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It was after lunch, and more cleaning, that I looked in her direction, watching her gaze dart away like she’d been looking at me when I hadn’t been watching.
Or maybe that was wishful thinking.
“I’m gonna head into town to grab the makings for pumpkin pie,” I told her. “Do you want to tag along?” I asked.
“No,” she said quickly. Too quickly. She immediately went a little pink as she realized that too. “I, ah, what if people in town saw?” she asked. “I don’t think I could stand to hear them looking at me and talking about me behind my back,” she said. “I know it’s stupid to care what other people think, but I can’t help it.”
It might have started as an excuse not to be alone with me, but there was clearly a lot of truth in her words as she leaned into it.
I wouldn’t say that Everleigh seemed insecure to me. But she definitely cared about how she appeared to others, what narrative she played in their lives. However small a part she might have played.
“I understand,” I said, nodding. Because I did. It took me a long-ass time not to be bothered by the sideways looks some of the townspeople, or other people outside our town, gave my brothers when we rode around on our bikes or walked around with our cuts on.
You had to get to a certain level of “Fuck you and your opinions” to get past it. And I wasn’t sure Everleigh was the kind of person to think that way.
“Is there anything else you want me to pick up?” I asked. “Snacks?” I added.
“Vanilla ice cream,” she said. “I could really go for some vanilla ice cream today,” she said.
Comfort food.
Because she was feeling weird about this morning.
I felt guilty about that.
But I couldn’t think of anything to say that might make it better.
So I said nothing.
Just grabbed my wallet and keys, and moved outside.
Where Coach was standing. Almost like he’d been waiting for me.
“What’re you doing?” he asked, shaking his head.
“Going to the store. Everleigh wants to bake pumpkin pie,” I told him.
“Nah, that’s not what I meant,” he said.
“What do you mean then?” I asked, tensing because I had a feeling I knew what it was.
“What are you doing with that girl in there?” he asked, pinning me with those eyes that saw too much.
“I’m not doing anything with her,” I insisted. This morning excluded. And that didn’t count because neither of us were acknowledging it.
“Yeah, but why is that?” he asked. “You’ve had moon-eyes for that girl since the moment I came into this club. Before then, most likely. “Now you got her right here… and you’re avoiding her like she’s contagious.”
“I’m not—“ I started, but we both knew I had been.
“What’s the problem? Why not make a move if you like her so much?”
To that, I shook my head.
“What? Say it.”
“Girls like that don’t belong with men like us,” I said, shrugging.
“Girls and men like what?” he asked.
