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“We’re headed to Sydney’s for food, if you want to come?”
“Yeah. Sure. Let me just change and shower.”
“Yourgirlfriendcan come too, if you want.”
“She won’t be up yet.”
“Late night, eh?” Luke waggles his eyebrows.
“Don’t.” I sit up on the bench. “We’re not talking about that.”
“Sounds like they haven’t had sex yet,” Josh observes, as if I’m not right the fuck here.
“She might—”
“I said, we’renottalking about me and Auden. Our relationship is off limits, got it?”
Both grumble, but the conversation as we head to Sydney’s is centered around the game yesterday, not a discussion of my sex life. When we arrive at the coffee shop, it’s another story.
“Well…this should be interesting,” Josh states as we step inside.
I realize his meaning immediately. This is the first time—ever—I haven’t been technically single. My aversion to relationships is, or was, well known.
It’s not as crowded as I’ve seen it, but busy enough we have to wait in line for ten minutes to order. Plenty of teenagers from the party last night are already here, and there’s no shortage of people shouting congratulations. But not a single girl approaches me.
“Guess no one wants to risk a vodka cranberry to the face,” Luke comments. I give him a questioning look. “That’s what Auden tossed on Annabel last night,” he clarifies.
“Oh.” I wish I’d been there for it. I’ve never been a big fan of Annabel’s, and her treatment of Auden has far from elevated my opinion of her. Then again, I doubt Auden would have set the fake dating into motion if I had been there. For someone who’s always viewed a relationship as a problematic complication that holds absolutely no appeal, I’m shockingly happy to be in one.
Honestly, I doubted Auden would go for it. When Marcus informed me she told half the house we were dating, I expected to regret ever bringing it up. But nope, I was just glad I did. Figure that out.
We order, then linger around the counter, waiting for our food. When it arrives, Josh suggests we head back to his place since his folks are gone, per usual.
It’s strange, being in the Hawleys’ huge backyard without crowds of people milling about. Every time I’ve seen my best friends lately has been hectic, either parties or hockey-related events.
It’s strange in a good way. Eating the pile of food we ordered and bickering about random topics makes me feel a decade younger, back before we cared about girls or had the future breathing down our necks. I’m expecting the conversation to turn to at least one of those topics eventually, so I’m hardly surprised when Luke asks, “You’re really dating her?”
I swallow the last bite of my breakfast sandwich. “Really.”
“Why?” Seeing the look on my face, he’s quick to add, “I mean, I get why. But why now?”
“I just realized I like her more than I thought.”
“What about hockey?”
“If it becomes an issue, I’ll break up with her and we’ll go back to being friends.”
Josh snorts. “Right. You’ll be the first two people who go from friends to fucking back to friends, no problem.”
I ignore the heavy sarcasm. “Exactly.”
He rolls his eyes. “Whatever. I still don’t believe you’re really dating. You didn’t kiss her after the game yesterday.”
“That wasbeforewe started dating.”
“Uh-huh, sure.” Josh shakes his head before he stands and stretches. “Come on, let’s take the boat out.”
* * *
