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“Did something happen?”
“No.” There’s that word again in that curt tone.
She frowns, annoyance on her face. “Did you ever ask her out?”
There’s silence, the moment prolonging. I swallow compulsively, leaning in to hear what he’ll say.
“It didn’t work out. Listen, I have to go. Uncle Marty has me on the clock. I’ll talk to you when I get back.”
He hangs up and Danielle mutters, “Rude,” as she sets her phone down beside her. “He’s normally vague, but that was ridiculous even for him. Sorry I couldn’t get a clearer answer for you.”
“Thank you for trying. That was really nice of you. And for inviting me over.”
“Yeah, of course.”
I stroke the dog’s soft fur, realizing I’m so out of it, I don’t remember his name. “Has Austin said anything about me to you?” I blurt out, wanting some questions answered, propriety be damned.
“Yeah. We talked on the phone about you last week. He was gushing about you. He’s never spoken about anyone like that.”
“So why did he say it didn’t work out? We had this amazing time Wednesday, and by the next night it was like a switch had flipped.” I hate to be dumping my problems on her like this, but I don’t know what else to do.
She sighs. “Austin’s never been one to talk about himself, especially unprompted. He’s an observer, not a participator. You’ll have to drag the truth out of him.”
“You heard him. He won’t talk to me. Or even about me.”
She purses her lips, then snaps her fingers. “Go to the tournament tomorrow. Confront him when he can’t run.”
Wow, she’s hardcore.
“He’s working. I’m not going to show up and be a stalker.”
“You want answers, right? Catch him between matches. He’s not working then.”
“I…” How much longer can I continue in this state of uncertainty?
I dig my phone out of my back pocket, upsetting the sleeping dog for a moment, and call Austin, but it immediately goes to voicemail.
Danielle raises her brows, making a tsking noise. “Declining your calls?”
I groan, my grip tightening on the phone. This is so ridiculous. Why am I so hung up on him, anyway?
Because you’ve never met anyone like him.
Because he ticks all your boxes and then some.
Because you’re falling in love with him.
I bring a hand to my chest, rubbing at my breastbone, and pull up my messages with Lexie.
Me:Are you driving to the tournament tomorrow to see Ethan?
Lexie:Yeah.
Me:Can I ride with you? I’ll pay for gas.
Lexie:Can you be ready to go by two? It’s a two-hour drive over there and Ethan’s match is at five, so I want to have some buffer time.
Perfect. My shift ends at two, anyway.
