Page 53 of One Shot

“I like her,” I confess.

“No shit,” Connor mutters into his beer.

I throw my beer cap at him. With a long heavy sigh, I admit to my friends that I’m falling for Lauren Bellinger.

“I don’t get caught up in girls. You guys know me. I’m focused on hockey twenty-four-seven. But she gets that. She’s perfect. I feel more myself around her than I’ve felt around anyone ever. She kissed me drunkenly at the Beer Olympics, and I’ve been hooked ever since.”

A weight feels lifted off my chest as I finally admit it to someone. I run one hand through my hair before taking a sip of my beer.

“Dude, I didn’t know. I wouldn’t have tried to set her up. The only reason I did was because she wanted to get you out of her head,” Tyler confesses. His expression is guilt-ridden, realizing what he just shared. “Shit. I shouldn’t have said that. She’s like my sister and best friend. You’re one of my best friends too. I don’t want to be in the middle.”

“I get it. That's why I never said anything to you in the first place. Honestly, I thought she was into you, and I got annoyed at that.”

Tyler doubles over with laugher, as if I just made the most absurd comment. “I had a crush on her when I was like ten. She’s beautiful, but I could never. Now that blonde that’s friends with Suz on the other hand . . .”

“Woah, woah. I call dibs on Shay. I tried to talk to her last year, and she was just drooling over Captain Charming over here,” Connor laments.

“Wait, why does she say she is swearing off love or dating or whatever?” I ask Tyler.

“Bro, I don’t know. Even if I did, I don’t think it would be my place to tell you. But I’ve been wondering about that too. She’s clearly into you.”

A small buzz works its way into my system, and it’s not from the two 4.2% beers I’ve had tonight. We could work. Laur and I have chemistry. I felt it from the first night I saw her in the bar. I knew it from the first actual conversation we had.

“Thanks. I swear our traditional once a year serious bro talk was not wasted on me.” I start to head to the front of the house to head home. Tyler walks with me to lock up the house.

“Tell me if she goes on that date and is into him at least? I need to know if I have a shot,” I ask Tyler on my way out of the front door.

“If she’s going to be with anyone, you’ve got the one shot, Luc,” Tylersays.

“Then I’ll have to make sure she knows I’m all in on her.”

As soon as I get home, I sleep the most peaceful sleep. My mind is finally at ease. I hope my heart will ease soon too. I just have to talk to Laur.

Chapter twenty-six

Laur

“How do I look?” I ask Bren and Jaylin. I just finished getting ready for my date with Tyler’s friend, Brian. I picked out a black off the shoulder dress paired with my knee-high boots and some fun turquoise earrings to give it a pop of color.

My stomach is in knots. I’m not sure if I can go through with this. I haven’t gone on an actual date since before I met my ex-boyfriend, Nathan Kovek. After three years of dating him, I avoid thinking about him as much as possible. Nick was never a big fan of his, but when Nathan went to East Michigan to play hockey, he just pretended Nathan didn’t exist. I like to pretend he doesn’t exist now too. I was always a bigger supporter of West and Nick’s hockey career, which Nathan hated. I guess I don’t blame him. What guy wants his girlfriend to care more about if their biggest rival wins?

“You okay, Laur?” Bren’s voice dispels my spiraling thoughts.

“Yeah, just anxious. I haven’t been on a first date in a long time.”

“Well, you look like a dime, Lauren. Flash him that winning Bellinger smile, and he will be putty in your hand,” Jaylin declares. “Where is he taking you?”

“I’m not sure. He mentioned some restaurant called Urban Grub or Urban something, I think?”

“Iggy’s? Damn, the pre-med boy is showing off. That’s the nicest restaurant within thirty minutes of campus! It’s delicious. Liam and I have gone on our anniversary every year,” Bren remarks in awe.

Good thing I went with a dress instead of jeans. I don’t do it often, but I do enjoy dressing up on occasion.

“How fancy? Should I change?” My pulse quickens. I’m panicking even more now.

“Take a deep breath. You look amazing, and you are dressed perfectly. Actually, I am borrowing that dress sometime. It’s adorable.”

Bren tries to calm my anxiety. It’s not working great. Maybe this is a mistake. I should just keep swearing off men, dating, and love. It can’t be worth feeling this dread and panic constantly.

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