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“Look, I could’ve believed you if you hadn’t already done something odd by texting me. When was the last time you reached out first? Something’s up, and I know it’s a woman.” He pulls off a combo that launches my character into the sky. The machine responds with a series of loud BANGS and BOOMS, followed by a canned applause track from the cheering crowd.
“Something tells me you’ve been practicing,” I say through gritted teeth.
“I’ve been in this place. Once or twice,” James replies. “Now talk.”
“Fine.” I look over my shoulder, as if anyone I know would be inthisplace, and the momentary distraction costs me half my health bar in the video game I’m playing. “Her name is Jordan. She’s actually my brother’s best friend.”
“Oh shit, man, you really like to rock the boat, don’t you?” James laughs.
“Trust me, I didn’t plan it that way. My dad was in a car accident, and I met her with Cole by chance at the hospital. I haven’t been able to get her out of my head since.” Finally, I pull off a win as the machine sounds its BANGS and BOOMS, followed by the exact same applause track, telling me that we don’t really care who wins, as long as somebody dies. “Only problem is,” I continue. “My brother is an ass, and he is driving a wedge between her and me.”
“You’ve never let some douchebag get in your way before. Even your brother. What’s stopping you now?” James asks, rolling up his sleeves and dropping another quarter into the machine.
“That wholebest friendsthing? Yeah, not like I can just go all out on my brother, for a lot of reasons. Right now, I’m only trying to give her some space so she can figure out these things for herself. But I know Cole’s over there telling her the worst shit about me.” Just like that, my focus is gone and James takes the next three rounds.
We decide to leave the combat machine and move on to a more low-key machine, a game where you connect three dots of the same color to make the row explode.
“I wouldn’t worry about what he is or isn’t saying to her,” James tries to encourage me. ”If she knows you, she’ll see right through it.” He lifts his glass toward me. I raise mine and we clink, draining our glasses in a final gulp. “I’ll get another round,” James offers. “You wait here so the bartender sex goddess doesn’t capture you and take you back to her lair.”
I roll my eyes and chuckle. He’s not wrong. The bartender is hot, but my mind is on Jordan, and I still can’t get Cole’s words out of my head. The words he blurted out in front of her — seriously, abully?—but James is right. I only have to hope that Jordan knows me better than that. Should I text her? I unlock my phone as James returns with two fresh pints.
“Drink up and get that glum look off your face, the night has just begun!” James clinks his glass into mine, sloshing beer over the rim onto my arm.
I quickly lean forward to slurp the foam from my glass before it continues to spill out onto my wrist. I’m not a big drinker, and after only two beers the pleasant buzz has washed away most of the anxiety I brought in with me. Even so, it’s not even close to the comfort I feel when Jordan holds me in her arms. My grip tightens on the pint glass. If Cole thinks a few harsh words can keep her from me, he is in for a rude awakening.
Chapter 24
Jordan
It’sthreeinthemorning and I’m still awake, lying in bed with the covers twisted around my legs. I thought after three hours of homework I’d crawl into bed and pass out, but my mind has other plans, my thoughts racing like a hamster on Adderall. I snatch my phone from the charger on the nightstand and unlock it, wincing from the brightness of the screen.
Me: I want to see you tomorrow.
I’m sure Tyson is sleeping, but I hit [SEND] before I can overthink it. If I don’t send it now, I’ll probably stay awake all night thinking about sending it. And I’m sure I won’t have the courage to do it in the full light of the morning. Sometimes what feels like bravery is only a lack of control rationalized by the ego.
With the nagging of my message to Ty out of the way, my mind settles and I pull the blankets up to my chin and crack open a textbook. I read until my eyes begin to blur and my head nods down to my chest. Finally, sleep comes.
I wake up and roll over to look at my clock. Ten AM. I can’t remember the last time I slept so late. It wasn’t a restful sleep, though. Filled with dreams of flunking out, hiding from the Dean, getting a job at my mom’s company working eighty hours a week. My body and my mind want nothing more than to sink back into sleep to snuff out the anxiety that has lately become overwhelming.
But I force myself to get up, stretching my arms up to the ceiling and shivering at the cold air that rushes over my exposed skin when the blanket falls to the bed. Getting out of bed is always ten times harder in the winter.
I shove my feet into my pink fuzzy slippers and wrap myself in my robe, grabbing my phone as I head to the kitchen to make coffee. I have three messages and my pulse leaps when I see that one is from Tyson. The other two are from Cole, and I read those first.
Cole:Cupitol at noon?
Cole:Still sleeping, Anders? Rise and shine sleeping beauty, we’ve got a study date at noon and I’ll charge you a late fee. Plus, FaerieBeast is expecting you. She says she’s in a total Faerie mood today.
I check the time, quarter to eleven. Plenty of time to make myself presentable and get my head on straight before I meet with Cole at the cafe.
Me:Yeah, yeah. Some of us were up late. I’ll be there.
As the coffee brews, I flip over to Tyson’s text thread.
Tyson:I want to see you too. Dinner at my place?
His place? That’s new. We’ve met at mine and gone on dates, but I’ve yet to see the place Tyson calls home. I try to imagine it, wondering if he decorated it himself or hired someone to come in and do it for him. Will it be austere or homey? Minimalist or exploding with color?
Me:I’m in. How does six sound? And I swear if you’re only serving rabbit food, I’m ordering takeout.
