Page 32 of Reckless Storm
“Do you think you’ll see her again?”
My phone buzzes and when I note that it’s Hayley, I open the message before answering.
HAYLEY: Are you free to catch up this week? We should go somewhere
I stifle a smile as I type out my response.
REED: I might be. (Wink emoji) Day somewhere or night somewhere?
Glancing up as Hayley types her response, I curse audibly when I find Bria staring back at me. “Fuck. I’m sorry. That was rude.” Pocketing my phone, I grab my fork and shove a mouthful of eggs into my mouth, smiling awkwardly.
“You like her?” She grins and my eyes widen.
“What?” I shake my head as I laugh out loud. Is it actually possible that she’s oblivious to my feelings? To think, she claims to know me better than I know myself.
“As a friend, sure.” I shrug and shovel bacon into my mouth next, suddenly needing this breakfast to be over.
“Like me?” Bria asks, her voice soft and uncertain.
“Nah, not like you,” I say honestly because my feelings are vastly different. “Not yet.”
Bria’s eyes widen and it confuses me until I realize what I said.Not yet.Does she think I mean that I’m going to replace her as my best friend, or is that look because she knows how I feel and now thinks I’m falling for Hayley?
More to the point… why do I always overanalyze everything?
Fuck, my life is a mess.
Why the hell can’t it be easy?
“It will never be the same, Bria. You don’t have to worry about that.” She breathes a sigh of relief and I laugh, though I’m not at all sure it’s funny. All I know is that I’m fucked.
After texting back and forth with Hayley over the next few days, we finally arrange to meet up the following Tuesday, since we both have the day off.
But like last time, we don’t set anything in stone, and I don’t hear from her until I’m on my way into the stadium Sunday, getting in the zone for our game against Detroit.
Hayley: I know the perfect place to go
I smile to myself and respond before entering the building, surprised we’re actually making plans.
Reed: Great! Where are we going?
Hayley: It’s a surprise. Pick me up at ten
Hayley: And pack your bathers, but if you’re good you won’t get wet
I reply with a single question mark, but of course she leaves me hanging, and…What the fuck does that even mean?
One of my teammates walks past and holds the door for me, but I wave him off, quickly typing “bathers” into the search engine to make sure that term includes board shorts. And thankfully it does.
But what the hell are we doing? It’s October. And while temperatures would usually be mild at this time of year, we’re in the middle of an unusual cold snap, so it’s not exactly swimming weather. Or beach weather in general. We can’t be swimming because then I’d be getting wet.Or does she want me to stand-up paddleboard?
I’m still racking my brain when I get to my locker, so I’m lost in thought when Thomas appears beside me. “I need a favor.”
“Huh?” I say, distracted.
“A favor?”
“Oh, sure, man. Sorry. I was in another world. Hit me with it.” While the guys assume I say yes to everything asked of me, I don’t. But there are some people I’ll help without hesitation, and Thomas is one of them.
