The Heartbreaker

“You’re not going to invite Misty and Jo?” Mom asks in the kitchen, when we’re out of earshot from everyone.

“Nope. Boys’ night.” I grab one of the crackers she’s serving on a charcuterie board and shove it into my mouth.

“Make it a girls’ and boys’ night.” She slaps my hand when I go for another cracker.

“I don’t want to.”

“Why not?” She stops messing with the cheeses and looks at me. “You need to learn to be a good host. You can’t just disappear into the night.” She stops talking when Misty walks into the kitchen. She’s wearing a short flowy dress with a flower print on it and sandals. “You look nice,” Mom says.

“Thanks.” Misty smiles wide. “We’re going out.”

“Oh.” Mom raises an eyebrow, then looks at me quickly. “Jagger and Maverick are planning to go out as well. Maybe you can all go together.”

“Hm.” Misty sets her lips flat, looking over at me and there’s no mistaking the anger in her eyes. It takes me aback, because what the fuck? Her sister is the one who screwed me over, not the other way around. “I think we’ll have to pass. You guys have fun though.”

“You too,” I say, then scowl when Jo walks into the kitchen, those jeans too tight, that bodysuit too provocative. “What are you so dressed up for?”

“You call this dressed up?” Jo shoots me a look. “Misty’s wearing an actual dress.”

“You’re both dressed up,” I say.

“You both look great,” Mom says, winking. She shoots me a what is wrong with you? look before picking up the tray and walking out of the kitchen.

“You’re dressed up too,” Misty points out.

“I’m not.” I’m really not. I’m wearing jeans and a red polo.

“Well, if you must know, we’re meeting some guys up for drinks,” Misty says. My gaze shoots to Jo, who bites her lip and looks away.

“What guys?”

“Guys you don’t know,” Misty says. “You think you know everyone in this town too?”

“How do you know anyone in this town?”

“Because I freaking do and again, it’s none of your business what we do.” Misty places a hand on her hip. “Have fun. We know we will.”

They grab two bottles of water and walk out of the kitchen and soon I hear the door open and a car pull away.

“You ready to go?” Mav walks into the kitchen wearing jeans and some kind of Manga T-shirt.

“Yeah.”

“Did you invite the girls to come with?”

“They already left. Apparently they’re meeting up with some guys.”

My brother raises an eyebrow. “Lawrence?”

“I don’t know.” My blood starts boiling.

Asheville is small enough that we may run into them tonight and if we do and she’s with Lawrence I need to know I can handle it because otherwise I’ll break his face. I decide I’m sticking to two beers tonight. It’s the only way I can ensure keeping my wits about me and not letting my emotions control the situation. I say a version of this to my brother as we walk outside and get in one of my dad’s cars.

“First of all, you’re assuming too much. We probably won’t see them. Secondly, did you see how she looks in that outfit? I feel like drunk or not, if you see her with anyone tonight you’re going to flip out. Third of all, this is on you for not telling her how you felt.”

“I didn’t get a chance to tell her how I felt.” I glance at him as we wind down the hill and onto the street. “The night I was going to tell her, she got back with Lawrence.”

“Did you ask her about that?”

“I didn’t have to. You were there. You saw them.”

“Did you text her to confirm this?”

“Can you not?” I shoot him a look.

“I’m just saying, Jag. You’ve liked this girl for as long as I can remember. Sure, you had other girlfriends and other people you were fucking, but Jo has always been your if she ever gives me a chance I’ll change full-stop girl. She gave you a chance, finally, and then you just . . . let him have her back?”

“That’s not what happened.” I frown. “We were casually hooking up, at her request.”

“Her request, Jagger?” My brother turns to me as I finish parallel parking near the brewery. “You’re the king of casual. How is she supposed to think this would be anything but that?”

“How is it that you still don’t have a girlfriend?”

Mav chuckles. “That’s by choice and when I do get one, I’m not going to be playing all of these stupid mind games.”

“Famous last words.” I raise an eyebrow.

We take a seat and order our beer. Mav orders a flight and I order one of the ones they have on tap. There’s a game on, but it goes to halftime and they start showing the reel of last week’s highlights, talking about me again. I keep my eyes on the television and read the caption since it’s loud in here. They’re still praising the play. Most of them praised it. Some of them criticized how risky it was. Coach said the same thing after all of the celebrating was over. It was risky, especially since it was early on in the game, but I do that. I take risks. On the field, that is. Before I catch myself, I take my phone out and text message Josephine.