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“But I can’t for the life of me figure out how to do those flows from downward dog to plank and then back, and it feels like I’m doing the tango with two left feet.”
“It can seem daunting at first. But I’ve got you. Let’s do it together.”
That’s my cue to go. I give a subtle wave then take off, not knowing if it’s a yes or a no to Gavin joining us later.
But I know this—I started this whole thing with Briar. Her happiness feels like my responsibility. I weave through the festival grounds with one goal in mind—to track down Gavin. Trouble is when I find my teammate near a booth peddling handmade kites, Gavin’s not alone. He’s shaking his head adamantly at Wesley, who plays for the rival hockey team.
The Sea Dog digs his heels into whatever the argument is, declaring, “No, it was the episode where he drove the car into the lake. One hundred percent.”
Gavin scoffs at the dark-haired dude with inked arms, saying, “It was the one where he drove it to the edge of the cliff?—”
I don’t have time for this debate. “It was a forest. They left the car at the edge of the forest when the nightwalkers arrived. Which was a dumbass move if you ask me. I saw that episode of Twisted Nights the other week,” I say, ready to move this convo from bingeable TV thrillers on Webflix to another kind of twisted night.
Wesley’s eyes register shock, then resignation as he looks my way. “Ah, shit. You’re right, Bouchard.”
Gavin gives me an approving nod. “From art history to pop culture. What would we do without you?”
Wesley arches a brow my way. “Art history?”
I’m not in the mood for this again. “I took the class in college. I don’t know why this is such a thing.”
“You just don’t look like the class type,” Wesley says with an easy shrug, like that explains that.
“I went to class. All of them,” I say, because I wanted to make my mom proud and I fucking did—scored mostly A’s. But that is not for them to know. I turn to Gavin, since we need to get down to business. “When you’re done debating TV plotlines and whether you’re tall enough to ride any of these rides, we need to get back to the obstacle course demo.”
Gavin fist-bumps Wesley. “Catch you later.”
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Wesley says to Gavin, returning the knock.
“That doesn’t leave much,” Gavin retorts.
“Don’t I know it,” Wesley says with his usual bravado, then takes off.
With the Sea Dog gone, Gavin swings his gaze my way, a crease in his brow. “What’s that all about? You really coming to collect me for the course?”
I’m not surprised he saw through that but I don’t have the time to mince words. I pull him behind the kite-making tent. “We need to talk about Briar.”
His face turns stony. “We talked about her this morning.”
I roll my eyes. “You said jack shit. You were like yeah, I’m gonna help where I can with her column, now let’s go. That was it.”
“Yes, because that is it,” he says.
I might not be able to read his expression, but his tone is not merely emphatic. It’s too emphatic.
“You’re not just helping her out from time to time. The nuances of how to make plans with a girl you like is very, very specific. So…?” I hold out my arms in question. Can I make this any clearer?
Gavin stares at me blankly. “So what?”
He’s going to make me spell it out. Fine. “Are you into her too?”
Gavin’s not a defenseman for nothing. He doesn’t give. Doesn’t bend. “Why are you asking?”
“Why are you not answering?”
His shoulders tense. His eyes are hard. But his jaw ticks as he fires back, “Why do you need to know?”
“I’m asking you a simple question,” I say, standing my ground. I’m strung tight, but it’s not with jealousy. This gnawing in my chest is something different. It’s a need that has surprised me. An insistent need to give Briar everything she wants.
