Page 35 of A Good Book

“Latch hook …” Matt shook his head and chuckled. “You win.”

I loved his laugh. Matt didn’t hide his feelings, and maybe that came out as impulsive behavior, but it was honest, too.

We finished eating and watched the rest ofDie Hard,pausing it halfway through for an ice cream intermission. He didn’t hold my hand or kiss me, and that was fine because every so often I felt his gaze on me. I kept mine on the TV, but my heart pumped a little harder when I knew he was looking at me.

After the movie, he took me back to my dorm and walked me to the door.

“Thanks for giving me a redo,” he said.

I nodded, scraping my teeth over my bottom lip as my nerves hijacked the rest of my body, causing me to shiver like it was twenty below zero instead of sixty degrees.

Then it happened. He bent down to kiss me. It was my time to shine. But his aim was off. His lips touched my cheek, and I turned my head so our lips touched. I waited for him to cradle my face in his hands and move his lips in sync with mine like I did with Ben.

Instead, he stiffened. His aim wasn’t off. He meant to kiss me on the cheek, and I turned it into something else. Or maybe he meant to whisper goodnight in my ear.Gah!What did I do?

“I’m sorry,” I said, taking a quick step backward. “Uh, I didn’t mean to … I mean, I thought you were … oh my gosh. I’m an idiot. Sorry. I just messed up the do-over.” Tucking my chin, I covered my face with my hands. “Jeez, I’m so embarrassed.”

“Gabby, don’t be. Please.”

I dropped my hands and lifted my head. Over his shoulder, a figure headed toward us. I narrowed my eyes until Ben came into view.

“Gabbs,” Ben said, before licking his ice cream cone. He was a mint chip guy.

Matt turned. “Hey! Ben, right?”

Ben smiled. It was obnoxious and fake. “The one and only.”

I held back an eye roll, but mumbled, “There are a billion people named Ben.”

Both men ignored me.

“It’s been a while. Nice to see you again.” Matt was cordial and genuine.

Ben could have learned a few lessons from him. “Yeah, and yet it seems like yesterday because I hear your name so often.”

My friendship with Ben was over, and he would find that out as soon as Matt went home. How dare him call me out like that.

“Is that so?” Matt smirked at me as I ignited into an inferno of embarrassment right there on the sidewalk.

“Well, I suppose not so much anymore since I’m no longer in Devil’s Head, but yeah, you were a legend. The best pitcher our high school had ever seen. So everyone talked about you after you graduated.”

Matt’s back straightened as Ben pumped him full of lies. Sure, kids who played baseball after Matt graduated probably mentioned his name a few times. After all, it wasn’t every day athletes from small-town Missouri got full ride scholarships to big colleges. But Matt wasn’t the talk of the town unless Gabbyville was that town.

“Wow. I had no idea.” Even Matt knew it was highly suspicious.

Ben licked his ice cream and shrugged. “How could you since you moved away and your family did too?”

“Well, I’ll let you get to bed, Gabby. I had fun. See ya around, Ben.”

Ben gave him a little chin lift.

“Goodnight,” I said, feeling conflicted about Ben’s timing.

Did he show up to save me from myself or to prolong further discussion of why I kissed Matt on the lips?

“Did I interrupt?” Ben offered me a lick of his ice cream cone.

I shook my head. “I had rainbow sherbet.”

---