Page 68 of Hunt for the Roses
“Whatever, man,” Brad says with a shake of his head as he walks off.
“What the hell Dane?!” Kate yells.
Dane rubs the back of his neck. “Here we go.”
“Yeah ‘here we go’ is right! He was hot and bought us drinks. You’re such an asshole sometimes,” Kate says with a sigh as she leans back in her seat.
I don’t speak. I’m just watching this banter unfold between Kate and Dane because I honestly don’t even know what to say with how overwhelmed I feel.
Dane leans both hands on the table and levels his eyes with Kate. “Kate, get over yourself.” Then Dane stands back up and turns to Trent. “Let’s get drinks.”
They both walk away, and Kate is left with her mouth open in shock. “What the fuck?!”
I look away from her eyes as I respond. “No idea. So weird.”
But Kate’s right. What was that about?I mean, it’s not like Brad was doing anything offensive or inappropriate. He was just buying us drinks. There was nothing to defend our honor about, and Dane and I haven’t even spoken recently. I was actually taken aback by how worked up Dane was just now.
I’m thinking about all these things as I stare at Dane’s back at the bar. As if he senses my eyes on him, Dane turns around for a second, and when he catches me staring back at him, we lock eyes for a moment as he swallows hard, and I do the same.
“If Dane sits next to me, I’m punching him in the face.” Kate’s voice averts my gaze from Dane’s.
I put a hand over my head and lean on the table. “I don’t think we need any more drama for tonight. Let’s keep it PG please.”
Kate narrows her eyes. “Aren’t you pissed too?”
“I don’t know,” I breathe.
Just as I respond, Trent and Dane take a seat at our table with their drinks, and drinks for us. Trent sits next to Kate and Dane sits next to me, so maybe he heard Kate’s threat about punching him in the face. Who knows?
“If you think this is making up for your ridiculous stunt, you’re sorely mistaken,” she says as she refuses to take the drink Trent tries to hand to her.
“Right, because you’d refuse a free drink on any given night,” Dane deadpans before taking a sip of his drink.
Kate rolls her eyes in defeat and pulls the drink closer to her as Trent throws an arm around her. “Besides, now you get to hang out with me instead. We both know I’m a much better time than that guy is,” Trent says as he wiggles his brows at Kate.
Kate playfully punches him, and Dane and I don’t say anything. We just stare at their flirtatious banter because we don’t actually have anything to say to each other. It’s so painfully awkward, so I take a large gulp of my drink, trying to erase any thoughts with alcohol.
“Ari, I guess that leaves you with Dane for the night,” Trent jokes.
I give Trent a mortified look. “What?”
Trent looks at me curiously at first. “It’s a joke. Chill.”
Kate and Trent exchange confused looks, and that’s my cue to physically escape the situation. “Yeah, sorry. I’m actually going to go to the bathroom.” I get up from the table without waiting to hear any of their responses, but once I’m out of view of the gang, I make my way to the front door of Shippers, and step outside to get fresh air.
I walk through the crowd of people on the wooden deck, and down the steps to the side of the building. I lean back against the building wall, and let out the unknowing breath I’ve been holding in. I have no clue what’s going on with Dane and I at this point. We said absolutely nothing to each other back there, but I feel like so much was said in the silence at the same time.
I look up at the nighttime sky above, and just think. I think about the start of summer when Dane and I were on the Ferris wheel. When we had dinner together at my house. When we were on the pier. Those moments between us were special to me, but was it as special to him? Or did he just keep me close company those days because my brother told him to? Then I think about Dane’s fingers on my skin, his lips on mine, and how handsome he looks tonight. I think of how much our relationship has grown, and how wonderful it was to be with him in such an intimate way.
“Thought you said you were using the bathroom.”
I look to my side as Dane walks closer to me with his hands in his pockets. When he’s only inches away from me, he leans a shoulder on the wall, and crosses one foot in front of the other as he stands next to me.
I turn my head to look straight ahead and let out a sigh. “Great.”
Dane drops his head. “Ouch. I’m just getting it from all angles today.”
I just stare straight ahead, refusing to look at him, and Dane runs a nervous hand through his hair. “Look, I’ve kind of been going out of my mind thinking about the other night.”
