Page 94 of Dream On, Liar

Then he caught me looking, and offered me a shrug. “It's better.”

I gave him a nod. “That's good.”

He nodded.

And that was it.

I didn’t attempt to interrogate him, or berate him about it.

But it had been the right call, because something about the way his shoulders relaxed made me think he'd expected more, still was glad nonetheless about it.

Just as the bartender place my drink on the counter, a thought came to me.

Biting my lower lip, I contemplated my words before speaking anyway. “Can I ask you something?”

He blinked, an uneasy expression flashing across his face. “About my shoulder?”

“No.”

Masking his surprise, he nodded. “Okay.”

“How come you forgot about that night?” I asked softly.

His expression changed like he hadn’t expected it, before something close to…shame made it’s appearance. Barely, or maybe I’d just read him wrong.

For a minute, I almost expected him to give me a non-answer and leave me be, but then he spoke. “I don't remember forgetting.”

Maybe it had been the alcohol, or the curiosity he’d seen in my eyes. Something he didn’t like that pushed him. Something that made him look away.

“I'm not great with alcohol.”

“That night?”

“Generally.” A small, humourless smile tugged at his mouth. “Until recently, I only remembered bits of that night.”

“Bits?”

He nodded.

“That night was crazy as hell. I’d already been pissed with my dad—and myself. I rarely lose my temper on the field, but something…I don’t even remember what now had irked me enough to cause a scene. My father had gone on about me risking tarnishing his legacy. Which is why I’d asked Matt to just help me forget, which led me to lie to you. It had been easier not because I wanted to deceive you, but you were making me forget. But when you’d left…I remember being pissed off, all over again.”

My fingers tightened slightly around my glass.

“At me?”

“Yeah.” His voice wasn't accusing. If anything, it sounded tired. “I was upset you'd bailed on me.”

I looked at him, opening my mouth to offer an explanation but he cut me off before I could offer it.

“So I had my own after party.”

I couldn't help the faint frown that appeared. “With Matt?”

He shook his head. “Alone.”

His eyes traced my features so intently, it made my throat dry.

“The next morning, I basically had no memory of it. And I didn’t try and attempt to recover it either…” He trailed off, his eyes shifting to where I’d just been with his sister. “Then my family stuff kind of rolled into a giant mess, and until I ran into you, I forgot about it all together.”