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Josh spins and smiles. “Reid! Hell of a smooch. None of us missed it.”
He’s gained a beer since the last time I saw him, and based on the smirk on his face, I’d say there’s a chance it’s not his first. When Josh drinks, he drinks a lot. Luke, Oliver, and I have all talked about saying something to him, but I don’t think he has a problem. During the season, he won’t consume a drop. Some parties, too. He doesn’t need alcohol to be his usual boisterous self, but then there are certain nights where he’ll barely be able to stand. There’s no pattern or obvious tell; Josh is unpredictable, even sober.
“Can I talk to you for a second?”
“Sure. Excuse me, ladies.”
I walk about fifteen feet away. Josh follows.
“Need some sex tips?”
I study him, trying to figure out, one, how drunk he is, and, two, if he actually knows I’ve never gone all the way with a girl. “No,” I finally answer. “I’m wondering why you texted my girlfriend.” That word feels less weird every time I say it.
“Worried she’ll go for a guy who actually expresses his emotions?”
“Watch it, Josh.”
“I met her first.” He’s deliberately trying to provoke me. I’m not sure why, but I am sure it’s working.
“I’m serious, Hawley. You don’t want to push me. Not about this.”
“She’s head over heels for you, Elliot. Any idiot can see that. And whatever ridiculous dating experiment you’ve come up with, it’s going to break her heart.”
Something in my chest twinges. “I haven’t lied to her about anything.”
“False hope isn’t any better. And…do you have any idea how ridiculous it is to sit and hear you gripe about your perfect family and pro prospects and all the hot girls panting after you? Some of us haveactualproblems, Reid.”
“Like trashing Mom and Dad’s multi-million-dollar mansion every night?” I regret the words as soon as they leave my mouth. Josh doesn’t talk about it much, but I know his parents’ perpetual absence is a sore spot—one I just poked.
He scoffs and shakes his head. “I won’t text your girlfriend again. Unless she texts me first.”
Josh walks off, leaving me fuming. I storm off toward the deck, only stopping to pull a beer out of the cooler. I gulp half in one go.
“Whoa. What crawled up your ass?” Luke asks, appearing next to me.
“Josh isbeingan ass.”
“Pretty sure something must have happened with his folks. They weren’t at the game yesterday.”
“That’s no excuse for acting like a dick.”
“I didn’t say it was, Reid. What did he do that pissed you off so much?”
“Nothing,” I mutter, drinking more beer.
“Did this nothing involve Auden?”
“Maybe,” I admit.
He shakes his head, appearing amused. “You and this girl, man. Who would have known when I fucked up those posters?”
I shrug.Iknew. Maybe not that we’d end up here or how, but I looked at Auden for the first time and knew there was something there.
“She’s looking for you.”
“Huh?”
Luke jerks his chin toward the lake. Auden has almost reached the dock. She’s balancing a full plate of pizza and glancing around. I’m not sure if she’s actually looking for me, but I leap on the opportunity anyway. I set my half-empty beer down and beeline toward her.
