I open my eyes, blinking them clear. “Just thinking about my dad. I wish he could have met you.”
“I wish I could have met him, too.”
The pot starts rattling, and she startles. “Is it supposed to do that?”
I laugh. “Grab the cups, city girl.” I pull the pot off the heat and pour water in each. I take one of the mugs and cup it in my palms. Mai does the same, sniffing hesitantly.
“Smells like coffee. Sort of.”
She settles beside me. The ground is cold and hard, but the air filling my lungs feels clean and fresh. Together, we watch the sun work its magic. One day, I’ll tell her all about Dad, but for right now, I’m glad she’s here with me, sipping bad coffee and watching a new day. I’m sad on this anniversary, but I also feel an optimism I haven’t felt before. I know that no matter what I do or where I go, I’ll take Dad with me.
We’re going to go places, Dad.
It isn’t until the sun is just showing its face that Mai realizes where we are. “The rock hop trail!”
I nod and toss out the rest of my coffee. “What a coincidence.”
“Anthony!”
I take her cup and dump it, too. She stands and looks over the edge as I pack up. “I’m not going to break a leg the day before I go to California.”
We worked out most of the plans last night. Mai leaves for California tomorrow. I’ll head out then, too. I’ll spend two weeks with Troy in San Diego before driving up to be with Mai. She’s got a long weekend we’ll spend together before I head back to Phoenix.
“You aren’t going to break anything.”
“But am I going to get bit by anything?”
“Other than me?”
She shoves my shoulder with a prim look I don’t buy for a second. “Are you really going to lead a project for Community Cares?”
I slip on the pack. “Quit stalling.”
“I don’t want to die with unanswered questions.”
I roll my eyes, but it’s with a laugh. Last night at dinner, there was talk about creating a project to turn trash into art. It shocked me when Mrs. Senn suggested I might want to be a co-leader. “Yeah, I really am. Amber said she’d lead it with me. I’m also going to text Garvey today and see if we can meet.”
“Garvey? The general contractor? The one who gave you the welding table?”
“He does custom work with steel and wood. Some really beautiful stuff. He once said I could do an apprenticeship with him. Learn the craft, make good money, and have time for my own projects.” I take a breath, a little embarrassed to put voice to plans that still seem as breakable as blown glass. “I’m hoping the offer still stands. I’m ready to say yes.”
Her smile lights me up. “You should. You’re talented, Anthony.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I shrug. “I might be if I work at it.” I shrug again. “I want to work at it. Make something with my hands that lasts. Something permanent when it feels sometimes like nothing is.”
Even with everything that’s happened between Mai and me, there’s still so much changing. She’s leaving. She starts college in another state. There are so many unknowns. Except the way I feel about her. That’s as permanent as it gets.
She finds my hand, threads her fingers with mine. “We’ll see each other as much as we can.”
“And I’ll be out soon,” I say. “In two weeks.”
“Two weeks.” She sighs. “Sounds like a perfect plan.”
I give her a quick kiss on the cheek. “So what do you think? You want to do this?”
She looks down at the trail then back at me. “Let’s do it.”
And we take our first step to the future together.
Loved Mai and Anthony’s story? You won’t want to miss where it all began with Josie and Garrett. Keep reading to discover ANNOUNCING TROUBLE.
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Chapter One
For a cold day in hell, it’s unseasonably warm.
I squint against the sun, but unfortunately that doesn’t change the view of what’s ahead—or the fact that I’m heading there of my own free will. A baseball field. The one place I swore I’d never step foot again.
Mai stops me with a hand on my arm. “How do I look?” A breeze ruffles the spiky edges of her chin-length bob.
“Nervous,” I say.
“This is a bad idea, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” I tell her. For about the tenth time. “I’ve never seen you this crazy over a boy before.”
“I know, and I don’t like it.” She’s wearing her usual—a button-down shirt over leggings and sneakers—but she’s added red lipstick. She never wears makeup. Mai is one of those naturally beautiful girls who doesn’t try and doesn’t care.
Until Anthony Adams turned his million-watt smile on her six days ago.
“We can still leave,” I say, making it sound like the best idea ever. Because it is.
“I can’t,” she groans. “My girl parts have staged a coup and taken control.” She glances to the field where our baseball team, the Cholla High Wildcats, is now jogging out for the start of the first inning. She grabs my hand and holds it against her chest. “Feel how fast my heart’s beating?”
“He’s a jock, Mai. You don’t even like sports.”
“I know.” She looks at me helplessly. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Mai is the kind of person who’s intense about everything. It makes sense that when she finally decided to fall in lust, she’d fall hard.
But Anthony is the complete opposite of Mai’s dream guy. I know. I’ve seen her checklist. I get the whole bad-boy vibe with the longish hair, the tees that hug his muscles—even the heavy chain he wears around his wrist is kind of hot if you like that look.
Which Mai never has.
But Anthony is also a player—in every sense of the word. This year I have to pass his locker, and a few of his teammates’, to reach mine. I’ve seen the constant rotation of girls. Maybe it’s innocent, maybe he’s a great guy, but I grew up around baseball and I’ve seen enough that, I’m sorry, but they’re guilty until proven innocent.
Especially when it comes to my best friend.
But even though I’ve warned Mai, here we are. This is so far from her comfort zone, I’m hoping that watching a game will be enough to crush her crush. But still…baseball. There’s a clear crack as someone’s bat finds the ball and then a cheer from the crowd on the bleachers.