Chapter Ten - Mean (Maverick)

“Fuck,” Maverick cursed when the needle stabbed him for the third time. He dropped the fabric back onto the kitchen table and shoved his thumb into his mouth, pressing his tongue against the wound as he walked to the bathroom to get a bandaid. But he paused in the hall, just as the doorbell rang, clashing eyes with Riley through the open glass of his front door.

He hastily yanked the thumb from his mouth and hurried to open the door. “That wasn’t what it looked like.”

“Sure it wasn’t, big guy. Whatever you say,” she said, patting his chest as she skirted around him and walked into the kitchen to set a bag on his crafting space. “I found those buttons you were searching for, by the way, you left them in my car.”

“I’m serious. Look!” He shoved the thumb under her nose, ignoring the buttons. “I got stabbed and— well, it was bleeding.”

“Mmhmm,” she hummed, thumbing through his designs. “Did you decide to enter the costume contest after all?”

Maverick shook his head, idly moving the fabric around. He’d made something of a name for himself, dressing up for the renaissance fairs that came to town — but the winners the last few years had all been group costumes. And even though he’d love to wipe that smirk off the smug face of his rival, Zayne Sandusky, by coming through with his own team costume, nobody was able to participate with him. The Ravens had plans. Riley was out of town. It simply wasn’t in the cards.

But, there was a certain peace Maverick found in designing costumes. It kept his mind busy, distracting him from all the thoughts hounding his every move. From sketching to sewing, he was able to lose himself in the process of creating, the familiar rhythm of it being a comfort all its own.

“I just needed a distraction,” he said instead.

Riley held up the freshly cut outline of a man’s waistcoat, twisting it to let the light from the window show its true colors, a deep velvety blue. “From… Maya?” She asked nonchalantly.

Maverick choked, his eyes darting up in surprise.

“I don’t mean to pry…” She lowered the fabric and turned to face him, meeting his gaze head-on. “It’s just that, well, you mentioned her in your sleep the other night. A few times.” Her teeth worried her lip as her gaze jumped between his, searching for answers. “It just seems that things are bothering you more than you’re letting on.”

“I… I may have learned something unexpected about her. Something that is making me question a lot of the things I’ve believed to be true, up to this point. Because if one of the things I believed was a lie, then…”

“Any of it could be,” Riley supplied. “And then there’d be no excuse for how awful you were to her in that grocery store.”

Maverick’s jaw dropped. “Whoa. Okay. Left field.”

Riley shrugged. “Just calling it as I see it. And maybe — maybe you should consider asking her about whatever is it you’ve learned.” She cocked her head, sidling up closer. “Is this… history something I should be concerned about?”

“No,” Maverick was quick to confirm. Even if Toby was his kid, and that was still a major if, it wouldn’t change the fact that she’d betrayed him, cheated on him, and lied to him. Maybe there were still some secrets to discuss, but he’d seen the proof himself. There was no coming back from a heartbreak like that. “It’s just that I’m worried there’s pieces I’m missing.”

“Then ask, it’s as simple as that.” Riley pecked her lips against his, before turning back for the door and waving her fingers over her shoulder. “Gotta get back to the school for parent teacher conferences, but I’d love to hear about this later.” She pointed at the table, wiggling her brows. “I’d love to see that on you, by the way. And I’d really love to take it back off.” Then she winked and shut the door behind her.

Maverick’s laugh escaped on a puff of breath as he shook his head and turned back to the table. She had such an uncanny way of delivering hard truths and still making him smile. And she was right. He needed to have a conversation with his new neighbor — if she were still willing to talk to him.

Movement outside his window caught his eye and Maverick stepped closer, smiling when he caught sight of Gus up on that hill, kicking his ball around. Maybe some exercise would clear his head. Help him figure out his next steps.

He didn’t consider the idea too long, he simply threw on his tennis shoes and jogged down the street, warming up his legs. The kid was small, but fast. Which was further evidenced by Gus appearing at his side, seemingly out of nowhere.

“You got somewhere to be?” The kid asked.

“Holy sh—“ Maverick jumped, jerking his arm away from the spot where Gus spoke. “How did you get here so fast?”

Gus shrugged, the picture of calm and collected, though the tiny smirk curving his lips told a different story.

“Alright kid, let’s see if you’re still laughing when I put ten on the board,” Maverick snarked, reaching around Gus to knock the ball loose.

Gus was ready though, proving himself a quick learner as he simply redirected the ball into his other arm. He turned with the momentum to jog backwards in front of Maverick. “Like you could ever score ten against me.”

“You’re awful cocky for a six year old.”

That drew Gus up short, his face flushing red. “I’m eight , and last year, my team made it all the way to the cham—“

“August, what are you doing?” An irate voice snapped from the other side of the street, causing both Gus and Maverick to turn and look.

It was the kid from the hospital. Her kid. He was approaching swiftly, glancing both ways before he jogged across the road.

“What do you want?” Gus mumbled, refusing to meet the bigger kid’s glare.

“What are you doing all the way over here? You were told not to be out on the sidewalks.”

Maverick watched their back and forth, confusion clouding his mind as he listened. Was Toby bullying Gus?

“I know, I was going back. Don’t tell—“

“Why are you so concerned about what he’s doing?” Maverick interjected, not liking how the spunky Gus he’d come to know was caving so easy.

Toby turned, his brows high on his forehead. “Because he is my little brother and he’s breaking the rules that Mom set about playing outside. And this is another thing,” Toby added, thrusting a finger towards Maverick, “why are you hanging out with this guy? This is the guy who was being mean to Mom while I was in the hospital. She cried about it.”

Gus blinked, turning to look up at Maverick with wide, stricken eyes. “Is that true? Were you mean to my Mom too?”

Maverick’s jaw dropped as the pieces snapped into place with such ease that he couldn’t believe he’d never considered the possibility before. Everything Gus had told him about his parents. His cruel father. That was her story, told through the innocent eyes of her son.

His gut clenched as he stared back down at this kid who just wanted a friend. And he nodded, because he couldn’t lie, even when it killed a part of his soul to see the disappointment shining bright in Gus’s eyes. “I thought you were nice.”

“This is why we don’t talk to strangers,” Toby hissed, grabbing Gus by the arm and turning him toward their house, leaving Maverick to watch as the boys walked away without a single glance back. It left him with the distinct, unshakable impression that he’d just made a colossal mistake.