Page 18 of Facing Off
He smiles, sitting up straighter. “What are you doing here?”
I blink, confused and wanting to ask the same question at myself. “Nothing. I was going for a walk.” My words come out honestly. “Spotted you and stopped…for no reason.” My feet shuffle. My mouth runs. “Oh yeah, and Quinn told me about the loss tonight.”
“Pretty sure most of the city knows about it considering how badly we bombed.” His smile is still on his face, even with those terrible words out of him.
“Well then,” is all I can say.
“Yup.”
My eyes take his smile in. He’s so strange. He looked sodefeated a second ago. Now he’s putting on this smile, talking about an awful situation.
Is that why I can’t stop staring at him? It’s too strange to see that Hughes can be human. Multi-faceted. Not just a playboy with a reputation, the loud and obnoxious captain, and the annoying flirt fuckboy.
Stumped, I sit.
Offer my fries.
They’re cold and probably soggy now anyway. Same as my posture. It’s probably why he hands me his jacket. That—and the rain pouring over us.
The next while is kind of a blur, because how can I pay attention when my head’s rattled at the sight of Hughes not being…Hughes?
Still, he tries to make a joke. I pass on hearing it. The sadness that was on his face is now a smile that stays. I don’t like it, but I also like it. Confusion wars with my mind—though, I don’t let him see any of it.
Autopilot is where my mouth goes. Meeting his silliness with my snark.
Reasons unknown to me, he laughs. A lot.
I only snap out of it when I hear him say, “You should go out with me. If you want?”
“It’ll be a lot of fun,” he follows up, lightning-quick. “I’d like to take you to dinner and get to know you.”
My heart stutters, I think. Not sure why it would. Maybe because I can’t tell if he’s being serious or not. Whatever the case, enough words have been said. Enough fries have been shared. I’ve sat on this park bench for too long. With someone who doesn’t get it. That ballet comes first—in my life, period.
My arms move his jacket off and return it back to him. “No, thanks, Hughes. But I’ll see you around. Feel…better, okay?”
The rain is still going. So are my feet now, away from Hughes.
I ignore this strange worry in my chest.
I can’t be feeling bad over a boy who’s been losing a few games out of so many wins he’s had. Anyway, at least he’s back to smiling again. That’s something.
I try to go back to forgetting him, but it’s harder than I want it to be.
7
ADRIAN
“Do you want both of us?”
This is the stuff dreams are made of, right? Two women asking me for a threesome.
The blonde coaxes a hand down my chest. Her friend, the brunette, is bolder, aiming her hand towards my crotch. And…
It does absolutely nothing for me.
My shoulders stiffen as I close my eyes briefly, trying to forget why. The last thing I need right now is to torture myself with thoughts ofher.
The blonde calls my name. She’s doing that trick with her arms that plumps her cleavage together. “Take us home?”
