Lo

“HERE SHE IS,” LIAM grinned as I made my way over. It was only my fourth week working at the bar, but I already felt at home. I’d covered the last two weekends for Gus since Maverick had team stuff and being at the bar beat moping around at home. 

“Hey, how’s it going?”

“Look around,” he laughed. “The place is buzzing.”

“The rush will come.” It always did.

“So are we going to talk about the fact your boyfriend is Maverick Prince or are we going to continue pretending otherwise?”

The question caught me off guard and my mouth bobbed open like a fish out of water.

Liam inclined his head. “You should see your face right now.”

“I’m...” I cleared my throat, “I don’t know what to say.”

“Well,” he urged. “Is it true?”

“Yeah but...”

“But?”

“This is weird.” It had been almost a month and Liam had never said anything, and honestly, I kind of liked being just Lo. Not Maverick Prince’s girlfriend.

“You never said anything?”

“I didn’t know I needed to. My private life is just that, Liam. Private.” I regretted the defensive edge to my voice but this whole thing was weird. I hadn’t had to defend my relationship with Maverick in months. 

“Whoa.” He threw up his hands. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I just visited a friend at the weekend. She goes to SU.”

No shit. Now things made a little more sense.

“She knows Maverick?” Jealousy prickled in my chest. Irrational, yes, but there all the same. 

“Nah, but he’s big news on campus. I don’t pay attention to schoolyard gossip, Lo. But apparently, she does. She mentioned his British girl from the Bay and I put two and two together.”

“Wonderful,” I grumbled, turning away from him and staring out at the bar.

“Hey.” His voice was softer. “I’m sorry, I was a jerk. If it’s any consolation, you did good. I heard he’s quite the catch.”

My lip quirked up and I stifled a laugh.

“Aww, she smiles.” Liam pressed. “Come on, talk to me. We’re friends, aren’t we?”

Turning slowly, I nodded. Liam had become a good friend. The three of us—me, him, and Sarah—had a lot of fun. I’d even met the two of them one night for milkshakes.

“You really haven’t heard the rumors?”

Last year, I’d been the talk of the town. All thanks to Caitlin Holloway and her jealous streak and sharp claws.

“Lo, like I already said, I’m a little old for high school gossip.”

“You’re twenty-two. Hardly ancient.”

He pushed his sandy blond hair out of his eyes. “Anyway, even if I had heard any rumors, I always prefer to know the truth.”

I heaved a sigh. “Maverick is my step-cousin. When I moved to Wicked Bay we stayed with his family. My dad’s brother and his wife. The Stone-Princes. You may or may not have heard of them.”

Amusement danced in his eyes. “Was it lust at first sight?”

It should have felt weird talking to Liam about this, but strangely it didn’t. It was nice for someone to have no pre-conceived ideas about the situation. Not that I cared what he thought. Not really. But he was probably the first I’d talked to about this who didn’t know some version of the story.

“It’s complicated. We met the summer before when I was visiting. But we didn’t know who we were to one another. We, erm, kissed.” Colour burst in my cheeks and I bit back the rest of that story. “So when I showed up in his kitchen a year later, it was—”

“Fate?”

“Awkward.”

“I can imagine. So you’ve been dating for a while?”

Dating didn’t really begin to cover mine and Maverick’s relationship, but I didn’t correct him.

“Officially, we’ve been together a year at Christmas.”

“And unofficially?”

I bit my lip, and he shook his head and then we both laughed. “Hey,” he said. “Maybe we can ride up together one time? I can visit Mya and you can visit Maverick. We could even hang out?”

“Yeah, maybe.” I lied. I couldn’t see that happening anytime soon. Maverick could barely find the time to see me, let alone find time to double date with my co-worker and his friend.

Wanting to turn the heat from me, I asked, “So Mya, is she...”

“A friend.” He deadpanned.

“Yeah, but how friendly are we talking?”

“That’s for me to know and you to find out.” He poked out his tongue earning him an eye roll.

“That sounds awfully like a schoolyard comeback to me.”

His laughter bellowed around us but then a group walked in. “Right.” I pushed off the counter. “Think I’d better go do some work.”

~

I SHOULDERED THE DOOR and dropped my keys onto the sideboard. “I’m home.”

“In here, sweetheart.” Dad’s voice floated down the hallway. I slipped off my pumps, enjoying the feel of the tiles against my skin. Working at Hitters was fun, but when the rush started, it was hard work. After my strange conversation with Liam, we’d barely had time to say hi again.

“Hey, Dad.” I dropped my purse on the table.

“How was it?”

“Good. Busy.”

“You know, Sweetheart, I wasn’t keen on the idea at first, but Stella was right, this job has been a good thing for you. I’m proud of you, Lo.”

“Hmm, thanks,” I said around a weak smile. “Where is Stella?”

“She’s just tucking Bethany in. She’s upset again.” He dragged a hand down his face, releasing a weary sigh.

“She’s young. It can’t be easy on her. New family. The stuff with Ken.” 

Ken was Stella’s ex and the reason they had to move in with us.

“You’re right. Of course you’re right. I just feel so useless sometimes.”

“Dad, come on, you did a good—”

“Phew, she’s down.” Stella appeared in the doorway, her eyes pinched. “Oh, hello, Lo. I didn’t realize you were home.” She gave me a weary smile.

“Hi.”

Awkward silence filled the space between us, so I rushed out, “Well, I’m beat. I’m going to take a shower and then hit the sack.”

“You can stay, Lo.” Dad’s voice held a question.

“I really should get an early night. Kyle’s picking me up early tomorrow. Goodnight.”

“Night, Sweetheart.”

“Night, Lo.”

I left Dad and Stella cuddling on the sofa. Being under the same roof as Stella and Bethany no longer made me want to scream, but I still had days where I couldn’t do the family thing. No matter how much I tried to tell myself I was being irrational, it felt like I was betraying Mum and Elliot.

Their memory.

There were times when Stella would catch me off guard and I found it hard to say no, but most of the time, I avoided her like the plague.

Inside my room, I stripped out of my uniform and dug my phone out of my purse, smiling when I saw a text from Maverick.

Maverick: Call me when you’re home

Lo: Home. I’m going to take a quick shower and then I’ll call, okay?

Maverick: Are you trying to kill me? Send me a photo.

Lo: I am not sexting you.

I needed to wash off the smell of burgers and fries first.

Maverick: You did the other night...

Lo: That was different.

He’d texted me just as I climbed in bed and when he texted me a photo of him in just his boxers, one thing led to another. And before I knew it, I was coming to the feel of my own fingers, imagining they were his.

Maverick: Spoilsport

Lo: Can’t type. I’m just getting undressed. Call you soon.

I left my phone in my room while I went for a shower. It would have been easy to play Maverick’s game, and God only knew I was sexually frustrated, but phone sex didn’t compare to real life sex with Maverick. I wanted to feel his fingers chasing my skin, his tongue tangled with mine. I was fed up of imagining it. Of waking in the middle of the night after yet another dream of him.

Us.

A tangle of limbs and love and desperate touches.

After a tepid shower, I changed into some boy shorts and a tank top and climbed into bed. My heart quickened as I dialed Maverick’s number.

“Please tell me you’re naked?” His voice was husky, thick with need, and a bolt of desire shot through me causing my thighs to clench.

“No such luck. I’m in my ratty pjs.”

“The one with the hole right by your—”

“Maverick,” I fought a smile. “How was your day?”

“Don’t do that. Don’t change the subject. Not now I’ve got an image of you in my head...” He left the insinuation hanging but I was tired... and I really was fed up of settling for stolen conversations in between our busy schedules.

“Fine, if you won’t tell me about your day, I’ll tell you about mine. Caitlin was throwing some serious shade my way again.”

“Still?”

“Still.” I rolled onto my side. “I avoid her like the plague, but she won’t let it go.”

“Just ignore her. She can’t hurt you.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Kyle drew the line. She wouldn’t risk the whole team turning against her. Senior year is too important to people like her.”

“I guess.” Kyle and Caitlin had come to an agreement. As captains of the football team and the cheer squad, they had to work together occasionally at team parties and school events. But that was as far as the facade went. She wasn’t welcome at any inner circle parties. The team were under strict instructions not to hook up with her. It was tenuous, but it was working, and despite the daily daggers she threw in my direction, she left me alone.

“I still think you should have tried out for the cheerleading team.”

“Team sports are so not my thing.”

“Yeah, but those outfits. I could see you in one of—”

“What has gotten into you tonight?”

“Like you even have to ask.” His voice turned serious again. “It’s twenty days since I was last inside you.”

“You are not counting,” I shrieked incredulously.

“Like hell I am, and only three more days to wait.”

“Three days,” I repeated. I couldn’t believe we’d done it—spent three weeks apart. But after what Zac and his guys did, Maverick didn’t want me anywhere near campus, and his life wasn’t his own anymore thanks to their conditioning program. 

But Friday there was a big pre-season party and it was open house. Maverick had to show his face, but he’d invited me, Kyle, and Laurie, too.

I didn’t relish the idea of being in the same house as Zac Lowell and his goons, but if it meant going home with Maverick, I’d take what I could.

“I know you’re worried about the party, but you don’t need to be. Things are better. We’re training hard. Meshing as a team. The initiation stuff is all behind us.”

“That’s good,” I said hating that I couldn’t disguise the tremor in my voice.

“Come on, Lo. I’m trying here.”

“I know, I just...” What? What did I want him to say? There was no easy answer. Maverick and Zac were on the same team whether I liked it or not, and if he could overlook Zac’s assholery then I guess I would have to try to do the same. 

I pushed down all my reservations and deep hatred for Zac Lowell and said, “Three days can’t come soon enough.” 

“We won’t stay long, I promise.”

“We’re going to set off straight after school finishes, so we should be with you for four-thirty.”

“Sounds good. Now are you sure I can’t persuade you into sending me one photo?”

“You can wait three days,” I said.

“If I don’t die of blue balls before then,” he grumbled over the line. 

“It’s late, I should go. But stay on the line a little while?” I placed the phone on the pillow beside my head.

“Night, Lo.”

“Night, Maverick.”

“I’m counting the hours,” were the last words I heard before sleep claimed me.