Page 21 of What Are the Chances
“I can’t believe you thought I was dating Hughesy.”
“I assumed when you walked into the PT rooms. I didn’t think Tripp was her type.”
“He isn’t.”
Riley wrapped her arms around her body. “Okay. Now I’m confused. WhoisGrace dating?”
“Levi. Something came up the other morning, so he sent me instead.”
Luckily or unluckily. I was still deciding.
Riley stared off into the distance, her imagination working. “I thought Holloway didn’t date. His mantra, right?”
I simply shrugged. “He does now.”
Time wasn’t the only thing that had passed since Riley and I were together. Things had changed. Our lives were different now. My friends’ lives were different now. We weren’t the same people we’d been in freshman year. Maybe Tripp, but not the rest of us.
I studied Riley. “So you honestly had no clue Grace was tangled up with the hockey team?”
“None. Do you really think I would’ve agreed if I knew there was a chance I’d run into you?”
“Ouch. Tell me how you really feel.”
Riley didn’t apologise or try to backtrack. The jab was fair, I guess.
She rubbed at her arms. The tip of her nose was pink, and white clouds formed in front of her parted lips each time she exhaled.
I pushed off from the tree and came to stand in front of her once more. “Stay with me tonight, Dover. You might hate me, but at least you’ll be safe with me.”
“I don’t–”
The words died off in her throat, as though the fight was leaving her. Her wide eyes rose to meet mine, looking equal parts anxious and exhausted.
“Okay.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The pants stay on
RILEY
I’d run the Boston and New York marathons, yet my heart was beating faster now than it had at either of those finish lines.
The party was tapering off. Of those who were left, nobody cast us a secondary glance as Will led the way. His swag was setup behind a shiny black truck, giving it an element of privacy. When he stepped out of his shoes, I took the hint and did the same.
As he crouched down, the unzipping of his swag caused me to quiver. It was like a flashing neon sign that readRiley, are you really going through with this?
At the beginning of the week Will had been a distant closed off memory, and now I was about sleep beside him. This situational shift seemed too surreal to be happening.
His swag was a double, so there was plenty of room for us both. Though with his size, probably not as much as I needed to keep a safe distance. After peeling back the covers, he gestured for me to climb in first.
No freaking worries. In you climb, Riley. No big deal. Time to cosy up to your ex. Just a standard Saturday night.
My brain had gone into full panic mode. Thankfully my limbs moved on their own accord.
The swag was surprisingly cushiony, and compared to outside, the blankets were a godsend. As I got settled, I peered up at Will who’d just slipped off his jacket. When he reached for the hem of his hoodie, I inhaled sharply.
“What are you doing?”
