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Kenzie’s whisper-shy voice spoke up once everyone had calmed down. Zales was still at the bar, and I couldn’t pull my eyes away, so I just listened. “So, are we still doing spring break this year?”
I could hear the smirk in Taz’s voice when he spoke. “I don’t know about all of you, but I’m definitely still going.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Cami bit back.
“Aww, baby. You know you couldn’t stand to not spend a whole week with all of this.”
Even I snorted. Something flew at the back of my head, but I moved and it went past me hitting someone at the booth next to us.
“Hey!” The biggest guy at the table yelled at us and Taz threw up his hands in submission.
“Sorry bro!” The guy muttered a curse and then turned to talk to his cohorts again. “So, what do you all say? Beach week?”
A chorus of yesses rang up around me as our whole entire crew decided we were going. It just meant I’d have to watch the guys. Being the captain of the hockey team came with some leadership responsibilities and level headedness, which meant I had to make sure they weren’t drinking the whole time—or smoking. Couldn’t take the chance of them blowing the conference this year.
Hushed whispers back and forth stirred behind me. “What if she wants to bring someone back…”
Wait, what? Who were they talking about? I had to rewind for a couple of minutes to realize that they’d all been talking about who was rooming with who. It was decided the girls would stay with each other and the dudes would bunk up too. Somehow I had a feeling that the sleeping arrangements would adjust over the week we were gone.
“I’ve got Azalea’s room covered,” I said to no one in particular. A fry flew at my head.
“Pretty sure we already knew that, Boner.” I found Isaacs eyes and they were filled with mirth, even though it was Connell that spoke. Dicks. The whole lot of them, but I wouldn’t trade them for the world.
No one else commented after my statement. Satisfied I had shut them up I turned toward the bar again. My eyes found Zales chatting and laughing with some other guy. A guy who wasn’t me. I was the one who was supposed to be making her laugh.
Warmth settled on the back of my neck and I rubbed it away. Azalea leaned over the bar to talk to the bartender since the noise in here was so loud. Captain asshat took full advantage of the moment to check out her ass.
That was my ass and he had abso-fucking-lutely no right to leer over it like he was doing. I launched straight up from my seat. By the time I got there he’d stepped closer, leaning far too close for my comfort and putting his hand on her waist. Oh, hell no.
Zales turned and beamed at me as I walked up. “Hey.”
“Need help bringing stuff back to the table?” I tried to play it off like I wasn’t the jealous boyfriend. I really tried, but she was mine and I didn’t share.
“Oh, hey Ted, this is my best friend Lukas.” He nodded at me. I reached out to shake his hand, forcing him to drop his hand from her waist.
I tightened my grip on him until I saw him wince. Telling him in no uncertain terms to kindly fuck off. He nodded before making some excuse about getting back to his table and scurried away. I watched him until he reached his destination.
A small hand landed on my arm and my lips curved into a smile. “Hey, drinks are here. What do you want to carry?”
“I’ll take whatever.” It was only five drinks, but I took three of them so she only had to worry about two.
“He was really nice, wasn’t he?” she said dreamily as we walked back and I tightened my jaw in frustration. How did she not see it? All these years, how did she not know I was in love with her? I grunted. It was all I gave her in reply.
All of our friends were in a heated discussion once we made it back to the table. Zales gladly passed out the drinks while I took a seat next to Isaac. “Dude, the jealousy is showing.”
“Fuck, I know. It’s just… she's my girl.”
“But really, she’s not. Have you two had that discussion yet?”
I shook my head. I had no clue how the fuck to bring it up. Yeah so… I’d like to make us official and everything.
I turned toward where our friends sat laughing and joking around. Cami was talking like her normal animated self. Hands and arms flew left and right as she tried to describe what she was saying in graphic detail.
When Zales looked my way with a big beaming smile I almost felt guilty for being jealous. Almost. I could look at her smile for the rest of my life and still want more. I would give up my left testicle for that smile. It radiated into every crevice of my soul and I couldn’t help the mirrored smile that now formed on my face.
When she looked at me like that the rest of the world fell away. The moment our eyes connected it was just her and me, with all this space between us that I desperately wanted to crush.
Everyone has some type of alcohol in front of them tonight except for Ash and I.
Never saw the need for it. Or maybe it was just one too many drunken nights my freshman year. If I didn’t drink I could watch Zales to make sure she didn’t end up in any trouble.
I felt like I was always keeping an eye on her. My jaw ached from biting down so hard. My chest pounded with the desire to tell her how I felt. I guess a part of me was scared telling her would change things.
Right now I had the pleasure of sleeping with my best friend. I didn’t want it to change. There was that tightening sensation in my chest again. Who knew one girl could cause so much anxiety?
There was no way I could tell her.
