“Thanks for the ride,” she said. “Sorry you didn’t get much done on your work out.”
“Sorry you didn’t get much done on your schoolwork. But not really.” I put the car in park. “Hey, should we go make out somewhere in your house? Let your parents find us? Get both sets of parents out of the way in one evening?”
She laughed again. “No way. See, because my dad would kill you. We’re going to have to ease into this one.”
I nodded. I could picture Mr. Hall being a little protective. Okay, a lot protective.
“Tutu knows, though,” she said.
“How?”
Malina shrugged. “She always seems to know everything that’s going on with me.”
“And?”
“She seemed fine with it. I wouldn’t be surprised if you get extra poi out of the deal.”
“Now that’s a win-win.” I leaned over the center console and kissed her, cupping one hand around the back of her neck.
She let me go for a few more seconds before pulling back. “No yellow lights, remember?”
I sighed. “No yellow lights.”
We said good night, and I made sure she got into the house safely before backing out of the driveway. When I hit the stoplight at the end of the street, I called Lacey. She’d texted me earlier and asked me to call, but I’d been a terrible brother and forgotten about it until then.
“About time, little brother,” Lacey said.
“I know. Sorry.”
“It’s echoey. Are you in the car?”
“Yeah. You’re on Bluetooth while I drive home. What’s up?”
“Just checking on Mom. Did she delete Tinder?”
With everything with Malina, I hadn’t paid as close attention as I probably should have. “Not sure. But no creepy old guys have showed up at our front door, so I think that’s a good sign.”
“Definitely,” she said. “Thanks for keeping an eye on her for me.”
“No problem.”
“So what’s up with you since the last time we talked?”
I sighed. “Mom walked in on me making out with someone.”
A pause. “And? Hate to say it, but that’s far from the first time that’s happened, right?”
I winced. “Not someone. Malina. We were down in the basement. Alone. Making out. And I may or may not have been shirtless.”
Lacey gasped. “I’m going to ignore the TMI for a second and make sure I heard you right. Malina? Malina Hall?”
“The one and only.”
“Damn, little brother. It’s about time. I always thought you two would end up together, like some cheesy romantic comedy.”
“Yeah, yeah. Apparently everyone else thought that, too.”
“Are you happy?”
“Very.”
“Good. Just be careful with her.”
Something about the warning made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. “What do you mean?”
A pause. “I know your…track record with girls. And I also know that Malina isn’t any girl. She’s your best friend. Don’t hurt her, okay?”
“I won’t,” I said, a little indignant. I was capable of not hurting someone. Maybe the only reason I broke up with all those other girls was because I was supposed to be with Malina all along.
“Good,” Lacey said.
I pulled into the driveway and switched the phone off Bluetooth before cutting the engine.
“You home?” she asked.
“Yeah. Not really excited about going to get lectured. Or have a sex talk.”
“Ew.”
“Exactly. I’ll keep an eye on the dating thing though, okay?”
Lacey thanked me again, and we disconnected the call. Then I took a deep breath and headed up to the house.
My goal was simple: get inside as quickly and quietly as possible, sneak up to my room, and pretend to be asleep. I opened the door and closed it soundlessly behind me. I took quick, tip-toed steps through the hall and was almost to the stairs when—
“Stop.”
My heart sank. So much for that plan. I stopped.
“Turn.”
I turned.
Mom was at the kitchen counter with a dry erase marker in her hand, working on what looked to be a seating arrangement for some event. Some of the names were written in blue, some were written in red, and some were written in green. I wondered what the green meant. Aliens?
“Yes?” I asked.
“Luke, what in the world were you doing with a girl in the basement?”
I assumed she didn’t want the literal answer to that question. “It’s not a big deal,” I said. “I have Malina in my bedroom all the time. You’ve never cared before.”
“Yeah, because you were friends before. Nothing more. From what I saw, you two are a lot more now.”
Despite the fact that I was getting in trouble, I couldn’t keep a small smile from my face. “Okay, so now the rules change?” I asked, deciding to play naive and praying it would work.
“The rules absolutely change. The same rules now apply to Malina that apply to any other girl. No being alone with her anywhere in the house.”
“Fine,” I said. “And so you know, nothing was going to happen.”
At least I didn’t think anything was going to happen.
“See that it doesn’t,” Mom said. “I’m way too young to be a grandma.”
“Absolutely too young,” I said, playing to her vanity. “Practically too young to be a mom. Are you sure you didn’t adopt me?”
She rolled her eyes. “Flattery will get you everywhere. Hey, totally off topic, but I got an email from your guidance counselor about a college night for parents. Information about scholarships and stuff. I think I’m going to go.”
I frowned. “Why would you go to that?”
“Luke,” she said with a sigh, “we talked about this. You need to apply to a few schools. Just in case.”
An argument bubbled up to my lips, but tonight didn’t feel like the right time to have this battle—not when I was already in trouble—so I said, “Fine.”
“Good. Now get out of here so I can finish this.”
I saluted Mom and headed toward the stairs. My foot was on the first step when she stopped me.
“Luke?”
I paused and turned again. The green marker was uncapped in her hand.
“Yeah?”
“I like Malina. A lot.”
I smiled. “Me, too.”
“Be careful with her, okay?”
I rolled my eyes. First Lacey, then Mom. Did no one have faith in me? Just because I didn’t want to stay with one girl before didn’t mean I couldn’t. “Yeah. I got it.”
“Good.”
It was only when I dropped onto my bed that I realized I’d barely started and definitely hadn’t finished my workout. There was no doubt that I played better when I was in my best shape, which was when I was doing my own workouts in addition to ones with the team. I’d already skipped a few workouts since I’d been home. But the bed was comfortable and I was tired and all I really wanted to do was text Malina, which wouldn’t be easy with weights in my hands. The weights could wait for another day.
Chapter Nineteen
Malina
When I got home from school on Friday afternoon, my mom’s car was in the driveway, but the house was empty. Usually my parents told me when they weren’t going to be home, so I sent a quick “Where are you?” text before walking over to my STEM project. I had a few hours before I had to leave for Jackson’s game, and I had to make a decision. Either I could work on my project, which probably still wouldn’t work by the time it was due on Monday, or I could work on my essay for school, which was also due Monday and needed to be done. With one last touch to the cool glass of the farthest planet from the sun—Neptune—I resigned myself to giving up. I’d gotten so close. Maybe I’d make it work that summer, when I had more time. But not then. Not with everything else I had going on.
Maybe if this thing wi
th Jackson hadn’t happened, I would have finished in time, but it was my fault for being distracted, and I had to deal with the consequences. I let Neptune go and headed to the couch to work on something that wasn’t nearly as challenging or rewarding, but much more stable. That seemed to be becoming a theme in my life.
It only took a few minutes before I was completely absorbed in my work, and therefore was kind of annoyed when my cell phone rang. It was my dad. Couldn’t he text me and tell me where they were instead?
“Hello?” I said, not doing a very good job of hiding the annoyance in my voice.
“Hey, Malina.”
Then he hesitated.
My stomach clenched. Something wasn’t right. “What’s wrong?”
“Honey, I hate to have to tell you this, but Tutu had another stroke.”
Numbness flashed through my limbs, making me drop the folder I’d been holding. Papers scattered in a million directions. “What? Is she…is…” I couldn’t make myself say the words. I couldn’t even think them.
“She’s okay,” he said quickly. “Or the doctors are optimistic that she will be. Your mom knew the signs as soon as she saw them and got her to the hospital right away.”
Relief warmed some of the terrified chill in my body, but a lump still formed in my throat. “Where are you?” I asked. “I’m coming.”
“They transferred her to Ann Arbor as soon as she was stable,” he said. “She’s still in ICU. Sweetheart, we don’t think you should drive all the way out here. Minors aren’t allowed to visit in the ICU. Plus, you have your big scholarship interview tomorrow.”
“I don’t care. I’ll sit in the waiting room. And I’ll miss the interview. I can’t sit here and do nothing.”
“So don’t do nothing,” Dad said. “Go to Jackson’s game like you were supposed to. Go to the interview in the morning. Hopefully, by tomorrow, Tutu will be out of the ICU, and you can visit her then. You know that’s what she’d want.”
A tear slipped down my cheek. It was what she’d want, but that didn’t mean it was what I wanted. It also didn’t mean I was any less worried.
“Malina?” Dad asked when I didn’t say anything.
“Can I talk to Mom?” I choked out as another tear fell.
“Sure. Hang on.”
There was a sound of shuffling, then Mom’s voice came across the line.
“Lina,” she said, “are you okay?”
“Is Tutu okay?” It wasn’t that I didn’t believe my dad; it was just that I needed to hear it twice.
“She will be. Her neurologist is taking good care of her. Everyone is. It will be an uphill climb, exactly like last time, but Tutu was strong then and will be strong now.”
I nodded even though my mom couldn’t see it. “Okay. I still think I should be there.”
“I won’t stop you if this is where you want to be, but there’s not a lot we can do tonight. Tutu’s resting, and she needs that more than she needs us. I’m going to find a hotel room to spend the night. Dad can come home if you want him to.”
The thought of my mom having to be in a hotel room alone while worrying about Tutu was not an option. I took a deep breath. “No. That’s okay. Dad can stay there. I’ll be okay.”
“Are you sure?” Mom asked.
“Positive. You’re right. There’s nothing I can do right now. I’ll go to Jackson’s game. I’ll go to the interview. I’ll get ahead on work so I’ll be free to be at the hospital as soon as she can have visitors.”
“Tutu will love that,” Mom said. “We’ll keep you posted, but call or text us if you need anything, okay?”
After we said good-bye and ended the call, I just stood there. There was no way I could focus on homework then. My hands were shaking, so I wasn’t even sure I could pick up the pieces of paper I’d dropped. There was only one thing I knew I could do. Had to do.
The phone rang three times, which was just long enough for me to worry he wouldn’t pick up.
“Hello?”
The sound of his voice brought tears to my eyes and clogged my throat with emotion. “Jackson,” I said.
“Malina? What’s wrong?”
“It’s Tutu. She…” My sobs got in the way of finishing the sentence.
“Tutu? Is she—” He swore under his breath. “Where are you? Are you at home?”
“Yes,” I managed to say.
“I’m on my way. Be there in ten minutes, okay?”
I heard his car in my driveway in a lot less than ten minutes, which had to say something about how fast he drove on the way. When I opened the front door, he wrapped me in his arms and let me cry into his shoulder. He rubbed my back until I calmed down a little, then took my shoulders and held me out at arm’s length. Concern was written all over his face.
“What happened?”
“She had another stroke,” I said, “She’s in the ICU. But my parents say she’s going to be okay.”
He swore under his breath before pulling me into his arms again. “I’m glad she’s going to be okay, but still scary, yeah?”
Safely in his arms, layers of fear started to melt away. When he let go of me again, he thumbed the tears away from my eyes.
“What can I do?” he asked. “Do you need a ride to the hospital?”
It was only then that I noticed he was wearing a shirt and tie. His usually messy hair was styled, and he was wearing something other than tennis shoes or hockey skates. It was one of my favorite things about hockey—the guys got dressed up to go to the rink for a game.
“Your game,” I said. “Are you going to be late?”
“Not yet, but even if I am, I can talk to Coach. What do you need me to do?”
“Take me to your game.” I explained what my mom and dad had said, and that I needed distraction more than anything else tonight.
“You’re sure?” he asked.
I wiped at my eyes again, took a deep breath, and nodded. “Let’s go.”
“Jackson, Malina,” someone called from behind us as we walked up to the rink.
When I turned, I saw Lia. We slowed so she could catch up.
“Hey,” she said.
“Oh, good,” Jackson said, opening the door for us. “You two are both here early. You can hang out together while Pierce and I warm up with the team.”
There was something about the robotic way he said it that made me suspect this wasn’t a coincidence.
Once we were inside, I nodded toward her outfit, which included a U.S. Figure Skating sweatshirt, a pair of leggings, and her hair in a bun. “Did you just get out of practice yourself?”
“From one rink to the other,” she said with a laugh.
Jackson hoisted his bag a little higher on his shoulder. “I have to get to the locker room,” he said. “Are you going to be okay?”
There was a twinge of panic in my gut at being left without Jackson. I knew my parents said Tutu was going to be fine, but what if they were wrong? What if something happened and the next phone call was… I forced the worst-case scenario out of my brain. “I’ll be fine. Thank you.”
“Text me if you need me, okay? Unless I’m already on the ice. Then just…hold up an SOS sign or something.”
Despite the stress of the night, I laughed. “Got it. Thanks. Have a good game.”
“Kick some Blackhawk ass,” Lia said.
Jackson grinned and gave Lia a little salute before walking away.
I didn’t even know they were playing the Blackhawks. Lia was a much better hockey girlfriend than I was.
As soon as Jackson was gone, she turned to me. “So, concession stand hot chocolate? It’s the powdered stuff, but they do put marshmallows on top. My treat.”
We had time to kill before the game, and it was cold in the arena. “That actually sounds amazing. Thanks.”
We walked over to the concession stand, and Lia put in the order.
While we waited, I asked, “Did Jackson ask you to babysit me?”
Lia smiled. “Busted. Not babysit, bu
t hang out with you so you wouldn’t have to be alone. I was coming to the game anyway. I’m just here a little early.”
“Did you have to leave your own practice?”
“I’d finished right when he texted. Perfect timing, really.”
That must have been who he texted right before we got in the car to head to the rink. “Well, thank you.”
A guy who looked incredibly bored handed us our Styrofoam cups of hot chocolate, and we sat down at one of the tables.
“So, it’s your grandma?”
Anxiety clutched at my heart at the mention of Tutu. I pressed the home button on my phone to make sure I hadn’t missed an update from my parents. Nothing. “Yeah. She had a stroke. She had one a few years ago in Hawaii and had to come live with us, so we’re pretty close.”
“Is she going to be okay?” Lia asked before blowing on the steaming hot chocolate.
“I think so. But she’s still in the ICU, and I assume they won’t know everything for a while.”
“I hope everything will be okay. But in better news, things are good between you and Jackson?”
“Yeah.” I smiled. “Really good.”
“I’m so glad you’re finally together. Though I wasn’t sure you would be when I heard about your disaster of a double date.”
I winced. It wasn’t exactly a memory I wanted to relive. Ever. “It was pretty bad, but the outcome was good.”
“Obviously. And hey, I heard Troy and Jackson’s date—Krista?—are going out. Without the two of you.”
That information chipped away at the embarrassment that lingered from that night. Troy and Krista could be good together.
“Oh, incoming,” she said, nodding toward the front doors, where the team that must have been the Blackhawks was walking inside. “See the really tall guy?”
It was easy to pick him out because he was at least a head taller than any of the other players. “Yeah.”
“Number forty-two. Their best player. He’s had almost as much attention from the NHL scouts as Pierce.”
I made a mental note to watch for him during the game. Once the team was gone, I turned back to her. “How do you know all of that? The teams and the players and who everyone is.”
She shrugged and took a sip from her cup. “You catch on pretty quickly. It’s Pierce’s world, you know? I want to be a part of it. So I hang around as much as possible and do some online research in my downtime. It’s fun. Plus, my dad was a hockey player, so it’s kind of in my blood.”
Tied Up in You Page 13
