Chapter 2 #2
My jaw loosens. Shit, I do sound like a grump. “What about you? No date tonight, so that must mean last night’s blind date was a dud?”
“How did you know?” She nods her head and glances at my sister. “Ginny?”
“Yeah. Before she rushed out of here last night, taking my wine, she mentioned something about your date ordering a salad for you.”
“He was a Scorpio. I should have known better. I don’t need a man to order for me, and if he does, it better be something chocolate. Also, the wine was delicious and more than made up for my bad dinner, so thanks for that.”
I’m grinning at her. This might be the most I’ve ever talked to Reagan, just the two of us. And the most she’s ever said about herself.
One of the girls that came over with Leah comes into the kitchen and steps closer than necessary. Her friends wait behind her. Our kitchen isn’t that big. She could stand on the other side of it and we’d be close enough to whisper.
I wonder if she won rock, paper, scissors, and if so, what she won with. Can I ask that?
“Adam, you have to come outside with us. We’re going to play flip cup.” She takes my hand and tugs.
“Sorry.” I don’t budge. “I don’t want to ditch my date for the night.”
“Date?” Her voice climbs and she searches my face.
I look over her head to Reagan and give her my best pleading eyes.
“Sorry girls.” She sweeps in front of them and nuzzles into my side. “Tonight he’s all mine. I even had to fight for him,” she says that last bit with steel in her voice.
Her hand gently slides up my stomach and rests on my chest. Well, that feels… nice.
“I thought you were just the neighbor,” one of the girls says.
It’s a good thing one of us is an amazing actress. Reagan doesn’t miss a beat. “Is that what you heard?” She laughs sweetly, just a hint of condescension.
“Okay, well since Leah left, we need one more anyway. Both of you have to join us.” The girl motions for us to follow and steps toward the sliding glass door that leads to the deck.
As soon as they’re out of sight, Reagan jumps away from me. “Sorry.”
Yeah, so am I. Sorry that she’s no longer touching me.
“No, that was perfect.” I tip my head toward outside. “What do you say?”
“Don’t you think they’ll figure out we’re not really on a date?”
I take her hand in mine. Yep, definitely nice. “No way. Not with Scarlett Johansson by my side.”
She grins. “What about you?”
“Well, I’m no Hollywood actor, so I’ll just do my best to look like I’m not having too bad of a time with you,” I tease. In truth, I don’t worry for a second that we’ll have a good time.
And for the next two hours, we do. I have to say, being the center of Reagan’s attention…
I don’t hate it. She’s outspoken, funny, and she keeps touching me.
Just little possessive moves every so often.
Physical reminders for our new friends. A squeeze of my bicep, a quick hug around my waist, linking our pinky fingers.
“You are ridiculously good at flip cup,” I tell her after she pulls off the win for our team. “Any more hidden talents?”
“Hidden? Where do you think I practiced this talent?”
I nod. Right. Probably in this very spot.
She steps to me so her tits brush against my chest, and she places her hands loosely around my neck. Without hesitation, my hands go around her back.
“You were usually standing on the opposite side of the deck, not paying me any attention,” she whispers. There’s no malice in her tone, but I still feel like an idiot for not noticing.
I lean down until my lips hover near hers. “I’m paying attention now.”
As the sky darkens, we give up on flip cup and sit with our new friends outside on the deck. It’s cold out. The heaters are going and I brought blankets outside to help keep us warm. The girls may have been interested in me to start, but it’s Reagan they’re fawning over now.
She’s sitting next to me. A blanket covers our legs and my hand rests on her thigh over the soft material. Winona and Sage—two of our new friends—lean forward and are touching her hair, complimenting her and basically just totally girl-crushing.
“You two should come with us to Theta for the after-hours party.”
“Oh, uh…” Reagan looks to me.
“I think we’re going to pass tonight,” I say and squeeze Reagan’s leg.
They prepare to leave, and Winona and Sage take turns hugging Reagan.
“You two are so cute together,” Sage says. She’s trying to say it so that only Reagan can hear, but her drunk whisper isn’t quiet at all.
“The cutest, right?” Reagan says. She waves as they go back through the apartment to leave.
When it’s just the two of us left outside, Reagan lets out a long breath and slumps back into her chair, giggling. “Wow.”
“Thank you for that. Standing ovation-worthy performance.” The few stragglers that haven’t left or gone to bed are inside in front of the TV watching Rhett and Heath battle it out on the Xbox.
“You’re welcome.”
She’s stopped acting now, and I can feel her growing more distant.
“I had a really good time tonight. I’m sorry if it was weird for you. I really didn’t expect that to be an all-night performance.”
“No, it’s fine. I had a good time too.” The wind blows her hair into her face and she brushes the strands back. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“Why were you avoiding the girls so hard tonight? You and Taryn broke up months ago and as far as I know you haven’t dated anyone since.”
“Except you now.” I tip my beer toward her and then take a drink.
“You know what I mean. A real date and hookups don’t count. Those girls were pretty nice. Are you still hung up on Taryn?”
“Are you politely asking me why I haven’t jumped into another relationship already? Because the guys have been giving me shit. No need to tiptoe over my feelings. I know I have a reputation for going from one girlfriend to the next.”
“It’s more than a reputation. You haven’t gone more than a few weeks without a girlfriend in all the time I’ve known you.”
I hesitate, nodding. I don’t know if that’s true, I’ve never really tracked it, but it’s not far off.
“It’s okay if you’re not over Taryn. She was great. We all liked her a lot.”
“She was.” My last girlfriend was someone I thought I could picture a future with, but when she transferred schools at semester, we both decided it’d be easier to cut ties instead of trying to make it work long-distance.
I’m a romantic, but I’m also realistic. I like spending time with my girlfriends too much to be happy with a weekend here and there.
“It isn’t Taryn. I’m trying to take some time, be single.
Plus, with this being my last year playing hockey, I really want to see it through and focus my energy there. ”
“Makes sense.”
“Also, don’t tell the guys I know, but they have a bet going on how long before I’m with someone new.”
“Oh, I know,” she says. “Heath’s out. He had one week.”
“I guess between my buddies betting on me and the shit with my parents, it seemed like a good time to break my usual cycle.” I still get an ache in my chest when I think about my parents splitting up.
They completely blindsided me. I thought they were crazy in love, even after all these years.
Ginny thinks I’m taking it too personally, but it is personal.
Everything I believe about love and relationships was based on watching them. They were so happy. Or so I thought.
“But what if you found someone you wanted to be with? Would bad timing stop you?”
“No, I doubt I’d let anything stop me.” The trouble is, I’m not sure if I trust my own instincts. I never get into a relationship expecting it to fail. Yet, they always do. It starts out fantastic and then a month, or six later, and suddenly everything just feels… wrong.
“Adam, I need to tell you something.” Reagan angles her body toward me. Her eyes fall to her hands. She looks so serious all of a sudden.
“What is it?”
Seconds pass, my heart rate accelerates in anticipation.
“I…” she starts and then stands quickly. “It’s nothing. I should go. See you later.”
Reagan beelines inside, says something to Dakota, and then heads out of the apartment. Huh. Well, that was abrupt. What a weird fucking night.
Good news, though. I’m most definitely not broken.