Page 64 of One Good Puck
You have no right to be jealous. She’s your friend and housemate, nothing more. She can chat with this dating app guy if she wants.
“It’s just talking,” Camden says. “Not like it needs to lead to anything.”
Abby bites her bottom lip and keeps staring at her phone, like she’s debating with herself what she should do.
I look up and catch Xander and Sam staring at me, curious looks on their faces. Like they’re waiting to see how I’m going to react while I watch Abby, who they know I like, flirt with some other a guy on a dating app.
I exhale sharply. This is ridiculous. I don’t want to be the focus of my players’ curious glances and whatever they’re gossiping about behind my back.
I glare at them, and they both look away.
“You should message him back,” I say to Abby. I have to order my jaw muscles to relax for me to get the words out because the thought of Abby flirting with another guy makes me want to crawl out of my skin.
But she has every right to do that, if she wants. Because we’re just friends. That’s all she’s interested in being. And I need to be okay with that.
Her brow lifts like she’s surprised. “Really?”
I nod. “Yeah.”
She flashes a shy smile and starts tapping on her phone while I stand there and pretend that I’m fine with it.
Chapter 26
Abby
I wanna take you out for a drink. Are you free tomorrow night?
Istare at my phone screen while standing at the kitchen counter, reading the message Jared sent me.
For the past week, I’ve been texting with him. I can’t believe we’ve gotten this far, honestly. I wasn’t really in the mood to start up a conversation with a random guy on a dating app. But Camden and Dakota said I should give it a shot.
So did Gavin, which totally threw me off. I wasn’t expecting him to say that.
Especially not after our conversation at Bella and Blomdahl’s engagement party, when we both acknowledged that we find each other attractive.
And after how sweet he was at the skating rink with Emma. When I think about him helping her put on ice skates and teaching her how to skate, my heart melts…and my attraction for him grows about a million times stronger.
But we agreed not to act on our feelings for each other. We agreed to just be friends and roommates, nothing more.
You pushed for that, remember?
I sigh, feeling disappointed, but knowing it’s the right thing to do.
No matter how much I want Gavin, I don’t want to make our living situation awkward by crossing the line with him.
I glance back at my phone screen and skim my text exchange with Jared. I honestly didn’t think anything would come out of our conversation. I figured it would fizzle out, like every other dating app conversation I’d have.
But he’s been funny and engaging. He’s my age and works in sales for an insurance company. He’s asked me questions about myself. And when I told him that I have a seven-year-old daughter, he didn’t go running for the hills, like so many other guys.
Maybe I should give him a chance. It’s just one drink. No way will this be a love connection, but it might be fun to go out and have a drink with him.
I pick up my phone and text him back.
Me: A drink tomorrow night sounds fun :)
Jared: Great! I was thinking someplace nice, if that’s cool with you?
A tiny pang of excitement hits me. It’s been forever since I’ve been out to someplace fancy.
