Kiss and Don't Tell(12)

“Well, either way, I think it was best that I was out of the house before he woke up, just in case.”

“Hornsby will probably be heartbroken that he didn’t get to say goodbye.”

“That’s Eli, right?”

“Yeah.”

“He was so nice. A real champion for women.”

I laugh. “Yeah, and the biggest player you’ll ever meet.”

“Really?” she asks, seeming completely surprised.

“Oh yeah. Well, to be fair, he always lets the girls he’s with know his intentions from the very beginning. He’s not looking for a relationship, just a good time. He’s not into breaking hearts, is what he tells us. But I know, one day, when he’s least expecting it, some girl is going to come spinning into his life and flip his world upside down. Offer him a real challenge, and that’s the girl he’ll end up falling for.”

“That’s so shocking. That is not how I saw it.” She shakes her head.

“Oh yeah? How did you see it?”

She glances at me quickly and then looks away. “You don’t want to know.”

“Wouldn’t ask if I didn’t.” She’s quiet, so I bump my shoulder against hers. “Come on, give me your first impressions.”

“Are you sure you want to hear this?”

“Obviously.”

“Okay, I warned you, though.” She clears her throat. “Well, Halsey—that’s his name, right?”

“Yup.”

“He’s an easy one. Damaged and working through demons. He hangs out so he’s not alone, but likes to be alone. If that makes sense.”

“Very accurate,” I answer just as she slips on some mud. I reach out and catch her arm before she falls forward.

“Whoa, close one.” She laughs nervously. “Thank you.” She slowly lets go of my hand as she straightens out. “Uh, Silas—”

“Aka, Potato.”

She chuckles. “Yes, Potato—I pegged as just a general asshole because of the way he treated me. A rich guy who has better things to do than hand out charity.”

“Eh, he can be an asshole, but also really generous. I think you caught him on a bad night. Like we said last night, he’s fresh from a breakup and not taking it well.”

“I can understand that, which is why I’m not fully pegging him as an asshole. That title is pending. Now, Levi—he was my favorite last night.”

“Posey was your favorite?” My brows lift in surprise. “How the hell did he win that title?”

She shrugs. “He was funny and kind of a ditz. Was concerned about filling his stomach more than anything, didn’t have a care in the world when it came to a stranger in the house, and then waved goodnight to me like a little boy. I don’t know, he just made my heart happy. And he has a great smile.”

“The son of a bitch does have a great smile. I thought you were going to say Hornsby was your favorite, since he was a champion for women.”

The sun beats down on us, even this early in the morning. She wraps her jacket around her waist and ties it securely. “Eli was incredibly sweet and I was very grateful to him. But not my favorite. I also thought that maybe he was . . . gay.”

I pause and then full-on belly laugh. “Gay? You thought Hornsby was gay?”

“He’s too pretty,” she says. “He was so clean-cut and perfect. No offense, but I’ve never seen a man that well put together who wasn’t gay. This coming from a girl whose best friend is gay. I’ve seen many gay men.”

“I thought your best friend is a girl.”

“A girl can have more than one best friend. Katherine is my overbearing, overprotective friend who would rather hide behind a spray of disinfectant than go see a movie, and then Max is my other best friend. The one who said to live my best life and come up here. And Eli reminded me of him. Just . . . beautiful to look at.”

I scratch the side of my face. “Hornsby is a pretty boy, that’s for damn sure, but he’s also very much into women. Unless he’s trying to overcompensate for something I don’t know about. The man is as straight as they come. I do have a gay teammate, though. He came out last year. Proud of the guy.”

“Really? Who?”

“Ian Rivers.”

“Hmm, that name is familiar. Maybe I read it in the news.” She slips again, but this time catches herself before I have to help.

“His coming out was all over the news. Pretty badass, actually.” I nudge her shoulder again. “What about me? What was your first impression?”

“Now, this . . . I don’t think you want to hear.”

“Ooh, must be good, then. Go ahead, give it to me.”

She lets out a long breath. “You asked for it.” She pushes her hair behind her ear and says, “I thought you were the player, not Eli.”

“Me?” I point to my chest. “Why me?”

“I never met a man who looked like you, with the topknot, who wasn’t a player. Plus, you just have this whole . . . I don’t know, tempting look about you. And whereas Eli was very welcoming, you were kind of indifferent, so I figured you were the one who played around.”

I drag my hand over my jaw. “Or maybe I’m just shy. Ever think about that?”