Page 10 of Skating to Him

“No, why would you ask that?” He picked up his burger again, took another bite, and wiped his mouth.

I peered at him, long and hard. “I’m trying to figure out why you care so much that I stayed and danced after you left.” There, I’d said it. I ate a bite of my burger.

“I…” His gaze darted over the table. “I guess I don’t. It doesn’t matter.” He slipped a few fries out of his bag and stuffed them into his mouth.

This was weird. Was there something Rowan wasn’t telling me? I drank my Gatorade. I should leave it alone for now. “So, the assignment.”

“Yeah, the geochemistry part. That’s what I don’t get. How do you know what substances turn into what under pressure and all that shit?” He squirted ketchup onto a napkin and slid a few fries through it.

“Well, coal turns into diamonds.” I chuckled and pulled my fries out of my bag. If he didn’t know that, he was doomed. You didn’t need a geology class to?—

“Ha-ha, very funny.” He ate more fries and then sipped his drink. “Maybe we could have a study date this week.” As his gaze met mine, his eyes popped open. “Not a date, uh…”

“Study session?” With a shake of my head, I sniggered. Why was he being this way? “You know I’m not going to think we’re on a date if we call it a study date, right?” It was like he was hyperfocused on ensuring we stayed in our lanes. Oh, but I did tell him how horny I was at the bar, and maybe how much I wanted him had shown? I dropped my napkin on the table. “Listen, Rowan, I’m sorry if I was?—”

“Nope, no apology necessary. You were drunk. Everyone says and does stupid shit when they’re drunk.” Flashing a smile at me, he ate more of his burger.

“What did I say?” Was there more that I didn’t remember it? I studied him as he fidgeted with his straw.

With a twist of his lips, he said, “You know? We don’t need to go over it. It’s nothing, really.”

I dropped my jaw open. “If it’s nothing, then why does it seem like something?” Fuck, we were supposed to be getting to know each other, feeling comfortable with each other. If we were going to be partners on the defensive line, we needed to be finishing each other’s sentences. This could be bad.

Exhaling loudly, he set his burger down and locked his gaze onto mine. “It’s me, okay? I felt a little weird the other night, but I’m sure it’s because I’m new here and don’t know you guys yet. Don’t worry about it, please.” He placed his warm hand over mine resting on the table.

I dove my gaze to our hands. He felt weird? Weird about what? He’d said he’d been in a gay bar before. I swallowed. “S-so you, uh, you aren’t as comfortable in a gay bar as you thought?”

He drew his hand away and rubbed his neck. “Can we not talk about it anymore? It’s my deal. I’ll be fine.” He looked out the window into the sunny afternoon.

“Sure.” I bit the side of my lip, staring at my burger. This might have been the strangest conversation I’d ever had. But if he wanted to drop it, then we’d drop it.

“Anyway, you still want to have a study date? How does Wednesday work for ya?” He ate some fries.

“Yeah, Wednesday works just fine.” I picked up my burger and ate the rest of it. It’d be okay. We’d get to know each other better while we studied.

I shuffledinto the house from the garage and dropped my bag on the floor next to the kitchen island, my gaze catching on Myles sprawled across the couch with a book. “I just had the weirdest conversation with Rowan.” My head had spun with it the whole drive home.

Myles threw his book on the coffee table and sat up. “Yeah? Like how?” He placed his arm on the back of the couch, turning to face me.

Stepping toward him, I said, “He wanted to know if I stayed on Saturday after he left the club.” I dropped next to Myles and rested my hand on his thigh. “He seemed pissed about it when I told him I had.”

“Pissed? Why would he be mad about it?” Myles twisted his lips. “Like, tell me what he said.”

With a shrug, I said, “I told him I danced to sober up a little.” I tilted my head, staring at the television remote on the coffee table. “I think he thought I might have gotten in trouble with dudes on the dancefloor.” My gaze wound to Myles’s. “I told him you had my back.”

“What, does he think I’d just go off and leave you in that state?” He pursed his lips. “That’s not cool. I’m a good friend, not an asshole, eh.”

“No, I don’t think…” I sucked my upper lip between my teeth. Why was the conversation sticking in my head like this? He’d said to forget about it. “He asked me who I was dancing with, and I said you. But then you know how the guys can be out there?—”

“Oh, fuck…” Myles widened his eyes. “He likes you.” His brows lifted as a grin spread over his mouth.

“No, he’s straight.” With a shake of my head, my heart quivered. “I think he was just worried about me. I was pretty drunk.” But wait, hadn’t he said…? “He said he felt weird at the bar.” My cheeks heated. “After I tried to apologize for telling him how horny I was.”

“You did what?” Myles barked out a laugh and covered his mouth with both hands. “When the hell did you do that?”

“I don’t know. It’s a little blurry, but I think it was right before you found us on the dancefloor.” I furrowed my brows. Obviously, Myles hadn’t been witness to that conversation.

He poked me in the ribs. “He likes you. You made him uncomfortable because he’s hiding his feelings or hasn’t acknowledged them yet.”

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