Page 107 of A Little Jaded
My shoulders fall as I read her message. Not because she isn’t being super thoughtful, but I can’t help wondering if she knows about my situation with Drake and if it’s the reason why she insists I wait for her and her husband in my lockedcar. I should’ve asked Everett if he told them, but I didn’t think about it. I guess I assumed he’d keep it between us. He promised to not tell my family, but he never promised to keep his own in the dark. And let’s not forget about his blabbermouth little sister. Yeah. There’s no way they don’t know.
Great.
I reread Mrs. Taylor’s text. It doesn’t exactly ease the buzzing in my gut. She knows. She has to. And here, I wanted to make a good impression.
Puffing my cheeks out, I type my response.
Me
Sounds good. See you in a minute.
Mrs. Taylor
Perfect! We’re in a white Jeep.
I look up and scan the parking lot when a pearly white Jeep pulls into one of the closest spots. Seconds later, a man and a woman climb out of the SUV. The man is broad-shouldered with short brown hair and a five o’clock shadow. The woman beside him is short, curvy, and has long, straight black hair reaching her mid-back. Both wear LAU hoodies, jeans, and white Nikes. It makes them look like the perfect match. And even if I hadn’t seen their pictures at the cabin, I feel like I would still recognize them. It’s like Everett’s the perfect mix of the two. He has his dad’s eyes and height. His mom’s hair and nose.
As Everett’s dad’s hand finds Mrs. Taylor’s waist, she smiles up at him. All it takes is one smile to know they’re good people. Loving people. And I swear I recognize it. The smile. It’s the same one Everett’s given me. The same one he uses to settle my nerves more times than I can count, and even though Mrs. Taylor’s isn’t directed at me, I still manage to let out a slow breath.
It’s going to be fine.
Turning Everett’s car off, I grab my purse from the passenger seat and open the door.
As soon as my feet hit the ground, I offer, “Uh, hi.”
“Hey, I’m Kate,” the woman replies. “And yes, please call me Kate. Mrs. Taylor is Macklin’s mom.”
I smile back at her. “Hi, Kate. I’m Raine.”
“And I’m Macklin,” her husband adds, stretching his hand out. “You can call me Mack. Nice to meet you.”
Shaking his hand, I say, “Nice to meet you, too, Mack.”
“Shall we?” he suggests.
The building is bustling. The majority of the fans are decked out in yellow and brown, the Grizzlies’ colors. It makes me and Everett’s parents stick out like a sore thumb in our red, black, and white jerseys. When we find our way to the visitor’s section a few minutes later, I can’t help but curl in on myself despite Everett’s parents being nothing but friendly.
I’ve been here a hundred times. But I’ve never sat in these seats, and I sure as hell have never worn these colors. Not here. My knee bounces, and I slouch in the plastic chair while trying not to have a full-blown meltdown in the visitor’s section as the fans stand up, preparing for the home team to take to the ice while I keep my butt planted where it is.
“So, Raine,” Macklin leans forward in his seat, resting his elbows on his knees. “How do you like the cabin?”
“Cabin?” I turn to him and frown. Not because I don’t know what he’s talking about, but because, well, he knows I’m living in his cabin?
“Everett said you’re sleeping in the guest bedroom?” he prods.
“Oh. Yes.” I force a smile.
So, Everett’s a blabbermouth.Noted.
“It’s really nice,” I add. “Thank you for letting me stay there.”
“It’s a good place to escape to when you need it,” he replies.
Sandwiched between us, Kate explains, “Macklin went through a nasty divorce and wound up moving to the mountains and building the place before we met. We’re glad it’s getting some more use.”
Macklin was divorced when he met Everett’s mom? Wait…I think I knew that. He also has two older daughters. Miley and…Hazel, I think?
I shake myself out of replaying one of my earlier conversations with Everett and reply, “Thank you. It’s really beautiful.”