33. JOSH
JOSH
My head spun, and the air felt like it was heavy and hard to breathe.
Cards were still sitting in a pile in the center of my makeshift tabletop.
A hushed silence hung in the air. Eyes stared upon me, like everyone was hiding some sort of bad news they were trying to shield me from.
I took a long swig of my beer before smacking it back down. I’d already lost three hands.
I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. My thoughts had been stuck on April. It was the first night in more than a week I was without her and I was off-kilter. Not that I could tell them.
“I dunno.” I glanced around the group, wondering what the fuck was going on. They had been oddly quiet this evening, none of the usual ball-busting. “You guys are being weird tonight.”
“Nah, man, we’re just thinking is all.”
My eyebrow quirked up. “All of you?”
“It’s about the bet.”
“You need to come clean,” Carlos demanded.
He had been on a roll at practice yesterday.
He was determined that I was lying and wanted to prove it.
He had started asking questions, complained he was confused as to who the mystery girl was that I kept mentioning.
He asked why Summer was never around and implied I should have been seen with her.
I had been. Not that they knew, because Summer and April were the same.
“Come clean?”
“Who is she? You’re playing two sides, man,” Milos added.
“What?” I scoffed.
“I saw April coming out of your room in the morning in Philly,” Milos said in a whisper.
Shit. I swallowed a large gulp of my beer. Guess this conversation was happening. I knew it would, since it was part of the bet and yet, I was nervous. “Yeah, we’re a thing.”
“You’re not just shitty bulls?” Milos asked.
“Bullshitting,” Jake corrected. “And I doubt it. See that face? Nah, he’s into her. But the true question is—is she into him?”
“April?” Carlos echoed. “Nah, I’m not falling for that.
The last time we all went out together, I asked you specifically what was going on with you two.
You told us the thing with April was lies, something about helping her out.
There’s no fucking way I’m buying that you’re into her.
Unless you’re using her to win the bet.”
“Using her?” I squared my shoulders.
“Yeah, faking it.”
I did my best to keep my composure. We were so close to the end of this bet and even if it was true, I couldn’t out us like that. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“Nothing. Just that you’re glued to your phone, secretive, and you don’t stop going on and on about Summer, you practically sound like Romeo about her. But then what, you fuck April in the meantime?”
“April and I are together. It’s real and I don’t give a fuck what you think. Sure, I lied about there being a Summer, but that was to protect April!” I yelled.
“Hold on. What do you mean lied about Summer?” Carlos demanded. Kev and Jake both tilted back in their chairs. Crap. I hadn’t meant for that to slip.
Swallowing my nerves I took another swing of my drink then hung my head. “There is no Summer. It was always April.”
“So, it’s real? You and her? You love her?” Carlos questioned.
My mouth went dry. The room fell silent and five pairs of eyes gawked at me.
“Love?” Carlos echoed in a taunting tone.
I leaned back in my chair and threw my cards down on the table. I inhaled a long breath, waiting for the blowback of my admission. “Yeah, maybe? Fuck, I dunno.”
“How do you not know?” Kev asked quietly.
“I dunno. April’s different. Whatever I thought was love before, doesn’t feel like this. It’s like, I go out of my skin when she’s not near me.”
“Ooh, he’s got it bad.” Milos shook his head.
“Yup,” Jake added with a grin.
“Horse shit.” Carlos scoffed.
Everyone whipped their heads toward Carlos in disbelief. He raised his hands in the air. “He’s been lying to us for weeks. How am I supposed to believe him?”
“I hate to agree, but it’s true,” Milos added.
I stood up abruptly, scraping my chair against the tile floor. “Why the fuck would I lie about this?”
“To win,” Carlos remarked.
“You’re an asshole!” I shouted, damn near ready to rage out and flip the table at him. Something about the way he was doubting my feelings had me seeing red. “Fuck the bet. I forfeit.”
I was done. I didn’t feel like it was worth it. I shouldn’t have to defend myself, not with April, she deserved better than that.
“Okay. Cool down,” Jake said as the voice of reason. “I know he’s telling the truth about April.”
“Excuse me?” Carlos questioned.
“I’ve known for a bit.”
“How?”
“They were at my place over the break. I could tell there was something going on then.”
I glared wide-eyed at Jake. He simply shrugged as if to say, what?
“I’ve been around them also.” Kev sighed.
“You have been in cahoots with him?!” He thumbed at me.
“Not cahoots, you ass,” Jake defended. “If I recall, you wanted to know he was taking this seriously and I can vouch for that.”
“So, why the lie?” Milos asked.
“Because it’s April. I needed to see if there was something real.”
“No Summer?” Milos raised his brow. This made Jake chuckle and Carlos’s whistle.
Kev dropped his head. Before he shook it, then laughed. “Summer. I didn’t even catch it.”
Milos stared at everyone. He clearly hadn’t put it together yet.
“Her last name.” I smirked.
A realization crossed over Carlos face. He let out a hushed whisper. “April Summers.”
I nodded.
“Smart duckie.” Milos grinned. “It’s settled. I think it’s the deal real.”
None of us bothered to correct him.
A knock at my door distracted us. I swiped my wallet from the counter and headed over. “Probably the pizza.”
The guys whispered as I went to the door and even though it wasn’t how I planned, I felt relieved they knew.