Page 28 of Bad Crush
“You’re afraid of speaking in public?” I ask, maybe a little too accusatory. “But you’re team captain. I’ve heard about your amazing pep talks in the locker room and on the bench.”
“That’s different.” He shrugs. “And I prefer my phrasing to yours.”
I roll my eyes. “No one loves talking in front of people.”
“You do,” he points out. “You’re unbelievable. Getting up on stage and putting yourself out there. That’s so much harder than yelling at the guys to pump them up. You’re fearless. I admire that.”
“Me? Fearless? You’re joking, right?”
“The way you worked the room, talking to people, making them believe we were this bomb couple, and that I was some incredible guy they should all get to know—it was inspiring. You had me believing it you were so good.”
“That’s because I wasn’t acting. Not really. Exaggerating, yes. But make no mistake—I was terrified.”
“I don’t understand.” His hazel eyes hold mine.
Maybe it’s more punishment or maybe I’ve just reached the point where nothing could be scarier than last night, but I decide it’s time. Way past time.
“The story about how the first time I saw you and it took my breath away, how I had a crush on you for years…”
He stares blankly. Okay, apparently, I’m going to have to spell it out.
“Adam, I have had a crush on you for years. A really bad crush. So last night, it was scary for me—not because I was in a room full of strangers but because I was telling my story over and over again. Except with a much happier ending than the reality. And, look, I don’t want this to make our friendship weird. It’s why I haven’t told you. Well, that and I’ve chickened out a dozen times.”
He doesn’t blink for a long time. He drops the bag of chips to the table and leans back all while looking at me like I’ve grown two heads.
Yep, more punishment.
A slow smile spreads across his face at last. “You like me?”
9
Adam
Reagan has a crush on me?A bad crush? What does that even mean? And why does having a crush on me make her look so nauseated?
She nods, shrinks a little in her seat. “Did I make it weird?”
“No, but now I want to kick myself for not figuring it out. Seriously?” I can’t help the grin spreading across my face. “You are always so quiet around me…”
“I’m quiet because you make me nervous. I get this total body lock up around you. I can’t think or talk. It’s sort of humiliating how into you I am.” She screws her eyes shut and then peeks out, opening one and then the other.
“Why? I think it’s fucking awesome.”
“You do?”
I’m not sure why she looks so surprised. “I admit I’m stunned, but hell yeah. Last night was…”
“A disaster,” she says.
“I was thrown when you told Dr. Salco we were engaged, but before that… I was having more fun than I’ve had in months.”
“I had fun early in the night too,” she says, then mutters, “Before I opened my stupid mouth.”
“But honestly,” she continues. “It’s okay if you don’t feel the same. We can go back to being friends. I just thought you should know and that maybe it would help explain my mental breakdown.”
I thought I was decent at noticing when girls were into me, but I swear I never had any indication that Reagan saw me any differently than the rest of the guys. No, that’s not true. There was one moment, a year ago where I thought maybe there was something between us, but nothing ever came of it.
“Do you want to hang out or something?” I’m fumbling this badly, but my brain is still slow to let this sink in. Reagan likes me.
