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“Are you kidding me right now, Beckham? You know I get carsick.”I mean, it’s a double-cab truck, and it’s a beast, so I probably won’t get carsick, but I’m going for it anyway.

“That’s not really my problem, Charlene.”

Casey looks over at us and grunts, “Are you two at it already? Can’t you call a truce for the two-hour ride? Charlie, you know Beckham can’t fit in the back seat. His legs are too long. Just try to deal with it. Put your headphones on and tune out the noise or read your book. Anything to make it a chill ride. I can’t deal with you two fighting the whole way.”

Beckham still has me crowded up against the door, so I finally turn around to face him. He has a smirk on his face, knowing he’s won this round. He’s still not backing up, so I have to put my hands on his chest and push him away, which makes him laugh even more.

I reach out to pull the handle of the rear cab when Beck beats me to it. “I’ve got it. I don’t need your help, Beckham.”

“Oh, but it’s my pleasure, Charlene.”

I throw my bag in, step up onto the sideboard, and pull myself up into the massive truck, using the oh-shit handle. I’ve had to use it many times, so we’re well acquainted. Casey and Beckham like to go off-roading in this truck, even though it makes my mom crazy. It’s massive and pretty freaking awesome. But it’s a pain in the ass to get in and out of. Especially for me. I think my brother took all the tall genes when we were in the womb.

Beckham is still smirking at me as I grab the door handle and pull the door shut.

This is going to be a bitch of a ride.

CHAPTERTWO

BECKHAM

“I’ve got it.I don’t need your help, Beckham.”

“Oh, but it’s my pleasure, Charlene.”

She absolutely hates it when I call her by her full first name, which is exactly why I do it. Especially when she calls me Beckham. It irritates me when she does it. I want her to call me Beck, like she used to. She doesn’t like her full name, and I don’t like thinking she doesn’t care about me anymore. Maybe it’s immature of me, but her calling me Beckham … makes me feel like she might truly be over me.

Charlie pushes her hair back, feigning indifference to me with an eye roll and a shoulder shrug. She’s got her sarcastic defenses up, and I can’t say I blame her. She trusted me once, and I broke it by not speaking up when I should have.

I know I’m the last person she wanted to see, but I really needed to come home to check in on my dad and sister, Brooke, after the latest news we got about my mom. Plus, it’d been almost a month since I’d seen them.

It’s just been the three of us for years. We’ve been through some things together that, without each other, we wouldn’t have survived.

I turn back to Mr. and Mrs. King and give her a hug first. Carol always pulls me in and does one solid squeeze before letting me go. I reach out and shake Tim’s hand. I’ve always had a great relationship with Casey and Charlie’s parents.

When we moved to Troy, Oklahoma, from Pennsylvania, I was pretty traumatized, although Casey and Charlie don’t know the half of it. The Kings took me in and made me feel like part of the family. I’ll never forget that.

Carol walks around to the other side to say one last goodbye to Casey.

Tim leans in and quietly says, “You boys will keep my son safe on the field, right?”

“You know we will. I’ll keep your girl out of trouble too,” I say seriously but with a smirk.

“Yeah, you do that.” Tim laughs and pats my shoulder before turning to walk to Casey.

I pull the passenger door open and climb into the front seat. I casually look into the back to see Charlie glaring at me. Or at least trying to. It’s kind of cute really.

“Why are you the way you are?” she asks me.

“And how would that be?”

I do love to rile her up. Because if I wind her up, that makes me feel like she still cares about me. And I really want her to care.

“Oh, you know, you act like this perfect gentleman to everyone.”

“I am a gentleman.”

“Ha. Yeah, right. Sometimes, I think my parents love you more than us,” she huffs.