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But Stanley seems unconvinced as he changes the subject. “You seem super close to your family.”
“Yeah, we’re really tight-knit.”
“I have a sister and a brother, but we’re not really all that close. Not much in common with them, you know? Honestly, I was so ready to leave high school and get out from under my parents’ thumb. I just wanna do my own thing for a change.”
“Yeah. Same,” I say, which is only partly true. While I was ready to leave high school, it was for completely different reasons. My family was one of the best parts about Riverside.
Instead, my high school experience was hampered by fear and another emotion I can’t quite name . . . shame? I wanted a clean slate to reinvent myself, which seemed hard to do inside the confines of Riverside High where the memory of what happened and the threat it might happen again haunted me. But I love my family, and I can’t wait to go back for a visit. I miss them already, and it’s only been little more than a week.
“Is that why you stayed here for the summer? Or did you need to take classes?” I ask, curious to hear his answer.
“I mean, I like making my load a little lighter in the fall. But, yeah, I have zero desire to go back home and . . . what? Watch my siblings? Have a curfew again? Fuck that.”
His attitude prickles at me, so I change the subject and steer us toward safer ground, something we might have in common. We talk about how campus life changes in the fall and what to expect. Stanley fills me in on rush week and different events AU hosts every year, including the hubbub surrounding football games and tailgating at away games.
“You said your brother goes to Cumberland University, right?”
“Yeah. It’s going to be a blast when we play them.”
“Will you wear Griffins’ colors, or switch sides and support the bro?”
I laugh. “Gosh. I don’t know, but I’m not sure I’d feel right if I didn’t cheer him on.” Rooting for Teagan on the sidelines during away games was the norm for me. I only ever watched Riverside’s home games from the comfort of my bedroom. My parents never understood why I’d stream them rather than go and support him on our home turf, but at the time, it seemed safer than facing the creeping anxiety that followed me around any time I neared the stadium and locker rooms at night. Flashbacks of the fear hit too hard, followed by the irrational paranoiahe’dstill be there, waiting in the shadows for the moment I let my guard down. I worked so hard to bury the memories, I didn’t want them to resurface. It almost makes me wish I’d gone to Cumberland in Maryland with Teagan just so I could finally watch him play at home and cheer him on.
“AU fans can get pretty crazy, so just a piece of advice? If you’re going to wear CU colors during that game, maybe don’t sit in the student section.”
“Unless I have someone big and strong to protect me, right?” I wink.
“Uh,I’m not sure there’ll be any protecting that,” he says, and I shrink a little inside. Clearly, my flirting skills need work.
With a sigh, I take a sip of my drink which is nearly empty and try to think of a way to get this date back on track becauseit feels like it’s gone off the rails. Ever since we sat down to talk, it seems we’ve done nothing but disagree. Are we really that incompatible? Or am I just so new at this? Maybe I’m simply unfamiliar with how awkward it can be when you’re trying to get to know someone.
I lift my head from my drink, staring out toward the front of the shop, and suck a sharp breath inside my lungs. Jace stands at the front of the line, a grin spreading his lips as he talks to the cute barista with long red hair. If the way she’s giggling as she leans toward him to hand him his drink is any indication, he’s flirting with her.
A grunt of disgust emerges from the back of my throat just as Jace turns and catches my eye. I quickly glance away from him, in the hopes he didn’t catch me staring. The last thing I want is for him to think I’m pleased to see him, or worse yet, that I care he’s flirting with the barista.
“I’m gonna go take a leak. You good?” Stanley asks, oblivious to the way my heart is pounding rapid fire at Jace’s presence a few yards away.
“Yep. Solid,” I say.
Even though I don’t exactly want to be left alone, I’m over this date and sort of looking forward to heading back to my dorm room and crashing in the hopes Cate isn’t there. Please, God, don’t let my roommate be there.
I watch Stanley turn and saunter toward the restrooms when a deep voice cascades over me like a waterfall, pelting me with icy cold water. “I didn’t run him off again, did I?”
Goose bumps creep over my arms as I tip my gaze to his with a scowl. “No. Actually, he had to take a leak,” I spit out, repeating Stan’s words.
Jace’s brows scrunch together as he cocks his head as if trying to decipher my comment, since it’s not an expression I would typically use.
I don’t even know why I said it. Maybe because I’m slightly disappointed our date hasn’t gone better? Whatever the reason, I’m annoyed with myself. I don’t want Jace to know this thing between Stanley and I is off to a rocky start. I want him to think we’re hitting it off, that I’m totally smitten, because it would give him nothing but joy to tell me,I told you so.
“Well, he’s persistent at least. I’ll give him that, “Jace says, his tone flat as he sits down in an empty chair beside me and shifts his gaze to where Stanley disappeared.
“Actually, Iaskedhimout today.” I smile, enjoying the shock rounding his eyes. “It’s the twenty-first century. We women can do that, you know,” I say as I raise my cup to my lips only to remember it’s empty and set it back down.
The muscle in his jaw flickers. “What are your plans after this?”
“I don’t know,” I drawl, folding my hands beneath my chin as I force a dreamy look in my eye. “We don’t really have a plan.” I shrug, like I don’t want the date to end. “I guess we’ll see where the rest of the day takes us.”
Jace’s teeth clench, clearly disliking my answer, which makes my heart soar.
