How to Fall Apart

Chapter Twenty

 Relieved to be finally finished with the ACTs, I asked Nate if he wanted to grab brunch. Mom had to work soon so I needed to be home for Clark but I figured I had time for something quick.

"I can't." He told me, looking more disappointed than I felt. "I want to, but I have a game in Spearfish in a few hours." He reached over and took my hand. "Hey, you should come watch. Then you can see that I'm the more talented twin." He was joking but I laughed at how competitive he and Carly always were.

"I wish I could. My mom is working all day and we share a car so..." I trailed off. He was thoughtful for a moment.

"Just be ready in two hours," he said and kissed me slowly and sweetly when he dropped me off. I could have spent all day letting him show off his kissing talent. I reluctantly slid out of his truck and went in to make sure Clark would even be willing to go to the game before Nate enacted some kind of plan to get me there. Not only was Clark willing, he was decidedly excited about it. Nate was somewhat knowledgeable about medieval wars and played basketball. There was some definite hero worship going on.

Mom seemed perplexed and I asked her if it was because she didn't want us to go to the game. She swore that wasn't it and she looked like she might tell me something but then just urged us to go and have fun.

"We'll talk tonight when I get off work. It's nothing to worry about Veda! I promise," she told me, dropping a kiss Clark's forehead and my cheek before leaving for work.

Right on time Nate's truck pulled up in front of our house. Except it wasn't Nate, Jillian honked the horn from the driver's seat and waited. Clark and I climbed into the truck.

"Nathan let me borrow his truck if I picked you up on the way to the game." She grinned as though it were a treat. "I love his truck." His truck was pretty nice. "Mom and Dad are meeting us up there but Em and Jarred can't make it."

"Well, thank you," I smiled appreciatively. I loved how their family made it such a priority to be there at games and just do family things together. I was happy to get to be a part of it. Jillian made small talk with Clark on the hour drive from Rapid City.

Mr. and Mrs. Preston were already there when we arrived. We made our way to sit with them on the bleachers. Clark charmed everyone with his impeccable manners and his wild mop of hair. Seeing him interact with other people made me so proud to be his sister. Nate was on the court with his team, warming up and when he saw me his eyes lit up. My cheeks warmed and I beamed back at him.

His family's passion for basketball was contagious and Clark and I cheered excitedly along with them. Nate was good but I expected that. It was Jed who surprised me. He was significantly shorter than me and a bit stocky but moved faster than I thought possible. He would steal the ball from the other team and be down the court making a basket before they even realized what was happening. Max's basketball skills didn't quite match up with his humor. He wasn't bad but he was better at egging on and smack talking the other team, especially during free throws. The referee warned him to watch it a couple of times and he would throw his hands up in the air and laugh loudly. Their team won by a landslide.

After the game Nate wrapped me in a sweaty hug and I squealed in protest but was secretly delighted. "Ew!" I sniffed at him as he dropped a kiss on my forehead. "You need a shower!"

"You should probably help him with that. He doesn't do a very good job by himself," Max suggested, clapping Nate on the back. I glanced over at Mr. and Mrs. Preston to make sure they didn't overhear. Thankfully they were busy talking to the coach. I giggled and gave in to his hug.

"I think he can manage on his own," I assured Max and Nate, who was fake pouting.

"Can I kiss your sister now?" Nate asked Clark. Clark's cheeks turned bright red and he covered his eyes with both hands.