Hot Poker To The Heart
The guys have been coming up MIA for short periods of time for the past few weeks. I’ve been doing better about not needing them around so much, but it doesn’t make me miss them any less. On days like today, when I get a little lonely, I’ll be with Ryleigh or at Lucas’ house with Lincoln.
Lincoln is almost always home. I learned during the first visit that he got so depressed that he dropped out of college his sophomore year, and has practically become a hermit. Lucas says that he’s been going out more since I started coming around, and even said something about trying to get back into classes in the fall, so that in itself makes the trip over worthwhile.
Today, we’re laid out on a quilt in the backyard. With our heads next to each other and feet opposite, it makes it easier to hear lying on our backs.
“Did I tell you that I’m going to try to get my shit together to get into classes in the fall?” he asks.
“Lucas did,” I admit.
He lets out a small laugh, “It was more than just Dallas you know? Yeah, I love him and everything that happened didn’t help, but I was so stressed out from classes and everything else that I felt like I was having a nervous breakdown. Figured I could take a year off. It’ll still be there for when I’m ready to go back.”
I tilt my head to the side to look at him, “You know that I don’t judge you anyways, but I’m glad that you feel ready enough to get back to it.”
Nodding he adds, “I talked to Dallas the other day too.”
Now this does come as a surprise, “What happened?”
He shrugs, “We just asked how the other was doing. Polite chitchat and whatnot.”
“Have you decided to give it a shot?” I ask gently as I roll on my side and prop up on my elbow to look down to him.
“I don’t know,” he answers honestly. “You’ve given me hope that it could work. I’m just not sure that I want to let her in. I don’t know. I’m just a confused mess, and I want to get myself straight before trying anything.”
“You speak such wisdom for such a mighty youth, young grasshopper,” I kid.
My words work in turning his frown into a smile, “I think Goose is rubbing off on you. Is that a movie quote?”
I grin, “I don’t know, but it should be.”
“Ohhhh Kendaaallll,” Goose calls sticking his head off the back porch.
“Speak of the devil,” Lincoln says with a wink.
Goose and Teagan walk out to where we are laying in the yard, and T says, “Yeah and the devil’s going to come calling if you’re out here trying to steal Kendall’s heart.”
He laughs and jumps up to pull me to my feet, “Don’t tempt me. I’m no stranger to dancing with the devil, but I think little K has enough testosterone in her life right now.”
Wrapping me up in his arms, Goose pulls me to his lap as he sits down, “We’re not going anywhere just yet.”
“I thought we were going back to your house for movie night?” I ask.
“We are,” Teagan answers for him as he sits down and then looks to Lincoln, “You’re more than welcome to stay out here with us.”
Lincoln shakes his head, “I’m good. I’ve got some stuff to take care of inside anyways. See you later, little K.”
“Bye,” I tell him.
Passing Mav and Lucas coming down the stairs, they nod to each other. What are they up to?
The pair walk down to the blanket and sit across from the three of us. It’s a good thirty seconds of no one saying anything and it’s driving me crazy. “Ok, what’s the deal?” I ask.
The words out of Maverick’s mouth sends my heart into my ass, “There’s two things on the table that we need to discuss. First up, we need to talk about us leaving in the fall.”
“Ok,” I manage to squeeze out through the lump in my throat.
“Well,” he starts, “I think it’s a safe bet to say that a long-distance relationship is never going to work, especially since there’s four of us and not just one.”
Tears fill my eyes, but I try to swallow the sick feeling in my chest as I look towards the ground. I knew it was coming and I knew that it would hurt, but this feels like taking a hot poker to the heart. They apparently didn’t want to be burdened with me through their last high school summer. That’s understandable. I feel the warm tears as they start their trek down my face and I don’t want them to pity me. The last thing I want is for them to feel bad and try to stick around when they see me cry. I’m not that girl.
Pushing Goose’s arms away from me, I stand up in one quick motion. Maverick tries to grab my hand, but a quick side step maneuver puts me out of reach. Teagan is smarter. He hit his feet when I did and captures me around the waist.
He twists me to face him, “Kendall, what’s wrong?”
Really? That stings some, like I’m not supposed to give a shit that they are dropping me and moving on. I find a spot in the trees to stare at to his right and don’t answer.
Mav steps into my line of sight and I have no choice but to look up to his face, “Where are you going? You didn’t even let me finish what I was saying and why the hell are you crying?”
“I’m confused,” I choke out, “You’re breaking up with me, right? That’s what this distance speech was for. It’s ok you know. There’s going to be plenty of girls where you’re going and with you being hot football stars, you’ll have your pick I’m sure. You deserve a chance to live a little, so I understand.”
Mav’s and T’s facial expressions are almost identical as they go from confused to pissed to comprehension by the end of my words.
Maverick steps up like he’s going to take me from Teagan, but the latter tightens his arms around me and smooshes my face against his chest, “Oh sweet, K. We aren’t leaving you, lovely. Quite the contrary, actually.”
“I don’t understand,” I say, my voice muffled by his shirt.
“If you would have stopped long enough to let me finish, this wouldn’t even be an issue right now,” Mav tells me as he reaches around T and lifts my chin.
“Will you come sit back down and let us explain?” he asks in a very unlike Mav manner.
When I nod, I’m pulled back to the quilt on the ground. I didn’t realize Lucas and Goose both stood and were right behind Mav the whole time. We do a little rearranging and I end up sitting in between Teagan’s legs with Lucas on my right, and Goose’s head in my lap. Using the hand that Lucas doesn’t have hostage, I run it through what little hair Goose has on top. There’s a lapse in conversation for a few, and I feel completely immature for my reaction.
Goose makes a humming sound of approval before he says, “I can’t believe you thought that we would drop you just like that.”
Even though he can’t see me, I shrug anyways, “Mav didn’t start that conversation out too well.”
“Yeah dude,” T says from behind me, “I think you should have thought that through a little better.”
Mav just rolls his eyes, “That may be so, but my bigger concern is the fact that she has no faith in us. Looks like we need to rectify that situation, but first we need to get back to the other things.”
I know they said they weren’t ditching me, but my heart thumps harder in my chest anyways.
Lucas pulls a packet of papers from inside his jacket and hands them to me. There’s a stamp of a college I’ve never heard of on the front, “What’s this?”
After a minute or so, Mav drops the bomb, “It’s an acceptance letter to a smaller sister college to ours.”
I shake my head, “Then they sent it to the wrong person. I still haven’t applied anywhere.”
Goose points to the small print on the front of the envelope, “You’re Kendall Davis, right?”
“Yeah,” I answer looking closer, “but that’s not my address so they’ve got the wrong one.”
When I try to hand it back to Lucas, he laughs, “That’s my address.”
“I sent over all of your credentials and application,” Mavs informs me looking not the least bit sheepish. “And you won’t have to worry about tuition for the first two years either,” he adds.
Applying to college for me is one thing. I will not allow them to pay my tuition too. Just as I open my mouth to say so, he cuts me off, “Don’t even start. We didn’t pay for it.”
“Dad has been looking for some PR for the firm, so I suggested a scholarship,” Teagan tells me in my ear. Between the feel of his breath and Goose lying in my lap, it sends chills down my arms.
“They didn’t even tell you the best part yet,” Goose says looking upside down at me. “This one is only thirty minutes away from ours.”
“And,” Lucas cuts in, “We’ve already found a house to rent. It’s paid out for the next two years, so we don’t risk losing it.”
“Also,” Mav says, “I didn’t put you in for a major. You can do that when we get there in July. We can go online, so you can see all the programs that they offer. There’s even a photography major, if that’s what you’re feeling so inclined to do.”
Dropping the papers between Lucas and I, the heels of my hands dig into my eyes and they flood with tears again. Only it’s a different kind this time.
“Don’t cry again, baby,” Lucas says sounding close. “Are you not happy?”
I nod around my hands, “So much that you guys made me cry again.”
They laugh, and it isn’t long before I’m joining them. When I feel like I can breathe again, I tell them, “Thank you so much for this. It means the world to me.”
Lucas winks as Goose and T reply. Once they’re done Mav throws me an arched brow and half smirk, “We did it for purely selfish reasons.”
He can say that a million times and I’ll still never believe him. Some of the motivations may have been, but they really are just that kind of heart. Making Goose raise up, I knee walk around the four of them handing out hugs and a kiss to the cheek.
Lucas is last, and he lies back until I’m draped across his chest, “You may want to hold up on celebrating just yet. We still have number two. You may hate us after this one.”
In all of the excitement, I totally forgot that there was a number two. Propping up on my elbow so I can see all of their faces, I ask, “What is it?”
Mav looks to the same tree that I used before as Teagan laughs and thumb points to him, “Well, someone had to go and get himself nominated for Prom King and we’re being jerks and making him go.”
I smile, “Why would you not want to go, Mav?”
He rolls his eyes again, “Just didn’t want to, but I guess we are.”
“We? As in I get to go too?” I ask excitedly as I sit up.
“Woah,” Goose says, “You sound happy about this.”
I grin at him, “I am actually. I’ve never been to prom. Plus, we get to torture Mav for the night.”
Mav’s eyebrow shoots up as he gives me one of those looks that turns my insides to mush and puts a blush on my cheeks. I’m the first one to break eye contact, as I resort to playing with a string on Lucas’ pants. I see the other three watching us, but no one says anything.
Goose breaks the silence, “We still on for movie night or are we going out to celebrate Kendall’s acceptance?”
Lucas looks to me, “Up to you baby.”
A night with nothing but my boys is exactly what I need, and I tell them so. With it decided, Lucas and Teagan fold up the blanket to take back inside after shaking it out.
As Goose turns toward the house, I say, “Catch,” and jump on his back.
Never missing a beat his arms wrap around my legs to hold me in place. I kiss his neck right under his ear, “I don’t think I’ve told you today, Grant Michaels. I love you.”