Intercepted (Page 30)

“Chris,” I say gently, “I don’t think about you anymore. I know you think you hang the stars and the moon and are god’s gift to women, but you aren’t. I’m living my life and you won’t believe this, but my decisions have nothing to do with you. We broke up. I’m moving on. And whether or not I’m with Gavin while I do is frankly none of your concern.”

“So you’re fucking him.” Dense as ever. Really, how did I stay with him for so long?

“Maybe I am, maybe I’m not. Either way? It’s none of your business.”

“I swear to god, Marlee. Do you not see how embarrassing this is for me? I fought to get you involved. I paraded you around my teammates and their families and look at you. You’re the same as these groupie sluts. Spreading your legs for anyone who looks your direction.” The acid soaking his words makes me aware that he really believes what he’s saying.

“You’re delusional if you think after the way you treated me, embarrassed me, that I’d dedicate a single thought to your image or your comfort.”

“Whatever, slut. Tell Gavin I said fuck him too. He’s just as foul as—” The phone’s out of my hand and Gavin’s moving across the room, listening to Chris’s rant.

“I already told you I’m not your fuckin’ boy, Alexander. You treated Marlee like shit and now she wants to spend her time with someone who can appreciate her. If you ever want a ball thrown your way again, I suggest you lose her number, because if I ever hear you say the shit you said to her again, I will end your fucking career.”

Are you kidding me?

I know I had quite a few aspirins last night, but I’m still pretty positive I didn’t imagine the conversation we had where I asked him to step down. And here he is, twelve hours later, doing it again.

“It’s not a threat, it’s a promise. When you see her at the games with me, don’t even look her way.” He pauses and even from this far away, I can vaguely hear Chris yelling on the other end. “Yeah, it’s like that. Last warning, leave Marlee the fuck alone, Alexander.” He ends the phone call and stares at me for a moment before he moves back toward me.

Gavin’s long strides make quick work of closing the distance between us and when he reaches me, his right hand runs through his hair, and he avoids making eye contact.

Good.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Because you asked me last night to let you fight your own battles and I just did it again.” He’s quiet when he answers, and I can tell he regrets what he did, but I’m having a hard time caring.

“Oh, so you do remember? I wasn’t sure if you forgot, but now I know you just disregarded me.” I walk to where he left my phone and find my dad’s contact. “Hey, Dad,” I say into the phone when he answers. “Can you come grab me from Gavin’s? Great, I’ll send you the address.”

Sure, it’s not like he’s cheating on me—we’re not even an official couple—but he still disrespected me. I had one request for him last night and already it doesn’t matter. And for the cherry on top, since I don’t have a car and Gregory is at large, I had to call my dad to come pick me up! Like I’m in freaking middle school again.

“I’m sorry,” he says. “I shouldn’t have taken your phone from you. It wasn’t my place to step in. But I couldn’t sit next to you and listen to what he was saying to you anymore.”

“Yes, you could’ve!” I close my eyes and take a deep breath to try and regain my composure. “You could’ve,” I repeat when I’m calm again. “You just didn’t.”

“Marlee—” he starts, but I don’t want to listen.

“Not now, Gavin. I’m just not in the right mind-set to deal with this.” I turn and walk toward his floating staircase. “My dad’s going to be here soon. I’m going to change.”

When he doesn’t try to call me back, I hurry upstairs and stay there until I hear the doorbell ring and my dad’s unmistakable voice carry through the house.

“Bye, Gavin,” I say without looking at him.

Twenty-one

The first bouquet shows up at my parents’ house the day after I leave Gavin’s.

The second one shows up at HERS two days after that, on a Friday. The third, fourth, fifth, and sixth arrive at my parents’ house during the Mustangs game on Sunday. I didn’t even know they delivered on Sundays.

My mom thinks it’s romantic.

My Dad and Brynn think it’s obnoxious.

I fall somewhere in the middle.

Monday at work, the seventh and eighth bouquets arrive.

“If he moves to singing telegrams, I’m going to walk over to his house and kick him in the balls,” Brynn tells me ever so elegantly.

“Nice. I thought I was supposed to be the irritated one.” I try to look at her, but even though I want to hate them, I can’t stop staring at the flowers.

“You were, but I can see your resolve weakening with every stupid flower, so I’m taking over for you.”

“So does that mean I should run?” a deep voice calls from the front door.

Gavin.

I twirl around so fast, the vase full of pink and purple blooms flies out of my hands and just misses Brynn’s head before it crashes into the wall behind her.

“Oops,” I say at the same time Paisley shouts, “I’ll get the broom.” I look at the sparkling shattered glass mixed with the flowers around Brynn’s feet. It might be dangerous, but it’s really pretty. #ArtImitatingLife

“Are you okay, Brynn?” Gavin asks. He’s no longer in the doorway, and he’s carefully collecting shards of glass off the floor.

“Get away from the glass, Pope!” I yell. All I need is him injuring his hand and the entire city turning on me.

He does as I ask and unfolds from his crouched position to his full height. “So it takes a potential injury to get you to talk to me again?”

“I was going to talk to you,” I say, and he throws me major side-eye. “I was . . . eventually.” What? I’m a crappy liar. “Why are you here?”

“I wanted to see if you’d go out with me.” He rubs his hand down the back of his neck and shifts from foot to foot. “I know you’re mad at me and you have every right to be. But I’ve been thinking this last week that we’ve spent a lot of time together, but never gone on a proper date.”

“Aww! That’s so sweet, and he’s super handsome,” says Paisley. Yeah, she’s supposed to be sweeping Brynn out of the danger zone and into safety. “You can’t say no.”

“Yeah.” Gavin sticks his bottom lip out. “You can’t say no.”

“Oh brother.” Brynn rolls her eyes so hard, they almost get stuck behind her head. “If she goes out with you will you stop sending these damn flowers?”

“Hey!” I glare at Brynn. I like getting the flowers. After being with a man who never apologized, it’s nice to be on the receiving end of a little groveling.

“What?” She glares back. “It’s not like I don’t already know your answer.”

“I don’t know your answer though,” Gavin cuts in. “You wanna fill me in?”

“Before I answer, where would we go?”