AllFreeNovel
Share Us
In fact they play well enough that they’re in third place overall. Until they play Greg Goffin and Johnny McGeary. The only thing that keeps Zeke from fan-girling out is that Johnny McGeary recognizes Zeke. So they spend the first five minutes geeking out over each other.
And then they beat Zeke and Zach. Badly. It’s painful to watch, and I would worry, except for the massive grin Zeke is wearing the entire time. They shake hands when it’s over, and everyone takes a break to refill their drink of choice before they move on to the last four teams standing. The crew goes to freshen up their drinks but Zeke hangs back.
“You did all of this?”
“I think you’re giving me more credit than I deserve. I just got everyone here. Organized T-shirts.”
“You registered all of us for a competitive cornhole pro-am contest. For my birthday.”
“Happy birthday, Zeke,” I say.
The grin that snakes across his full pink lips makes my stomach tighten. I stare at his club soda and nod at it.
“How does it feel to be twenty?”
“You’re hilarious,” he deadpans. Then, without warning, he wraps his arms around me in a bear hug of sorts and lifts me off the ground.
“Zeke! Put me down!” I squeal, feeling every ounce of my weight, and knowing he must be feeling it too.
“Not until you admit it.” He spins me around and I squeal again, gripping on to his shoulders for dear life.
“Admit what?”
“That Maverick is better than Goose.”
“Goose was the heart and soul of that team!”
“They never would’ve stayed in the sky without Maverick’s abilities.”
“And Maverick never would’ve known where to go without Goose’s navigation. He couldn’t fly after Goose—”
“Just admit it,” he says, no longer spinning.
“Nope,” I say, leaning back to meet his gaze.
But there’s something softer there. He’s not talking about a Tom Cruise movie anymore. I don’t actually know what he’s asking me to admit, but the way my arms soften around his shoulders and my heart does a flip squeeze, it’s as if my body knows.
“Surprise!” a soft, uncertain voice interrupts us.
We both turn our heads at the same time to find Megan standing there, eyebrows disappearing beneath her bangs. She’s wearing a Team Maverick T-shirt. When Freddy helped me organize everything, I agreed she should be included. But I thought she had to work. That’s why Zach came.
I push my palms against Zeke’s shoulders and he drops me, a little abruptly. I land on my feet and teeter slightly. But he steadies me with a light touch on my hips.
“You okay?” he asks.
“Fine,” I say quickly. I step back and smile at Megan, who is watching us with what looks like curiosity. “You made it!”
“I was able to leave work early,” she says uneasily. “I hope I’m not too late?” Her eyes flicker between the two of us, and she motions to the shirt. Zeke seems to snap out of whatever state he’s in, and he approaches her slowly.
“It looks great on you, baby,” he says. His shoulders stiffen, and I don’t think I’m the only one who notices. “We’re out of the tournament, but they’re about to start the finals. Want a drink?” She nods, her own shoulders tight as if she’s picked up on the sudden tension as well.
“Megan’s here!” Freddy announces, tearing out of the bar as quickly as a guy on a crutch can. Which is still quicker than Aly and Caro, who are using each other as a crutch.
“Where’s Lule?” I ask Aly who seems more tipsy than drunk. Caro’s just drunk.
“I saw her in the game room with Pasha. Caro? Where’s your Pasha-oski?”
“He’s not my anything. And I last saw him with that tall woman with the teeth.” She points in the general direction of the world.
