“That’s love,” Kiersten echoed. She choked on a laugh. She knew that story all too well. “Sometimes, late at night, I think I kind of want that. But then morning comes, and I remember why I don’t.”
Brianna made a small sound. “Maybe you already have it, minus the broken nose.”
“I doubt that.” Kiersten pulled into her driveway and looked in her rearview mirror. Garrett parked on the street and hopped out. She didn’t have any love in her life from anyone besides her family. If so…wouldn’t she know it? “Okay, I have to go.”
She could practically hear Brianna’s nod. “Promise me you’ll think about your feelings without fear? At least consider the possibility you might grow to love him someday?”
“I promise,” Kiersten whispered. “Bye.”
She hung up without waiting for a reply, and reached for the knob. Garrett beat her to it, opening the door and holding his hand out for her. “Who were you talking to?”
“Brianna.”
He nodded. “She knows?”
“She does.”
“And?”
“She took it well.” Kiersten slid her hand into his and stood. His fingers swept over hers gently, and she wanted to continue to hold his hand. Didn’t want to let go. But she slid her hand free and shoved it in her pocket. She tipped her head toward the house. “Now we just have to tell him.”
“Right.” He dragged his hand through his hair. For a second, he didn’t look as confident as he’d been the past week. He looked…scared. “You ready?”
“Yeah.” She led the way, making sure she kept her hands in her pockets so they didn’t touch him. It was that hard. “Let me do the talking initially. Then you can join in.”
“Okay.”
They went inside. The sound of the PlayStation filled the living room. “I hear you playing in there. Are you done with your homework?”
“Yeah.” The TV paused, and Chris flopped back on the couch. “It’s all on the table waiting to be checked.”
Garrett stepped in front of her, making himself visible. “Even your math homework?”
“Uh, yeah.” Chris looked at Kiersten with his lips pursed. “You brought my teacher home to check on me? I got my grade up to a B. Why are we having a parent/teacher meeting here?”
Kiersten laughed, but it sounded fake even to her ears. “No. It’s not a meeting. But we do need to talk.”
Chris eyed them both. “O…kay.”
“It’s nothing about school,” Garrett added, sitting down on the couch. He looked entirely uncomfortable and ready to run. “Relax a little bit, bud.”
Chris nodded, but still looked nervous. He’d seen Garrett at family events, and he’d even come to a few of Chris’s birthday parties before he’d become his coach. But not lately. Every time Garrett had come over, it had been after Chris went to bed. Or when Chris was gone. “What’s up, then?”
Kiersten took a deep breath. “You know Coach Garrett and I went to school together, and remained friends afterward. Right?”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “In high school, but that was ages ago.”
Garrett chuckled. “Easy there, bud. I’m not that old.”
“Why are we talking about this with Mr. Kelly?” He gave him a weird look. “Or should I call you Coach Garrett instead?”
“Call him Garrett.”
“Garrett?” Chris looked between them with wide eyes. “Why?”
Kiersten cleared her throat. “Well…”
Chris paled. “Please tell me you’re not dating. That would be gross. What would my friends say?”
“No,” Kiersten said.
“Yes,” Garrett said.
They both froze and looked at the other. Crap. They were screwing this whole thing up, and Chris’s face was turning red. “It’s complicated,” Kiersten finally said.
Chris leaned forward, his eyes on Kiersten. “You’ve got to be kidding me. This isn’t happening.”
Garrett white-knuckled his knees. “Nope. Not kidding. And there’s more.”
“More?” Chris turned on Garrett, his whole body tense. “So you’re not dating, but you are…and I’m supposed to call you Garrett now? And there’s still more?”
Kiersten flinched and answered for Garrett. He was way out of his league right now, and she knew it. “Right.”
Chris raised his brows. He looked like his mother when he did that. She rubbed her chest where the hollow ache always seemed to be when she thought of Sue. “Okay. What is it?”
When Kiersten froze up again, Garrett sighed. “Look, bud. You’re mom’s having a baby, and I’m moving in.”
Kiersten gasped. He couldn’t just blurt out something like that without warning. It was huge news. You had to work up to it. Make a few tries before you found the perfect way to say those words. Chris could get upset and—
Chris shrugged. “Okay.”
“Okay?” Kiersten rubbed her eyes. “That’s it? Okay?”
“What did you expect?” Chris lurched to his feet. “It’s not like you can take away what you did. You slept with my freaking coach, and now I’m going to be a big brother. Hey, my friends will laugh at me and accuse me of getting played in the game because of Garrett, but whatever. As long as you’re happy.”
Kiersten winced. Yeah. He wasn’t okay. “Don’t be mad. It wasn’t planned. It just kind of happened.”
“Really?” He clenched his fists, looking far too old for his years. “I took sex ed. I know how it happened, and it takes two to get jiggy. It’s not an accident, so don’t say it was.”
Garrett stood up, too. “Sometimes, adults do things they don’t think through all the way. Just like kids.”
“Yeah, well.” Chris spun on him, his arms akimbo. “I wish you two would have thought this one through. And what it meant to me.”
“I know. I’m sorry,” Kiersten said, grabbing Chris’s shoulders and pulling him close. She latched gazes with Garrett over Chris’s head. “But Garrett is going to move in now. We’ll be like a…like a family.”
“A family?” Chris pulled free. “You mean like we were supposed to be with Pete? That worked out really well.”
“Yeah.” Garrett paced in front of them, biting his thumbnail. “But minus the leaving part. Chris…I’ll be here for you and your mom. And for the baby, too. I promise. Anything you need, I’ll be here.”