Friend Zoned (Barnett Bulldogs #2) Page 5

  “You don’t mind if I just hang out here, do you?”

  He shakes his head as if he expected no less. “Nope. I won’t be long. Then we can head back to school.”

  Even though I love Sam’s family, I’d rather spend a little more time with my grandparents.

  And just like everything else, he gets that as well.

  Chapter Four

  Sam

  I head over to the Victorian that looks, from the outside, very similar to the Winterfield one. There’s a wide lawn that separates our houses. I’m pretty sure my dad would love to move into something newer, grander, and in a more upscale neighborhood but my mom fell in love with this house twenty years ago and refuses to uproot the family.

  As I let myself in through the beveled glass front door, I find my mom in the kitchen pouring over an old book of family recipes. My dad’s silver SUV is parked in the driveway, but he’s conspicuously absent. My guess is that he’s holed up in the downstairs sunroom that he’s taken over as an office so he can work from home on the weekends.

  Not that he spends much of his time here.

  More often than not, he’s traveling to the state capital or Washington DC when the senate is in session. Because my dad has been in politics for the last fifteen years, my mom decided it would be easier to give up her nursing job at the hospital so she can be here for me, my younger brother, Gavin, and sister, Arianna. Or Ari, as we affectionately call her.

  Spotting me, my mom does a double take as a big smile spreads across her pretty face. “Sam! I didn’t know you were stopping by today. I would have prepared lunch.” Hands going to her slender hips, she gives me a mock frown. “You should have texted.”

  I nod my head towards the Winterfield house. “Violet asked if I could stop by and fix something for her grandparents.”

  My mother’s dark blonde brows draw together in concern. “Everything okay?”

  I shrug. “It’s fine. A pipe in the bathroom just needed tightening up. No big deal.”

  My mother and I have the same blond hair and deep, ocean hued eyes. Although, where she’s more finely boned, I take after my father. He’s tall, broad, and played college football as well. So I was groomed at a young age to follow in his esteemed footsteps. Not only with football, but in law and hopefully politics as well.

  “They should have called me. I would have gotten your father…”

  Her words trail off as one of my brows hikes up across my forehead. Yeah… I can’t exactly see my suit wearing father wielding a wrench, trying to fix a leaky pipe in our own house, let alone at the elderly neighbor’s one next door.

  Catching the meaning of my look, the edges of her lips slowly tremble before she finally finishes that thought, “Well, I could have at least called a plumber for them.”

  Her words have a soft chuckle escaping from between my lips.

  Yup… That’s exactly what she would have ended up doing.

  Straightening to her full height of five foot seven, she comes around the large white marble island to give me a warm hug. Our house may be old and full of charm on the outside, but it has been completely gutted and renovated on the inside. It’s one of the concessions my mom had to make to stay in the house and neighborhood she loves.

  Pulling away, she asks, “Can I get you something to eat? We can order Chinese if you’re hungry.”

  I shake my head. “Nah, Mrs. Winterfield made us grilled cheese sandwiches after I fixed the pipe.” I pat my flat belly. “I’m stuffed.”

  “Did Violet come with you?”

  “Yep. She wanted to stay and visit with her grandparents while I stopped over. Mr. Winterfield isn’t feeling well. Picked up a bug or something.”

  My words have her brows lowering. “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. Maybe I’ll pop over tomorrow and check up on them. See how Edward is doing.”

  I can’t help but smile at my mom’s instant concern. She’s always been so caring about the neighbors we have, especially the Winterfields. Sometimes it surprises me that my mom married someone like my dad. Not that my dad is a bad guy, because he isn’t.

  But with his work schedule, he’s gone a lot and that leaves my mom on her own more often than not. Even though she’s busy, I think she really misses working at the hospital. With Arianna being eleven and in fifth grade and Gavin being fourteen and in eighth grade, she still needs to be around for them. My dad can be gone for weeks on end if something is happening in DC, so he can’t really be counted on to help out around here.

  I suppose that was one of the factors in my decision to stick around and attend Barnett. But I think we all know that it was Violet’s choice to stay that tipped the scale for me. I just wasn’t ready to relinquish her at that point.

  “I’m sure they’d really appreciate that.” As I say those words I realize just how quiet the house is. Almost too quiet. Which is definitely odd. Gavin and Ari usually have friends over and my dad, when he’s here, is surrounded by staff. Even on a Sunday afternoon. “Where is everyone?”

  “Your father is in his office making a few calls and Ari and Gavin are both at friends’ houses. They’ll be sorry to have missed you. They each brought a friend to the game yesterday.” She beams. “They couldn’t have been prouder of their big brother and how well the team is playing this year.” Then she makes an exasperated little noise in her throat. “Now that football is over, Gavin’s already chafing at the bit. He can’t wait to get back out there and play again. Although he did make the school basketball team this season, so that should keep him pretty busy. But still, that boy is all about football.” Her eyes sparkle. “Just like his brother.”

  Gavin plays QB for the local Pop Warner program. Already he’s got an impressive arm. I wish I had more time to spend throwing the ball around with him. My dad’s time is limited and playing catch in the backyard is low on the priority list.

  Making a split decision, I offer, “Maybe I’ll try to get back over here during the week so we can run some plays.”

  Her face lights up at the idea. “Gavin would love that. Both he and Ari miss having you around. You’ve been so busy lately.”

  She’s not telling me anything I don’t already know. “I miss them, too.” Then I add because it’s the absolute truth, “I miss all of you.”

  “It’s just nice that you stayed close so we’re able to get to all your home games.”

  My mom hasn’t missed one single game this season. Actually, she hasn’t missed one single game ever. Peewee through college. No matter what, I can always count on her to be there. Our family has always been her first priority. My dad, on the other hand, rarely makes it to more than one or two of my games a season. He’s always busy brokering a deal, attending fundraisers, at the state capital, or in Washington, DC.

  Especially since his seat is coming up for reelection next year.

  The only time I really start wondering if politics is something I want to get involved in is when I see just how much time my dad spends away from his family. It has to be about seventy percent.

  Do I really want that for myself?

  Not really.

  But it’s not like I have to make any decisions right now. I haven’t even been accepted to law school yet. Although I’m not worried. I’ve got a three-point-nine GPA and feel pretty good about my LSAT. I know Violet is concerned that she didn’t score high enough, but I think she’ll be fine.

  After what happened Thursday night, I’ve been thinking a lot about Violet and my feelings for her. I suppose in the back of my mind, I always realized that at some point, we would head off in different directions. But I also think I’d held onto the hope that maybe she would finally wake up and see just how perfect we are for one another.

  Thursday night was just the slap in the face I needed to finally get it through my thick head that what I’ve been hoping for all these years isn’t going to happen. I need to start focusing on what’s best for me and my future and stop worrying about what Violet’s doing.

  Trust
me… that realization is a bitter pill to swallow.

  I’ve spent way too many years putting Violet’s wants and needs ahead of my own. Honestly, I think it’s just going to take some time for me to make those mental adjustments. To stop thinking about the possibility of an us and just start concentrating on me. She’s been such a huge part of my life for the last eight years. I don’t even know if I can just stop thinking about her like that.

  But I have to, right?

  I can’t keep going like this.

  I need to find a girl who, you know, actually wants to be with me.

  And that girl isn’t Violet Winterfield. No matter how much I might want it to be. It’s an ugly truth that needs to be accepted.

  “I thought I heard your voice.”

  With a phone in one hand and a stack of papers in the other, my dad steps into the sunny kitchen. His appearance is, as usual, impeccable. Even on the weekend. He’s wearing a pair of perfectly pressed tan slacks and a crisp looking light blue button down. This is as casual as he gets. I don’t think the guy even owns a pair of jeans or ratty old gym shoes. His salt and pepper colored hair is cut short and perfectly styled. Every other week, a stylist comes to the house to give him a trim. Unless he’s in DC. Then I have no clue what he does. I assume someone comes to his condo to cut his hair.

  I tip my head towards our neighbor’s house. “I was fixing something next door and thought I’d stop over for a few minutes. See how everything’s going.”

  He nods but already I can tell that he’s losing interest or, if not losing interest per say, at least mentally running through everything that still needs to be accomplished for the day. I think he honestly works twenty-four seven, which is something else I’m not quite sure I want to end up doing.

  It’s not that he seems unhappy or even burnt out. I think the guy seriously enjoys what he does. He flourishes on bringing opposing sides together and hammering out deals that are beneficial to all parties involved. Flying across the country on a redeye. And the constant campaign strategy sessions. Holding town hall meetings and speaking with constitutes.

  Instead of buckling under all the stress and strain that comes with being a high profile political figure, he seems to thrive on the pressure. Sometimes I have to wonder if the man has ADHD, because he’s constantly on the move, always going from one thing to another. I’m exhausted just thinking about the schedule he keeps.

  Turning to my mom, he asks, “You’ll be ready to leave by two?”

  She nods before giving me a look. “Another fundraiser.”

  My mom hates those big fancy dinners, but she’s always a good sport about attending because they’re unavoidable. It’s just one of the ways my dad raises money for his reelection coffers.

  “How long will you guys be gone?”

  “At least four hours.”

  An idea takes shape in my head. “Maybe I’ll see if Violet wants to stick around for the afternoon and we can stay with the kids.”

  “Oh, Gavin and Ari would love that. They just adore Violet. Especially Ari. She really misses having her around.”

  “More than me?” I’m teasing of course.

  Sort of.

  She gives me another look. “Never more than you.”

  “I’ll see if she can hang here for the afternoon.”

  Sliding my cell from my pocket, I shoot Violet a quick text. Within moments she fires back a reply. She’s finished with most of her studying for the weekend, so staying until six shouldn’t be a problem.

  Pulling our attention back to him, my dad clears his throat. “Mom said the game went well yesterday.”

  I’m just about to give him a condensed version of the highlights when his cell goes off.

  Looking at the screen, he sighs before muttering, “Sorry, I’ve got to take this. It’s important.” Answering the call, a huge smile appears across his face as he booms, “Mike! Thanks for getting back to me so quickly.” There’s a pause before he says, “I know, I know. That’s why I thought it was important for us to put our heads together on this one.” Another pause. “Do you have about fifteen minutes to talk?”

  And then he’s gone, disappearing back into his office. Both my mom and I hear the door close firmly behind him. He’ll probably stay holed up in the study until it’s time to leave for the fundraiser. Without a word, my eyes slide back to hers. For just a moment, she continues staring down the hallway. There’s a small unhappy frown marring her normally smiling face.

  I can’t help but feel bad for her.

  It’s almost like she’s stuck in this marriage which really doesn’t seem like a partnership at all. I can’t help but wonder if she’s happy with the choices she’s made in life. Satisfied with how everything has turned out. Sure, she has three healthy kids, a nice home, a comfortable lifestyle, but she’s married to a guy who is never around and she gave up a career that I’m pretty sure she enjoyed.

  As I stare at her, I realize that my parent’s marriage isn’t the kind I want for myself. I don’t want to give seventy percent to my career and thirty percent to the person I’ve chosen to spend the rest of my life with.

  What really sucks is that when I envision my future, it’s Violet who is by my side.

  Feeling disheartened, I remind myself that it’s just going to take some time to loosen and finally let go of all those hopes and dreams.

  Violet stays over at her grandparent’s house for another hour which is exactly when Ari and Gavin are supposed to arrive home from their friends’ house. Since Gavin is fourteen and a good kid, he usually keeps an eye on Ari when my parents head out for a couple hours.

  The front door opens and closes with a loud crash as feet pound against the dark cherry wood flooring. Rather comically, Gavin screeches to a halt when he seeing me loitering in the kitchen with the Chinese I’ve already ordered for dinner.

  “Dude, what are you doing here?”

  I can’t help but laugh at his greeting. “Nice to see you too, dude.”

  He rolls his eyes before flipping his long blond hair out of his eyes so I can finally see his face.

  Jeez.

  Exactly how long has it been since I’ve seen my little brother? I swear he’s grown at least another inch and his hair now looks like a mop. Albeit a perfectly tousled one. Which makes me want to laugh my ass off, but I don’t. Only recently has he started kicking his personal hygiene habits into high gear.

  Which is exactly the kind of effect the opposite sex has on guys his age. I know it all too well.

  I can’t resist lifting my chin towards his head. “Bet dad loves your hair.”

  He snorts before folding his arms across his chest. Already I can tell that he’s going to be big and broad just like I am. He may find himself playing more defense than QB when he’s older. Although I hope not. Gavin loves playing that position and he’s got some real talent for it. With just a hint of a smirk settling across his face, he says, “Hates it, but I’m still not cutting it.”

  My lips lift.

  Good for him.

  My dad is all about our public image and how we look portrayed as a family. Which is exactly why he has an image consultant working for him. It’s been pretty much hammered into my head what I can and cannot do. Especially during an election cycle. My dad would probably shit a brick if I ever pulled some of the crap I hear about from the guys on my team.

  Which is exactly why, for the most part, I keep a low profile.

  Once again I can’t help but wonder if politics is the right career path for me. Having to be perfect all the time, afraid to make a mistake or take a misstep, seems like it would be exhausting. Not to mention the pressure of living under a microscope.

  “Looks good on you, bud.”

  He gives me another cheeky smile before catching sight of the white cardboard containers sitting on the large marble island.

  “Please tell me you ordered kung pow chicken.”

  I give him a look before cocking a brow. “Have I seriously been away t
hat long?”

  He snorts in response before grabbing a plate from the cabinet.

  I’m just about to ask where Ari is when I hear the front door open and female voices fill the foyer.

  “You’re staying with us and Sam is here, too?”

  My little sister sounds so ridiculously excited by the prospect. It only makes me feel guiltier for not getting back home more often.

  “Yep, you’ve got us until about six o’clock.”

  “Yay!” That exuberant shout is followed up with a rapid fire question. “Can we give each other mani-pedis?”

  “Of course. I thought we could also try out some of those fancy hair style videos you were showing me last time.”

  Hearing Violet’s voice has something unwanted seizing within my chest.

  Not a moment later, Ari comes barreling into the kitchen like a locomotive. She’s all long legs and skinny elbows. And just like my brother, she’s grown, too. Sheesh. The pair of them are like weeds right now. She all but launches herself at me and just like always, I catch her mid-air in my arms, squeezing her close until she’s gasping for breath in between squeals of laughter.

  Violet follows her into the kitchen before meeting my eyes with a smile curving her lips. I can’t resist grinning right back as our eyes stay locked. She loves Gavin and Ari as if they were her own. And I know they feel the same about her. Violet has always been a part of their lives. Ari pretty much thinks of her as the sister she never had. Even though I realize that no one will ever take the place of Isabelle, Violet’s younger sister who died in the car accident with her parents, I know they have a special bond.

  And yet, after this year, I have no idea where Violet will be. Nor do I have any idea where I’ll end up studying law. I hate how unsettled the notion makes me feel. I hate the pit that settles at the bottom of my gut anytime I think about it. But what I hate most of all is that for the first time since we’ve met, Violet and I won’t be together.

  She’ll be off living her own life.

  And so will I.