I Dare You

I clear my throat, cutting her off. I haven’t said a word to her about what I know. “There’s no casino here, and no fighting, I promise.” Skye nods then turns back to the game, and I grab Raven’s hand. “Don’t worry about Maverick, okay?”

She nods, and I turn to watch him run off the field.

I keep my eyes on the game, but my brain flies. I’m sure Raven will keep this to herself, but Martha-Muffin is going to be a problem. How much longer before she tells someone? How much longer before it all hits the fan?

The game is over and I wait near the team entrance to the locker room, just outside the tunnel at the end zone. Maverick comes running out, wearing a pair of slacks and a blue button-down shirt with the cuffs rolled up, obviously dressed up to see the scouts at the meet and greet, and then he’ll be off to the party at the AD’s house.

He’s stopped at a couple of young boys wanting autographs who’ve been standing here with me for the past half hour. Skye and Raven have gone on ahead, and I don’t plan on being here long. I’ve made up my mind to say what needs to be said, and once it’s out, I’m done.

“Congratulations on the win and a great game,” I say as he nears me, stopping within a few yards.

He runs a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I played well.”

I huff out a laugh at his honest assessment. There’s no pretense to Maverick when it comes to his abilities. He looks around for Raven.

“Don’t worry, they’re waiting for me. We’re going to get pizza.”

He nods. “Thank you for today. She really wanted to come, and my dad…well, you know how that goes.”

“Yeah. I’ll make sure she gets home okay.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it.”

I nod, my emotions tugging at me, clogging up my throat. I swallow. “I also wanted to tell you that I…I don’t think we should see each other for a while. You’re not being truthful with me, and you haven’t been for weeks. Also, I’m not even sure how you feel about me, and if you can’t talk to me or tell me what’s going on with you, something isn’t right.” I take a big breath. “We need a break.” There, I’ve said the hard words, and I turn to leave before the tears that are brimming in my eyes fall.

“Delaney, wait!” he calls out as I walk hurriedly across the field. He catches my hand and turns me around. “I’m sorry,” he says softly. “For putting you through this, for Muffin hounding you, for lying about the bruises…”

I bite my lip, not able to stop the admission. “For making me fall in love with you?”

“Delaney?” His voice is torn and he swallows. “Is that true?”

God, yes. I do love him. Maybe I have since the moment he admitted he was He-Man. Maverick is in my blood, my skin, my bones. He’s the light, the sun I want to orbit.

But, I make mistakes when it comes to love—every damn time.

This time, it hurts way more than it did when Alex cheated on me.

If Maverick cared about me, he’d have told me he loves me back by now instead of just standing there with an uncertain look on his face.

“I always fall for the impossible guy.” I clench my hands, trying to keep it together.

He scrubs his face. “Delaney, I’m sorry.”

He’s sorry?

I close my eyes at the words he’s not saying, at the way he isn’t committing to us.

“I hear everything you’re not saying, Maverick—everything.”

“Just let me take care of this thing with Raven, and then I’ll be back for you.”

I sigh. I want to believe him, but still, it isn’t enough. “Whatever you’re doing—this fighting—you need to stop. It’s wrong.” I shake my head. “When people care about each other, life has a way of working out. We can figure out Raven’s situation together.”

A male voice calls Maverick’s name from the tunnel, and I shift my gaze to see one of the scouts waving for him to come over.

“Look, I have to head out. Can I come by your place later?”

I shuffle my feet, and his eyes watch me with a desperate look, but I’m not sure he actually feels that way. I just don’t know if I’m worth it to him…not like he is to me.

“I’m driving down to Panama City tonight with Skye for spring break.”

“That didn’t take long,” he says, a muscle flexing in his jaw. “You’re just going to leave me here.”

“You wanted space, and now you have it,” is my reply, recalling words he said last night.

“Delaney…”

But I don’t want to hear anything else. I flip around and stalk off, feeling his eyes on me the entire way.

Before I get far, he calls out, “We aren’t over, Delaney, not by a long shot. I’m going to make you proud of me.”

I clench my hands into fists and keep walking, because if I don’t, I’m going to turn right back around and run straight into his arms and tell him I’ll stick by his side. I want to tell him that no matter how many times he pushes me away, I’ll always be there.

But I don’t.

Maverick

Watching her walk away from me nearly makes my knees buckle. It feels like she isn’t coming back.

She loves me.

She loves me, even though I lied to her.

I’ve wanted her to say it so many times, yet I’m the one who can’t admit what’s going on inside me.

“Maverick? You coming?” It’s one of the scouts, and I give him a nod and head that way.

Something’s got to give. I hate this feeling, like I’m torn apart and in shambles.

I pull out my phone and type a quick text to Delaney.

Don’t go to the beach. Please, don’t leave me. Just wait.

But, I delete it before I hit send. Shit.

What am I going to do?

I think about Raven and how much she loves Pineview, the expression on her face when I told her I got her in.

There are only two options: admit I’ve been taking money for fighting and lose everything, or just keep my head down, keep on trucking, and pray to God Muffin shuts up.

My head tells me to keep trucking, to maintain the status quo.

But…

I rub at my chest, a nagging, aching feeling tugging at me, telling me I’m going to lose everything.

Delaney

Even though I told Maverick I was leaving that night, I still half-expected him to show up to catch me before I left. He didn’t. I checked and re-checked my phone, hoping to get a text from him, but nothing.

Skye and I made the drive to the beach in five hours. There were other people from Waylon on their way, all of them taking flights or driving, several of them staying in the same area of hotels on the beach.

Two days in and I’m lying out on the sand, wearing a yellow bikini, still a little burned from yesterday’s time in the sun, but I really don’t care. I’m nursing a bit of a hangover from the shots of Fireball Skye made me take last night. Okay, she didn’t make me, but she did strongly encourage me, and I didn’t need too much urging after still not hearing anything from Maverick.

A shadow drops down next to me, and I glance up from the book I’m reading, expecting to see Skye, who ran in to grab me a water and get a margarita for herself.

My eyes widen as I take Alex in. I’m not too shocked to see him here since it’s the same place we come every year, but I haven’t thought of him in so long that, well, I’m taken back.