“Do you know where Ro is?” I asked him.
“No,” he said. “I’m sure he’s around somewhere.”
Helpful,I thought.And drunk.
My biggest fear was that he had done something stupid and wandered into the water. He wasn’t suicidal, but if there was a bad idea to be found, Rowan would find it. So I started walking, following the path around the lake until I saw a small figure several yards ahead. Just as I feared, I found him way down at the other end of the lake, his jeans rolled up as he stood in water up to the middle of his calves.
“Ro, are you insane?” I cried, running up to where he stood.
“You found me.” He grinned at me like he’d won a bet with himself.
“Yeah. Because I thought, where’s the stupidest possible place I could find him, and that’s where I went.”
I searched his face for signs that he was upset. Maybe he’d seen Cassie with that guy and decided to walk away.
But I saw no sign that he had.
He smiled at my comment and took a swig from the bottle in his hand.
“Thought you told Mel you weren’t drinking.”
“I didn’t tellMelanything,” he argued.
“Okay. Well—come out. It’s dark, and that water’s looking freaking creepy.”
He looked down at it as if noticing it for the first time.
“Why aren’t you with your friends?” I asked. “Like, who throws a party and then runs away?”
“I’m not in the mood for company.”
“Well, gee, could you have notified all these people before they came out?” I pointed to the other side of the lake. I was feeling increasingly annoyed that I’d spent all this time looking for him, and here he was, fine and totally unbothered about disappearing on me.
“Didn’t know this would happen,” he said.
I took a step closer to the water and saw his face more clearly. His eyes were unfocused, and hewasupset. But for some reason, I didn’t think it was about Cassie.
“What would happen?”
“Coach found out about my elbow.”
“Oh, Ro, that sucks,” I said, feeling a wave of sadness for him. Nothing upset Rowan more than not being able to play. “How?”
“I was in too much fucking pain to hit a damn ball today. That’s how.”
“Hopefully this will give you a chance to rest?” I ventured, trying to put a positive spin on it.
“I don’twantto rest,” he said, sounding petulant. “I want to play.”
“You will play. Next season and in college and for the rest of your life.”
He drank from his bottle and then appraised me, a twinkle in his eye. “Want to do something crazy with me?”
“Not really,” I said.
“Come on, Jess,” he said. “Please.”
“What’s the thing?”
