Page 28 of Under Pressure

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“Do you need a ride?”Kellan asks, his voice rumbling from the phone pressed to my ear.

“Nah. I can drive myself.”

“Before or after you stalk Quinn?”

I pause, hesitating on the curb. One foot on, one foot off, I stare at the dimmed interior of Blank Page and tap my knuckles on my passenger door. I’ve already decided that the neon green sticker she placed there earlier was going to stay. Green has always been my favourite colour, and just knowing that she put that there herself is more than enough to have me keeping it, even if it’s going to constantly make me look like a shitty driver.

The list of traffic violations beneath the giant letters spelling the words You Parked Like An Idiot brings a smile to my face even now, when I’m exhausted and my forearm’s tender from a longer-than-normal ninth inning. It may not be anything sweet, but it was funny. She had to go out of her way to put that on my window, and that means she was thinking about me while running out of the café.

It doesn’t matter that she didn’t know the reason behind my need to escape for a moment. Honestly, it’s probably better she never learns of it. I’m certainly not going to tell her that simplytouching her hip was enough for me to nearly come in my pants in front of her and an old woman with knowing eyes.

That’s a secret I’m going to take to the grave with me.

“I’m not stalking her. Shegaveme her number,” I tell him, still stuck in place.

“Why?”

“Do you have to say it like that?”

I can hear the fucking grin he must be wearing. “Like what?”

“Like it’s unfathomable for her to have given to me just because she wanted to.”

“I mean . . . I’ve seen her with you. You’re stubborn, I’ll give you that.”

“She’s going to give in eventually.”

“How long are you going to wait for that? Obviously, she’s beautiful. But come on, man.”

I suck my chest in when it puffs. Every instinct tells me to warn him away from her. To never call her beautiful again. It’s pathetic, and I hate myself a little bit for it.

“I told her we could be friends.”

Silence. “Why would you go and do something stupid like that?”

“Because I still want to know her? I don’t fucking know why I’m doing this, Kellan. Stop interrogating me. I’m not taking feedback on this.”

His words are exasperated. “Fine. My lips are zipped. Just be here, Beck. Even Roman’s coming, so don’t ignore us for coffee that you don’t even like. Wes has been looking forward to this party for days now. He needs us here.”

“I’ll be there,” I promise.

The Havoc are my family, and while none of us really knows what’s been going on with Wes these last few weeks, he’s been struggling at the plate. Not to mention quieter than usual. With so much changing around us, I don’t blame him for tripping up a bit.

First, it was Finn and Aubrey. They were the leastsurprising couple to form, considering their lifelong friendship, but seeing them together romantically changed the dynamic of the group. And now, Roman and Brielle . . . whatever it is they’re doing. If Wes is losing it, too, then I need to be extra careful.

Missing the party our catcher is throwing at his mega-mansion isn’t a possibility for me when I know how much it will mean to him if we’re all there.

“Text me when you’re on your way, then. And bring me a juice while you’re at it.”

“Say please.”

He groans. “Please, jackass.”

“Yes, dear. See you soon.”

Three beeps follow my words. I pull open a text conversation before I continue on my way to the café. The last message sent came from me an hour ago. I shouldn’t even be here. The last response I received has made that more than obvious.