I made you your favorite, rice and beans.”
Which is a hell of a lot better than dinner with people who don’t care to wait for me.
As I eat, I try to sound happy, raving about my life in Nashville. But I know it rings a little false. While, yes, things are going great, I miss Jace. I know that Julian notices me checking my phone every second on the second. I just wish Jace would text me, but then, why don’t I text him? I’m the one who lost my shit; I’m the one who needs to apologize.
“Waiting on a call?” Julian asks and I shrug at his grin.
“I wish,” I say, checking it once more. “But I’m not.”
“No special man?” He grins, waggling his big, bushy black eyebrows at me and I shrug because, should I even say I do? Do I? Blah, I need to just text him. I’m worried about him, his knee, and also, I want to know if he’s playing tonight. I need to swallow my pride and text him. I’m going crazy without him. I don’t like how it ended, and I sure as hell can’t shake the look of desperation he gave me.
Before I can answer Julian, though, the back door opens and in spills my family.
“Avery! You’re here!” Mom squeals, coming toward me, wrapping me up in a tight hug. “I thought your plane didn’t get in till late?”
Of course you didn’t, I think. But instead, I say, “No, I got in at five.”
“Oh, how did you get home?”
“I called Reed.”
“Oh, good. So he won’t get you later,” she giggles, kissing my temple. “You okay? You look a little sick.”
She moves her hand along my cheek, and I shrug. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
She grins, kissing my nose once more before my dad’s booming voice fills the kitchen. “It’s so good to have everyone home.”
Yeah. I bet.
When Mom moves out of my line of sight, I see my three older brothers standing side by side, on their phones. They are all the same height, huge, with big shoulders, Laurence the littlest one out of all of them. Like me, they all have dark hair and the same eyes, but that’s all we share. Which is pathetic. I grew up with these three, and they might as well be strangers.
When Seth looks up, his gaze meeting mine, I glare. “You asshole.”
My mom gasps as my dad’s brows pull together, and I slowly stand. I have been going through what I am going to say to him all day. I’m ready to pounce, but he catches me off guard when he laughs. “Guessing your little boyfriend didn’t know?”
“Know what?” Mom asks.
“Boyfriend? You’re dating someone? Is that smart?” Dad asks as Matty glares.
“Yeah, Dad. She’s dating Jace Sinclair.”
“Sinclair, Sinclair, I know that name. The brothers, first-round picks, Jude and…Hayden?”
“Jayden,” I correct and he nods.
“That’s right, and then Jace, the youngest, he was supposed to go in with Laurence,” he says, pointing to my brother, who only raises his hand, completely bored with this conversation. “You’re dating the youngest? When did this happen?”
“About a month ago,” I bite out, hating that no one knows me around here. I post picture upon picture of Jace and me, hoping for some kind of reaction from someone in this damn house, but no one cares. It’s such bullshit.
“Hm, okay,” he says slowly, looking back at my mom. “Make sure you tell the doctor.”
“I’m fine,” I yell, and everyone’s gaze is on me.
“You don’t look fine,” Seth says. “You look sick.”
I glare as Matty says, “What, did he break up with you? You suicidal again?”
“Matthew Robert!” my mom shrieks and I just glare, staring into the face that is the male version of my own.
“Matthew, that is not okay,” my dad barks at him, but Matty doesn’t care. He grins, his arms crossing over his chest.
“For your information, I’m fine.”
“Yep, don’t care.”
I want to hit him. So damn badly. Tearing my gaze from him, I look at Seth and say, “But you couldn’t let it be. You had to tell his brother what I did, paint me out to be crazy, and then tell him that dad will ruin his career like he did Caleb’s? Which turns me into a liar ’cause that never happened!”
“Yes, it did,” Seth says, and he shrugs. “I told nothing but the truth. No need for you to ruin another guy’s life ’cause you’re not stable.”
“I am stable,” I yell, my blood boiling and the hair on my arms standing at attention.
“Eh, I wouldn’t go that far,” Seth says simply. “It isn’t normal to want to kill yourself over a guy.”
That has Matty and Laurence laughing while my mom’s face twists in horror. My dad is glaring, but he doesn’t say anything as Matty goes, “Shit, let her. Maybe then I won’t have any competition in the draft.”
“Yeah, really,” Laurence says, shaking his head. “’Cause you aren’t going first with that kid in.”
“You guys are sick and pathetic and liars. Because Dad did not mess up Caleb’s career. Did you, Dad?” I ask, turning to him, and he shakes his head.
“Why would I? It isn’t his fault you did what you did.”
“Yeah, Avery. It’s no one’s fault but yours,” Matty retorts, and tears start to sting my eyes.
I roll my eyes, waving Julian off. He’s worked for my family since my dad became the commissioner. It’s a little ostentatious in my opinion, but my dad loves him. So, whatever. “I’ve asked you for years not to call me that. It’s Avery.”
He smiles as he takes my bags. “Nonetheless, welcome home.”
“Where is my mom? Dad?”
He grimaces as I walk beside him through our massive house. I hate this house. It’s too big, too empty, but Dad wanted the best of the best. It’s never felt like a home—hell, the first time I even felt like I was home was when Jace wrapped his arms around me. “They are out to dinner with your brothers.”
“Couldn’t wait for me, I guess,” I mutter and his arm comes over my shoulders as we enter the kitchen. Laying my bag down, he pats my back.
“No worries. I made you your favorite, rice and beans.”
Which is a hell of a lot better than dinner with people who don’t care to wait for me.
As I eat, I try to sound happy, raving about my life in Nashville. But I know it rings a little false. While, yes, things are going great, I miss Jace. I know that Julian notices me checking my phone every second on the second. I just wish Jace would text me, but then, why don’t I text him? I’m the one who lost my shit; I’m the one who needs to apologize.
“Waiting on a call?” Julian asks and I shrug at his grin.
“I wish,” I say, checking it once more. “But I’m not.”
“No special man?” He grins, waggling his big, bushy black eyebrows at me and I shrug because, should I even say I do? Do I? Blah, I need to just text him. I’m worried about him, his knee, and also, I want to know if he’s playing tonight. I need to swallow my pride and text him. I’m going crazy without him. I don’t like how it ended, and I sure as hell can’t shake the look of desperation he gave me.
Before I can answer Julian, though, the back door opens and in spills my family.
“Avery! You’re here!” Mom squeals, coming toward me, wrapping me up in a tight hug. “I thought your plane didn’t get in till late?”
Of course you didn’t, I think. But instead, I say, “No, I got in at five.”
“Oh, how did you get home?”
“I called Reed.”
“Oh, good. So he won’t get you later,” she giggles, kissing my temple. “You okay? You look a little sick.”
She moves her hand along my cheek, and I shrug. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
She grins, kissing my nose once more before my dad’s booming voice fills the kitchen. “It’s so good to have everyone home.”
Yeah. I bet.
When Mom moves out of my line of sight, I see my three older brothers standing side by side, on their phones. They are all the same height, huge, with big shoulders, Laurence the littlest one out of all of them. Like me, they all have dark hair and the same eyes, but that’s all we share. Which is pathetic. I grew up with these three, and they might as well be strangers.
When Seth looks up, his gaze meeting mine, I glare. “You asshole.”
My mom gasps as my dad’s brows pull together, and I slowly stand. I have been going through what I am going to say to him all day. I’m ready to pounce, but he catches me off guard when he laughs. “Guessing your little boyfriend didn’t know?”
“Know what?” Mom asks.
“Boyfriend? You’re dating someone? Is that smart?” Dad asks as Matty glares.
“Yeah, Dad. She’s dating Jace Sinclair.”
“Sinclair, Sinclair, I know that name. The brothers, first-round picks, Jude and…Hayden?”
“Jayden,” I correct and he nods.
“That’s right, and then Jace, the youngest, he was supposed to go in with Laurence,” he says, pointing to my brother, who only raises his hand, completely bored with this conversation. “You’re dating the youngest? When did this happen?”
“About a month ago,” I bite out, hating that no one knows me around here. I post picture upon picture of Jace and me, hoping for some kind of reaction from someone in this damn house, but no one cares. It’s such bullshit.
“Hm, okay,” he says slowly, looking back at my mom. “Make sure you tell the doctor.”
“I’m fine,” I yell, and everyone’s gaze is on me.
“You don’t look fine,” Seth says. “You look sick.”
I glare as Matty says, “What, did he break up with you? You suicidal again?”
“Matthew Robert!” my mom shrieks and I just glare, staring into the face that is the male version of my own.
“Matthew, that is not okay,” my dad barks at him, but Matty doesn’t care. He grins, his arms crossing over his chest.
“For your information, I’m fine.”
“Yep, don’t care.”
I want to hit him. So damn badly. Tearing my gaze from him, I look at Seth and say, “But you couldn’t let it be. You had to tell his brother what I did, paint me out to be crazy, and then tell him that dad will ruin his career like he did Caleb’s? Which turns me into a liar ’cause that never happened!”
“Yes, it did,” Seth says, and he shrugs. “I told nothing but the truth. No need for you to ruin another guy’s life ’cause you’re not stable.”
“I am stable,” I yell, my blood boiling and the hair on my arms standing at attention.
“Eh, I wouldn’t go that far,” Seth says simply. “It isn’t normal to want to kill yourself over a guy.”
That has Matty and Laurence laughing while my mom’s face twists in horror. My dad is glaring, but he doesn’t say anything as Matty goes, “Shit, let her. Maybe then I won’t have any competition in the draft.”
“Yeah, really,” Laurence says, shaking his head. “’Cause you aren’t going first with that kid in.”
“You guys are sick and pathetic and liars. Because Dad did not mess up Caleb’s career. Did you, Dad?” I ask, turning to him, and he shakes his head.
“Why would I? It isn’t his fault you did what you did.”
“Yeah, Avery. It’s no one’s fault but yours,” Matty retorts, and tears start to sting my eyes.
