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Everyone but Jace.
I take his hand now, link our fingers, and try to communicate with my eyes. “You good?”
He shrugs.
I try to think back to a couple of nights ago, when he came over for dinner. He had no problem talking to my dad, and if anything, that should’ve been far more intimidating thanthis.
I sigh, press my lips to his cheek and wait for a lull in the conversation to ask, “You guys know Jace doesn’t watch movies?”
Jace glares at me, and I tighten my hold on his hand—half to reassure him, half to make sure he doesn’t flee.
“Like,anymovie?” Ryan asks, looking from our joined hands, then up to Jace.
Jace shrugs. “I’ve watched a couple now… with Harlow.”
“What did you watch?” Damon, another one of his teammates, asks.
When Jace doesn’t answer, I do it for him. “We started withSpace Jam.”
“Jordan or LeBron?”
Jace chuckles, throwsmeunder the bus this time. “Tell them what you said about LeBron.”
I shake my head. I’m well versed in social situations, and I’d rather jump into an ocean and be circled by sharks than repeat those words tothiscrowd.
Jace sits up slightly. “Harlow said he was overrated.”
My eyes drift shut as a round of shocked jeers is thrown my direction. Beside me, Jace islaughing.
“In my defense,” I state, hands up in surrender, “I grew up watching replays of the games my dad watched when he was a kid, and a lot of those were players his dad showed him, so I think it’s very much a generational thing.”
“Fair, butoverrated?” Damon asks. “Come on.”
Ryan chuckles, then brings Jace back into the conversation. “Did you like the movie?”
“Space Jam?” Jace asks, shaking his head. “Absolutely not.” Everyone laughs at that, and Jace… Jace laughs with them. “But then she put onGlory Road.”
“I fucking loveGlory Road!” Damon shouts. And then it gets animated, everyone talking over each other as they discuss the players, the plot, and Jaceengageswith them all. I wait for a moment of quiet and squeeze his hand. His eyes meet mine, but he’s still half listening to what people are saying. “I’m getting a drink. You want anything?”
“Water?”
I nod, getting up and heading into the house. I find the cooler full of drinks Ryan’s mom set out for us and grab a soda for me and water for Jace. As soon as I’ve turned, I’m enveloped in familiar arms. “Thank you,” Jonah says, and I can hear the emotion in his voice. He releases me and disappears back into the yard. I watch from the other side of the window as Jace sits forward, his elbows on his knees, laughing at something one of his teammates has said. I look at the drinks in my hands, deciding they can wait, and move away from the door, making myself scarce for a bit. Ryan’s mom is in the kitchen, preparing even more food, and she looks up when sees me, her smile full force.
I motion to the sliced subs on the counter and joke, “Athletes, am I right?”
She sighs dramatically. “They never stop.”
“Can I help at all?”
“You convincing Jace to be here is help enough.” She pauses mid-slice and looks up at me. “You know, I used to live in Rowville, before I married my husband. Kiera was a few years younger than me, so I didn’t know her well, but…”
“Kiera?”
“Jace’s mom.”
I nod, force a smile, because I think I know where this is going. I just don’t know if I’m comfortable with it.
“You live there, right?”