Page 41 of Bad Crush
“You’re on my team tonight,” he says as he adds his own warm layers.
“What about Rhett? We have an uneven number, and he shouldn’t be on his own.”
“He can be on a team with Dakota and Maverick.”
“Do you think Dakota and Maverick are the most supportive decision?”
“Fuck,” Adam curses. “I was really looking forward to having some time alone with you. I missed you today.” He fists my sweatshirt and tugs me toward him. “You’re staying over tonight, right?”
“Yes, but we have to sleep some tonight. I fell asleep eating lunch today.”
He chuckles. “Well, come on then. Let’s get this over with.”
We hold hands on the walk over to campus. It’s cold out, and I huddle into the sweatshirt Adam lent me. It’s one of his many Valley Hockey sweatshirts, but he’s worn it recently because it smells like him.
Once we arrive, Dakota and Maverick head off to hide, and the rest of us wait. This wasn’t a game I’d ever played before meeting the guys. I didn’t grow up with siblings or cousins, and I rarely had sleepovers where games like this might have been played.
Dakota’s told me that traditionally it’s played indoors, but given the limited space of our apartments, we use the main area of campus. One person or group hides, and the rest of us try to find them. Though instead of regular hide and seek, you have to join and wait for everyone else when you find them. And sometimes, we throw in crazy rules like making the seekers chug a beer or swap shirts with their partner. Pretty much anything goes so long as you don’t go inside of or on top of buildings. That opens up too many possible hiding spots.
Ginny and Heath are standing off by themselves hugging and talking which leaves me with Adam and Rhett.
I’m still holding on to Adam’s hand, but I keep some distance between us so that Rhett doesn’t feel weird. He isn’t much of a talker, so I really can’t get a read on his emotional status.
“How’d I get stuck with you two?” he asks as he pulls a beer from his coat pocket and pops the top.
“What do you mean?” Adam sounds downright offended.
“I got stuck with the happy new couple.”
I drop Adam’s hand and cross my arms over my chest.
Rhett chuckles. “It’s fine. You can touch around me, whatever. I’m fine. Totally fine.”
Yeah, that’s convincing. “What happened?”
“We were fighting all the time. Every day she was pissed about something else. I just couldn’t take it anymore.”
“You broke up with her?” I ask. For some reason, that surprises me.
He nods, takes another long drink.
“Wow.”
“You did the right thing,” Adam says. “You’ll find someone who treats you better, who you click with, and things will be easier.”
“Or maybe you two will get back together,” I offer. “You were together a long time. Maybe you just need some time apart.”
Adam shoots me a confused look.
“Nah, I don’t think so.” Rhett runs a hand through his hair, making the long top fall to one side. “It’s weird, though. I haven’t been single since I was fifteen.”
“You were together for six years?” Now I feel even worse about them breaking up. That’s such a long time to have history with someone.
“Yeah. Fucking forever, right?”
“That’s way longer than I’ve ever dated anyone. I can’t imagine.”
“What about you two?” Rhett asks us. Then he looks at me. “Is this a thing? Are you his girlfriend?”
