Page 88 of Sweat

With a curious look cast between Rowan and I, Erica asks, “Rowan is sort of an unusual name for a guy, isn’t it?”

Rowan chuckles, smiling with those dreamy eyes that are making me melt for all the wrong reasons. “I dunno. It’s always been my name, and I’ve always been a guy, so it’s a guy’s name to me.”

“Huh.” Erica nods, a suspicious half-smile on her face as she tips her head toward me. “You know, Tommy has a girlfriend named Rowan.”

This is it. This is what death feels like. The ground is opening up below me, sucking me down into a deep abyss of my own construction.

“Really?” Rowan puts his indecipherable gaze on me, but I’m stone solid. “That is some coincidence.”

“I know, right?” says Erica. “I didn’t think it was that popular of a name.”

Still looking at me, Rowan says, “Didn’t know you had a girlfriend, babyface. You should bring her around sometime. We can have a good laugh about having the same name.”

“W—well, you know…it’s complicated.” I force a shrug and fold my lips after that.

To Rowan, Erica says, “We’re about to go to lunch. Do you want to join?”

Thankfully, Rowan says he’s got plans, then casually tells me, “See you at practice next week. Good job today.”

I can’t help but think the damage is already done. Even though Rowan acts chill, and Erica isn’t fussing, I can feel it in the air that things are changing. But this isn’t a baby step. This is a canyon-wide leap.

After Rowan walks off toward the locker rooms, I tell Erica I’ll meet her and Mav outside the stadium once I change clothes.

When Rowan comes to me in the locker room, I expect the worst. That he’ll be angry with me. So angry that he might break up with me.

“So,” he says, leaning his shoulder against the locker beside mine. He’s shirtless and still glistening with sweat, which only makes this harder for me. “You coming over tonight, or will you be with your girlfriend?”

“I’m sorry,” I whisper, before I can process his question.

The smirk on his face takes me by surprise, because it doesn’t look like an angry one. “Why are you sorry?”

“Well…for being a dumbass?”

His smirk becomes a thoughtful smile. “You’re not a dumbass, Tommy.”

“You’re not mad at me?”

“She’s your sister. You can tell her whatever you want. But seriously, are you coming over tonight? I got a present for you.”

“Yeah?”

He answers with a waggle of his black brows and another smirk as he backs away from me, turning toward the showers.

I’m all smiles until I remember Erica’s waiting for me. If not for Mav, I’d take my sweet time, but this isn’t something I can wuss out on. I’ve got to face her.

In the parking lot, Erica acts like nothing’s amiss, but I still feel that shift in the air between us. Mav is a good buffer, but he can only do so much.

The restaurant we go to is family friendly. They’ve got kids’ menus with puzzles and games on them that Mav preoccupies himself with. It gives Erica enough time to notice how quiet I am, and how queasy I look.

“You okay?” she asks.

“Mhm,” I lie. It’s not all paranoia. The way Erica looks at me is off, and she’s been a lot quieter than normal.

The server comes around, and Erica orders for herself and for Mav. I order a plate of parmesan boneless wings even though my appetite is trash.

“Rowan…” Erica says suddenly, her voice low and casual, despite the clearly discomforted look on her face. “He’s pretty cute.”

“I got to piss.”

---