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Just as I’m wondering what woke me up, I hear pounding at the front door.
“Maverick,” I hiss, pushing against his chest. A glance at the clock tells me that it’s almost two in the morning, and my heart rate picks up. “Maverick!”
“Huh?”
“Someone’s at the door.”
My words are nearly drowned out as the banging gets louder. Maverick startles and jumps out of bed. “Shit,” he mutters. I can barely make him out as he fumbles around in the dark. “I have a bat in here somewhere.”
I swing my legs over the side of the bed. “I’ll go look—”
“No,” he says forcefully. “Stay here.” I hear the clunk of aluminum knocking into something. “Found it. Don’t move.”
I grip the comforter, just to have something to hold onto, and he jogs out of the room. The hallway light flips on. I work to calm my breathing as I listen to Maverick approach the door with cautious steps.
There’s a moment of stillness, and then he lets out a loud groan. “Jesus Christ.” I hear the door open. “What the fuck are you doing, Callie?”
My whole body sags in relief. I climb out of bed as the door slams closed again, and Callie says, “Is Azalea here? She wasn’t home when I woke up, and I haven’t heard from her all day.”
“Yes, she’s here. Why didn’t you call us?”
My phone is tucked in my waistband. I pull it out and turn it over, guilt settling over me when I see that it’s on silent and I have seven missed calls from her.
“I called you, her, and Pax a million times,” she gripes. I hear her footsteps coming down the hall toward me. “Pax answered eventually and said he wasn’t here. And to leave him the fuck alone.”
“Can’t imagine why.”
“Jeez,” Callie drawls as she waltzes into Maverick’s room like she owns it, “you’re grumpy tonight!” She flips on the overhead light, and I wince. “Hey, sex bunny.”
“Stop.”
“I almost called your dad. And the cops.”
“I’m sorry,” I say sincerely. “We fell asleep.”
She wiggles her eyebrows. “Sure you did.”
I ignore her ribbing. “You didn’t really call my dad, did you?”
“No,” she says, and drops her teasing tone. “I actually was worried, though. And since when are you and Maverick talking again, anyway?”
Down the hall, I hear the bathroom door close. I lower my voice. “Only since Thursday. It’s a long story.”
“Tell me.”
I sigh. “It really will take for—”
“Azalea Medina, I have been caught in the middle of you two formonths. The least you can do is fill me in.”
She’s right. I know she is. Not many people would be able to maintain friendships with both of us in this situation, but she has managed to do it without causing any additional strife. Callie is the best friend anyone could ask for, and I’m lucky to have her.
I sink onto the edge of the bed, hands clasped between my knees. “I found my mom through a DNA website,” I tell her in a hushed voice. This is the first she’s heard of any of this, and her jaw drops in shock. I plow forward before she can start asking questions. “I asked Maverick to take me to her house in Kansas City. That’s where we were today. Yesterday, I guess. It…” I work to steady my voice. “It didn’t go well.”
Callie’s face falls. She sits down beside me and puts her hand on my arm. “Oh. Azalea.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. Maverick was the only one who knew I’d decided to try and find her, and…and I was too overwhelmed to clue anyone else in.”
There’s a little bit of hurt in her expression, and that makes me feel terrible. “It’s okay,” she says. “I know Mav is your number one.”
