anytime. Now, I hope you all are hungry. I made homemade lasagna, salad, and garlic bread. For dessert I made dirt cake,” Lisa tells us.
“Did I hear dirt cake?” Aiden asks as he walks up on the porch. He goes straight for Mrs. MacCoy and hugs her. “You spoil me, woman.”
Mrs. MacCoy just laughs as she hugs Liam. “I just like to keep my family fed, and if it happens to be their favorite foods, so be it,” she says, smiling at the four of us.
Liam and Aiden shake hands and man hug with Mr. MacCoy as Hailey shuffles us into the house. Their home reminds me a lot of the Emersons’. Family pictures line the walls, throws thrown over the back of the couch. It feels lived in, happy. It’s been years since Gran’s house felt happy. The living room now houses Gran’s hospital bed, as it’s too hard for her to get up the stairs to any of the bedrooms. The kitchen counters are lined with bottle after bottle of her prescription medications. I feel an ache in my chest thinking about Gran. I just spoke to her this morning, and she says she’s doing fine, but I know her health is failing, and I feel like the worst granddaughter in the world being off at school while she’s home alone.
“Earth to Allison,” Hailey says as she waves her hands back and forth in front of my face.
“Oh, sorry,” I say as she pulls me out of my thoughts. “I was just thinking about Gran. I feel bad not being with her each day,” I explain.
Aiden walks over to me and pulls me into a hug. “I talked to Mom before we left, and she said Gran is fine and she’ll check on her again later today. Gran wants you to enjoy life, Ash. Please, try not to worry.” He kisses me on the forehead, and I hug him tighter.
Chapter 10
Liam
I have to get out of here. To see Aiden kiss her good morning, even though it’s just a peck on the cheek, irritates me. My annoyance is back full force. It’s bad enough I have to see her wearing his jersey, but to see him touch her, it’s killing me. She feels it too, she told me that much, but she wants more. I’ve never done more. I’ve never had a girlfriend, I never wanted one. I have football. The draft is coming up in less than a year. My dream, since I was old enough to hold a football, has been to play in the NFL. I can’t lose focus on that now. However, my mind and my heart, yes, my heart, did not get the fucking memo. I’ve never had a girl hold my interest for longer than a few hours, how could I possibly give Allison more?
When I get back to the apartment, after my run, the girls are gone. I feel both relief and sadness. Thinking about how long it’ll be before I see her again, I get an idea in my head. I’ll surprise Hailey and pick her up for lunch at our parents’. Hopefully, Allison will be in their dorm room when I get there. It’ll be a quick glimpse, but at this point I’ll take what I can get. Checking the time, I rush through my shower, then I meet Aiden in the living room. “Hey, man, ready to go?”
He nods as he gets off the couch. “Little earlier than we usually leave?” He raises his eyebrows, questioning me.
I shrug my shoulders. “Yeah, I need to stop and pick up Hales, no sense in both of us driving there when we’re only minutes away from each other.” I try to sound as nonchalant as possible. Inside I’m screaming for him to hurry the fuck up. I need to see Allison.
He just stares at me. “Come on, man, what’s really going on?” he questions me.
“Nothing, it just makes more sense for me to pick her up, that’s all,” I reply as I continue tying my shoes.
“Did you know that Allison is coming today?”
I whip my head around to look at him. “She is?” I feel my heart rate pick up at just the thought of being able to be in the same car with her for any length of time. “Are you sure?”
He nods. “I’m positive.” Letting out a deep sigh he continues, “Please, tell me you aren’t going after her.”
I hesitate before answering, “She wants more.”
“She deserves more.”
“You think I