Page 29 of End Game

“Can you…” I clear my throat. “Can you come downstairs?”

Her light clicks on upstairs, casting a bright shadow over the front lawn. “You’re here?”

“I just need to see you.”

There’s a rustling on her end. Another light clicks on inside the house—the hall light.

“I’ll be right there,” she promises, hanging up the call. The absence of her presence on the line hurts almost as much as the torture of the evening.

A light turns on in the living room and then Diana is opening the door. She’s wearing an oversized t-shirt—one she stole from me—and a pair of short black spandex shorts, her hair tied up in protective braids. She hugs her arms over her chest.

“What happened?”

I swallow. “Dinner. With my parents.”

She sighs, nodding in understanding. In three steps, I’ve crossed the lawn to get to her. I wrap my arms around her and hold her tightly to me. Slowly her arms come up around me, wrapping around my torso. She lets out a heavy sigh.

“It went that well?”

“Worse. They didn’t so much as ask how I’m doing. They didn’t make small talk. They just… didn’t care. It’s not like I expected any different. It’s always like this. Somehow, tonight it hurts more.”

Diana’s arms tighten around me. “Oh, Barrett.”

“I’m fine,” I lie. “I’ll be fine. I just—I need—” I bury my face in her hair.

I should be used to it. This isn’t new to me. My brother and I were always the only kids who didn’t have anyone in the stands, not even a housekeeper, because they didn’t stick around long enough to care about us. My friends at least had nannies and maids who showed up in lieu of their parents, caring about them even if their parents didn’t. We didn’t have that. We didn’t have anything.

Except money. That, we have plenty of. But money can’t buy happiness, and it can’t buy love.

Having Diana in my arms helps. Being able to hold her, to touch her, to see her face in person and not over a video chat… it could be worse. She could still be on the opposite side of the country. She could still be a plane ride away. Instead, she lives three blocks over and answers my call on the second ring, even when it’s past her bedtime and she has her first soccer game of the season tomorrow.

“I’ll be there tomorrow afternoon,” I tell her now. “With bells on.”

She laughs, her face pressed to my neck. Her soft breath puffs against my skin and sends tingles down my spine. “You don’t have to come.”

“Are you kidding? Your first game at Newton? Of course I have to be there.”

“I’m just, if you have something else to do…”

Pulling back, I look her in the eye. “The only thing I have to do is be there and support you, the way you’ve supported me all these years.” Her eyes are bright, and I have to swallow at the pent-up emotions bubbling under my skin, threatening to overwhelm me. “I will always be there for you, Dee. I’d move heaven and earth to get to you.”

It’s her turn to swallow. She hugs me to her this time.

“Love you, Bare,” she says into my neck.

It’s like a punch to the gut. She loves me. Just not in the way I’d like her to.

“Love you, too, Dee.”

Chapter 10

Diana

Today is the day: our first game. I’m jittery with nervous anticipation. All day long, my stomach flutters with equal parts excitement and dread.

As much as I hate how much Barrett was torn up over his parents, I kind of like that he was there for me last night. I hugged away all my doubts and fears at the same time I assuaged his. He’s stuck between a rock and a hard place, and it’s not going to get better; if anything, it will only get worse for him as he approaches graduation and joins his father’s company.

I can hardly focus in my classes. I hope Tucker took good notes today, because I don’t think I retained any of the lecture.