“I don’t get it, Orion,” she said, as my silver Aston Martin Vantage idled in her driveway. “Are you gay or something? You’ve hooked up with every other girl in school but me.”
“This contradiction brought to you by Tito’s Vodka…”
“Huh?”
“Good night, Elowen.”
“Whatever.” She started to get out of the car, then stopped. “It’s just that we make sense, right? Why were you hanging around that Bender? What do you see in her, anyway?”
She’s pretty. She’s also honest and brave and smart. Those things make her beautiful. She doesn’t care about my money. In fact, she’d probably prefer it if I didn’t have any. I told her and only her about my ADHD because I feel like I can be myself around her and it’s okay. More thanokay. Accepted…
Saying any of that would be wasted on Elowen.
“Harper’s a good person,” I said. “In fact, most of the Benders are, if you’d bother to give them half a chance.”
Elowen’s face crumpled. “Oh my God, you are the sweetest guy ever. And sohot. I’m not giving up on us, Orion.” She kissed the tip of her finger and pressed it into the cleft in my chin. “I’ll see you Monday.”
“Can’t wait.”
When she was safely inside, I drove to Atlas Hall. Easton sat on the couch with his laptop, playing some sort of game.
“Fucking hell,” I said, rubbing my eyes, sinking into the chair opposite.
“Fun night?”
“Brilliant. I fucked it up with the girl I wanted to take home and took home the drunk girl instead.”
Easton’s eyebrows disappeared under his mop of dusty blond hair.
“I didn’t sleep with her. I’m not a complete scumbag. Although I could have. She was more than willing. No, I fucked it up trying to make everyone happy. As usual.”
“Serves you right.”
Ialmostlaughed. “I like her—the sober one. And I haven’t ever liked a girl.”
“Never?” Easton said. “I hear you have something of a reputation.”
“Sleeping with girls and liking them are two different things.”
His brows rose again. “Tell me more, O wise one.”
“That sounded mercenary, didn’t it?” I sighed. “I’ve never cared about a girl beyond sex, but in my defense, I’ve made sure it was clear from the start.”
“But this girl is different,” Easton stated.
This girl is different.
Four simple words and yet they clanged around in my damn mind and heart.
“Bottom line,” I said, “I’m leaving for the UK at the end of theyear. Stupid to overthink it, yeah?”
Easton shrugged. “Depends.”
“On?”
“Are you going to try to repair it with this girl that you like?”
“I wouldn’t have the first idea how,” I said, recalling my jacket left in the sand. “She seemed rather done with me tonight.”
