Page 53 of Josh’s Play

Devon and Campbell both looked at me expectantly, but I was too focused on tempering my face and trying to find a complete sentence. I glared at Devon before stealing his drink and throwing it back.

“Josh!” Devon chastised.

“Hi. I’m Campbell. Josh and I are working on a project together for sports journalism.”

“Oh, right! The podcast. Josh told me about that. I knew the project was about hockey, but he didn’t tell me he was doing it with the star of the hockey team. Congratulations on that game last week.”

I’m fairly sure no one heard me scoff, “Ha, doing it.”

Devon and Campbell continued to chat like perfectly respectable college students, and Noah sidled up next to me.

“You okay, Josh?” I grabbed his drink and handed him my collection of empties. “Maybe don’t …” He didn’t bother to finish, because his beer was already mostly gone.

“Devon?” Noah called over my head. “It appears we’re both in need of a refill thanks to this guy. Walk with me?” Devon, who still looked like he was missing pieces of the puzzle, agreed. “Hold on to yours, Cam. This guy’s a thief.”

I immediately took Devon’s place next to Campbell and may have reached for his beer. The fucker raised it over his head.

“Ooh. Another beer shower.” I could tell I was drunk even as I continued doing stupid things. Luckily, Campbell could see my stupid thing coming from a mile away, and he sidestepped my attempt to push him. Then he took a sip of his beer and put it down on the floor next to him.

“How wusshh the farm?” Shit, was that me, mooing?

Cam leaned down close to my face.

“Fuck yeah, hi.” I attempted a smile, and even I knew my face was a drunken, but hopefully adorable, mess as I greeted him.

“You’re drunk.”

“I’m drunk!”

“And you just left that guy.” Definitely drunk because I hadn’t left any guys; Devon had left me. I had no idea what Cam was talking about.

“What are you talking about?”

I had never seen Cam angry before, at least not since he huffed into physical therapy months ago, and I’d never seen him look so hurt. Those two emotions being aimed at me? They took all of those floating feelings that I had come to cherish, and they tore them from me, like the best parts of my heart and soul were being tossed to the ground and stomped on.

“Campbell, please.” I was asking so many things. I wanted him to explain. I wanted him to stop looking at me like that. I wanted him to stop stomping on my heart. I wanted him to just smile his puppy-dog smile and not be upset.

I wasn’t sure why, but I was sure I was the one who’d made him angry. “I’m sorry, Cam.”

His gaze rose above my head, and soon Devon and Noah had rejoined us, looks of concern on their faces.

“Noah said you introduced him to his girlfriend?” Devon asked.

“Not exactly,” I spat out, by which I mean I actively spat and had to wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. “She wusshh Cam’s PT. He invited us both.”

“That’s why this guy is the guy from the party.” Noah tried to keep the conversation going, grasping me by the shoulder. “Cam and I share a house with some of our teammates. It was before school started and …”

“And the rest is history,” Devon provided, staring at me like I was a stranger.

“Yeah.” Noah smiled.

I knew Devon was looking at me, but my eyes were fixed on Cam. He looked agitated and uncomfortable and took a subtle step back as if hoping the wall behind him would swallow him up. Devon looked back and forth between us and narrowed his eyes at me. I spared a quick second to glare at him before turning back to Cam, who was even further away from me.

Our group was quiet for some time. I racked my brain for something to say but only found ringing ears, pulsing music, and the strong need to talk to Campbell alone, so I said nothing.

Devon looked from Campbell to me again, watching me as I stared intently at Cam even as I knew I shouldn’t be.

“So.” Devon filled the silence. “I know nothing about hockey. I mean, I know you’re playing now because this guy is all over social media.” He pointed and smiled at a scowling Cam. “How much longer is the season? What positions do you play? And by what positions do you play, I mean, explain all the positions to me as well as the rules and the scoring system because I’m clueless.”