Page 57 of The Way We Swing

I could have chosen to not bring him to the courthouse. But I needed to know someone was here for Easton. Gavin had been right when he’d said it didn’t matter what had happened between us. It was still Easton. No matter how upset I was feeling for myself, I wanted to be here.

The judge banged his gavel a couple of times, breaking me out of my trance only momentarily before I went right back into it. Fifteen minutes later, a guy that looked important walked over to Easton’s lawyer. The two suits walked away and had a quick discussion.

I looked over at Easton and met his eyes, trying to get some info. He didn’t look away with the usual flash of embarrassment and anger that I’d become used to. Instead, he gave a quick shoulder shrug and turned toward his grandparents.

The lawyer came back and took Easton and his grandparents away. Gavin’s eyes traveled with the group before he turned to face me.

“He asked about you last week.”

I stopped breathing as I waited for him to continue. When he didn’t, I took in a quick shot of air and said, “What did he say?”

“Just asked if you were doing okay. I told him you’d be doing better if he acted like your friend again.”

“Jesus, Gav. Don’t make me seem so desperate.”

“But it’s true. You miss him.”

“I never said that.”

“It’s obvious. Plus, I know what it’s like to miss Easton, and it’s not fun.”

I slid my butt across the pew-like seats, unable to find a comfortable position. I found my phone in my hand before I realized it. I scrolled through old texts, unsure what to say. Gavin was probably right. That didn’t mean I wanted him to be.

Not that it mattered. I’d come only because Gav had asked me to drive him, not for Easton. Not at all.

Movement behind me caught my attention. I glanced back and saw Easton walking alone. His face was unreadable, giving nothing away. I looked away before he could catch me staring. He took a seat next to Gavin and started talking loudly enough for me to hear.

“I told my grandparents that I’d get a ride back to school with you guys.”

“What’s going on?” Gavin asked.

“Let’s grab a pizza before we get to school,” Easton said, avoiding the question.

“Does that work for you, Tanner?” Gavin said.

No. No, it didn’t. Easton sucked. I would have nothing to do with him that I didn’t have to, and grabbing a pizza was much different than coming to the courthouse. Easton could go suck on a dick. Just not my dick. Well, maybe mine. But he could go to hell when we were finished.

“Sure, we can do that,” I said. Maybe next time I’d have some guts.

The three of us walked into Pizza Hut twenty minutes later. Gavin and Easton had been talking about baseball on the car ride over, each of them excited for their upcoming seasons. I was, too, but Easton being in my car for the first time this year was intimidating me. Shouldn’t he have been with his family right now, anyway?

After we had ordered—and by ordered, I mean Gavin decided what we got while I checked Facebook on my phone and tried my best to avoid Easton’s eyes—Gavin asked what I’d been wondering since we’d left the courthouse. “What happened with your dad?”

Easton looked at me. I turned my palms up, indicating that he should answer, not sure why he was looking at me. He had brought Gav into this when he’d told him about his parents. Easton turned back to Gavin and answered.

“Dad decided to take a plea deal. Apparently, he told the DA that when he got to the courthouse today, he realized we were in the same building for the first time since Mom died. He said he knew I was going to testify and didn’t want to see me up there.”

“Sounds like he still cares about you,” Gavin said.

“I don’t give a fuck about him,” Easton said. His body language said differently, though. His hands tapped on the table in rhythm with the slow beat of the music playing in the restaurant. He shot me another look, and I held his gaze for a second before looking away.

“He taught you how to play baseball, Easton,” said Gavin. “You can hate him, but you can still care about what happens to him.”

Easton smiled at Gavin and nodded. I wondered if Gavin knew how close his words struck me at that moment. I stuck a slice of pizza in my mouth, focusing on the sizzle of pepperoni instead of Gavin’s words.

He hadn’t been talking to me—this was about Easton. Hadn’t I decided to be there for Easton? Right as I went to open my mouth, Easton stood up and sped off to the bathroom.

“It wouldn’t hurt to say something to him, dude.” Gavin had finished his slice and was staring me down like a challenge.