Chapter 6 Forever Friends
Forever Friends
Connor
Idon’t hear from Maisie the rest of the day, and I try hard not to let it get me down.
Angie did look a mess, so she’s probably focused on whatever was happening there.
I’m not used to this feeling. This desire to be with someone all the time.
I want to know more about her, even if we can only ever be friends.
That Karsen guy doesn’t deserve her, though, if how he acted the other day is any indication. My fists clench at the memory.
In an attempt at a distraction, I grab pizza from Antonio’s as a surprise for my roommates.
“Dinner is served,” I shout into the apartment, hoping everyone will hear.
Hunter is playing video games on the couch, but Tyler and Brock are nowhere to be seen. Tyler soon makes his way down the stairs, grabs a slice, then walks back the way he came. He’s not one for small talk, but he’s a good dude.
Hunter pauses his game and comes into the kitchen to eat at the table with me. “Thanks for the pizza, man,” he says around a mouthful.
“No worries,” I say, tapping a finger on the table.
He raises an eyebrow. “Something on your mind?”
I’m about to answer when a shirtless Brock storms into the kitchen, his dark mop of hair askew, making me wonder if he has a lady friend waiting for him upstairs.
“Fuck yeah. Pizza!” he says, taking a seat at the table with us. “This is the perfect pick-me-up.”
“What do you need to be picked up from?” I ask, hoping that focusing on someone else’s problems will distract me from the fact that the woman I can’t stop thinking about has a boyfriend.
“This girl from last night. Let’s just say things didn’t go as planned.” He shoves half a slice in his mouth, grabbing a napkin to catch the grease that dribbles down his chin.
Hunter tenses but doesn’t say anything. Odd. He’s usually one to ask follow-up questions.
“Well, sorry things didn’t go your way, man,” I offer. “Better luck next time?”
“Yeah, we’ll see,” he says, devouring the crust, already reaching for the next slice.
“I got salad with chicken too,” I say. “Had Coach’s voice in my head about balancing every meal with fiber and protein.” I laugh and stand to grab a drink from the fridge.
My phone buzzes in my pocket. I fumble for it, hoping it’s Maize. My heart sinks when I see it isn’t her, then skyrockets when I realize it’s from my dad. My temples throb.
Dad: I called today for a report. Your coach says you’re meeting all expectations.
I practically crush my phone. This is exactly what I was worried about when I accepted this apartment from him. He doesn’t have any right to be talking to my coach about me.
I slam the fridge door so hard that I hear some of the condiments fall off their shelves.
“Whoa, what’s going on?” Hunter asks, already moving to stand by me, a hand on my shoulder.
“Nothing,” I say, shrugging him off. Hunter knows all about how shitty my dad is. I could talk to him, but I haven’t told the other guys, and honestly, I don’t feel like hashing it out right now. I take a breath.
“You good?” he asks, eyes narrowing in concern.
I offer him a watery smile. “I’m good. Promise.”
“Wanna play some Mario Kart?” He hooks a thumb over his shoulder toward the family room. “I’ll let you be Princess Peach. We all know she’s the best.”
I cackle. He always knows how to get me out of my own head. “You’re on,” I say.
We head into the family room, getting comfy on the brown leather couch that my dad also provided. My chest tightens at the thought, but Hunter gets the game going.
Brock brings the pizza box in and sits on the floor in front of the coffee table. “I play winner,” he announces.
We spend the next few hours snacking, racing, and hanging out. Tyler even joins us at some point. When it’s time for bed, we each go our separate ways. As I crawl into bed, staring at the ceiling, I can’t help but be thankful for my roommates. They’re gonna be forever friends.
I plug my phone in, but before I set it on the nightstand, I impulsively fire off a quick text to Maisie.
Hope everything’s okay with Angie and you had a good rest of your day
I wait a minute to see if she’ll respond, but when no text comes through, I set it face-down on my nightstand, roll over, and let sleep overtake me.