“Nothing.” Then Jake smiled mischievously. “C’mere.” He reached one arm around her and tried to kiss her.
At first she thought Jake was joking; he was Evan’s friend! So she pushed him. “What’re youdoing?”
But then he leaned in a second time. “Stop it,” she said. But Jake had already pushed her up against the door.
The rush of alcohol mixed with fear swept through her, and she turned her head to yell. Before she could, there was the sudden crunch of footsteps in snow and a flash up the steps. Wendell had sprinted up behind them and tackled Jake, the two of them flying off the steps and into the snowy yard. When Jake popped back up, Wendell leaped to his feet first and socked him in the jaw, sending him sprawling backward in the yard.
“Don’t you even look at her!” he shouted, standing over Jake, his fists balled. Ginny drew back against the house, watching the two face off beneath the flood of the porchlight. Puffs of cold air filled the broken space between them.
Jake’s nose streamed with blood. He put his hand to his face and staggered to his feet. “What the hell, Combs? You busted my fucking nose.”
Then he lurched away from them both and down the driveway, walking unsteadily along the line of cars toward his own.
Wendell looked up at Ginny. The snow around him was flattened, drips of red blood at his feet. He was breathing hard. “Are you okay?”
Before she could thank him, Ginny spun around and threw up in the bushes. He waited until she was done, then came to sit beside her on the step. She was mortified. “Thank you,” she said, finally able to meet his gaze. Then, “Please, don’t tell Evan.”
Wendell stared at her in disbelief. “Evan should’ve been out here with you. Jake’s an asshole.”
“He couldn’t have known Jake would do that,” Ginny said defensively.
“Well, then they’re both assholes.” Wendell shook his right hand, and it was then she saw the angry red glare of his knuckles under the porch light. Ginny reached for his hand gently, ignoring his wince of pain. She took off her scarf and filled it with snow, then wrapped it around his swollen hand. They sat on the step like that until the party broke up and people began to flood past them. When Evan eventually came out, Ginny let go of Wendell’s hand.
Evan pulled his coat up over his shoulders and laughed. “Great party.” He looked between them. “Ready to go?”
Ginny stood. “It’s late.” Wendell didn’t move.
Evan put his arm around Ginny. He didn’t notice that either of them was upset, just as he didn’t notice her red scarf tied around Wendell’s hand when he turned to him. “You coming, buddy?”
Wendell shook his head. “Nah, you go ahead. I’ll catch a ride.”
Evan tipped his head back and blew a stream of air out. “Suit yourself.” Then to Ginny, “Freezing my balls off out here. Let’s go.” Without waiting for her, he started down the driveway.
Ginny hesitated, conflicted. “Let us give you a ride.”
Wendell unwrapped her scarf from his hand and handed it back to her without eye contact.
“I’ve already missed curfew,” she went on, stalling. Why wouldn’t he just come with them?
“Then you should go,” he told her.
Reluctantly, Ginny followed Evan to his car. When they pulled away, she looked back. Wendell was right where she’d left him on the stoop, a dark silhouette illuminated against the snow.
The next morning, she broke up with Evan.
Ever the gentleman, Wendell didn’t pursue her right away. Or at all, for that matter. All spring they passed in the hallway, and Ginny wondered if perhaps she’d gotten it wrong. Maybe he’d never felt about her the way she had come to feel about him.
Late that spring, her friends Kristen and Ali dragged her to a house party down by the lake. It was crowded indoors, and the music was too loud, so they found refuge outside on the patio by the water. There she found Wendell playing poker with a couple of other football players.
It took her two wine coolers to get up the courage. When the guy next to Wendell folded and left the table, she plopped down in his empty chair. “I broke up with him,” she whispered.
Wendell kept his eyes on the cards as he gathered them “Yeah. A while ago,” he said.
It was ridiculous. As if they were picking up exactly where they’d left off on Kerry Grove’s front step last New Year’s Eve.
Ginny leaned in. “Think I made a mistake?” Her eyes traveled across the patio and landed on Evan’s back. No surprise, he was chatting up a freshman girl by the keg.
“Doesn’t matter what I think,” Wendell said. She watched the bridge of cards flip seamlessly through his fingers as he shuffled. Wendell had strong hands. “Doyouthink it was a mistake?”
