Rhett’s girlfriend Carrie is here this weekend too. They’re celebrating their five-year anniversary and the two of them sit up at the bar. She’s nothing like I expected. Rhett is so nice and sweet, and Carrie is a little harsh and rough around the edges. When he introduced us, she didn’t even fake a smile. Maybe she has resting bitch face?
I glance back at Heath. He’s got RBF right now too.
“Right, Ginny?” Adam asks, breaking my surveillance of the Payne family.
“Sorry, what?”
My brother smiles like he’s onto me and my cheeks warm. Shit, was that just totally obvious I was staring at Heath?
“I was telling Mom and Dad that you hang out at our apartment pretty often too. That it’s nice and not the pigsty they are imagining.”
“I wouldn’t say often, no.” I shake my head. “I’ve been over a couple of times.”
“What? No way. You’re over at Reagan and Dakota’s all the time.” He looks to my parents. “Our neighbors are cool, and we hang out a lot.”
I’m slow to nod and my pulse is thrumming much too quickly as I realize he isn’t talking about the times I’ve been over at his place and hidden in Heath’s room.
“Right. Yes. We’ve become good friends. I’m actually considering moving in with them next year.”
“Out of the dorms?” My mom frowns.
“Yeah. Just like Adam did his sophomore year.”
“That’s not exactly the same,” my dad points out.
Adam smirks, knowing how it rankles me when our parents give him differential treatment for being a guy. Yes, I get that some things are safer for him because he’s male, but I don’t think this is one of those things. I could probably pull up statistics for crime in dorms versus apartments, but can’t they just trust me?
I don’t argue for now. It’s a year away, and I don’t want to spend this weekend annoyed with my parents.
Heath’s table finishes with dinner first, and they get up and head toward the door. We’re just out of their path to the exit, but Maverick moves to us with a big grin.
“Hello, Scott family.”
“Mom, Dad, you remember Johnny Maverick?” Adam asks, dropping an arm around the back of Taryn’s chair. “And Heath Payne?”
My parents say their hellos. Heath doesn’t introduce his mom, and there’s an awkward beat before she steps forward. “Hello, I’m Lana Payne. Heath’s mom.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” my mother responds with a warm smile. She’s always been good at making people feel at ease.
“Are you guys heading out already?” Adam asks.
“We can pull up more chairs,” my dad offers.
Mav looks to Heath, who glances to his mom. “You guys probably want to get back to the hotel?”
I’m not sure if it’s a question or statement and neither is she. Lana nods, though I detect maybe the slightest disappointment. “It has been a long day.” She smiles stiffly. “If you two want to stay with your friends…”
“Nah, I’m tired too. Mav?”
Mav’s brows pull together. “Sure, man, let’s go back. I’m beat.”
“Catch you guys later,” Heath says, finally meeting my gaze and letting it slide around the table. “Good meeting you Mr. and Mrs. Scott.”
They walk off from the table and out of The Hideout.
After they’re gone, my attention and desire to be out wanes. Don’t get me wrong, I’m enjoying seeing my parents, but I talk to them almost weekly, so there’s not a lot to add. And… I might also be thinking of a certain boy. I don’t know his family dynamics. I know his father died when he was young and I know his mother hasn’t visited him at Valley, but I don’t know the why or how and if the two are related.
Heath isn’t very chatty about his family, and okay, we haven’t done a lot of talking lately. When we decided to date, we caved to months of sexual tension and haven’t come up for air yet.
Mom and Dad drop me off in front of the dorm and I head up to my room. I unlock the door, push it open, and flip on the light. Movement catches my eye and my heart goes to my throat. “Oh my gosh, you scared me.”
Heath sits on my bed, his back against the wall, and his long legs hanging off the side.
I glance back to the door. “That was locked, right?”
“Your RA let me in.”
My brows raise up toward my hairline. “She did?”
Rachel, my RA, isn’t known for being all that lenient on rules, which hasn’t ever really bothered me since I don’t spend that much time here.
“I told her I was surprising you for our one-year anniversary.” He looks a little embarrassed which makes me laugh.
“Have you ever had a one-year anniversary?”
“Nah.” He chuckles. “It was the first thing that came to mind with Rauthruss and his girl’s big anniversary this weekend.”
I move to the bed and sit next to him. “Six-month anniversary?”
He shakes his head. “I’ve never even had a one-month anniversary.” A small shrug of his shoulders and then he leans into me. “What about you?”
“Bryan and I were together for two years. We didn’t really celebrate the milestones. For one, we could never agree on the date. He thought it was March third and I swore it was the seventh.”
Heath’s chest moves with a silent laugh and he takes my hand, running his thumb along the inside of my palm.
“How was dinner?” I ask.
“Weird.”
I scoot back against the wall and lean my head against his shoulder. “How so?”
He lets out a breath and brings our joined hands to his thigh. It’s a few moments of silence before he answers. “I knew meeting Kevin would be weird. He seems nice, but he’s
