The Mistake(88)

I curl over with laughter, which only makes her angrier, and soon she’s batting at me with her teeny fists, as if they’ll actually do any damage.

“You’re the worst!” she yells, but she’s giggling even as she pounds those futile fists at me. “I actually thought you told her that!”

“That was the point.” I howl in laughter, then roll us both over so she’s on her back and I’m looming over her. “Sorry. Couldn’t help myself.”

Grace reaches up and flicks my forehead. “Jerk.”

My jaw drops. “Did you just flick me?”

She flicks me again.

“Did you just flick me again?”

Now she’s the one howling, because I’m tickling the shit out of her. And as she squirms on the bed and tries to escape my relentless fingers, I reach several conclusions.

One, I’ve never had more fun with a girl in my entire life.

Two, I never want this to end.

And three…

I think I might be falling in love with her.





28




Grace


“He just showed up in the middle of your study session?” Ramona looks highly amused as she reaches for her coffee. This is the first time I’ve seen her since our awkward meet-up at the beginning of the month, and I’m surprised by how comfortable it feels. There haven’t been any lags in the conversation, no bitterness on my part, and she seems genuinely interested in what’s been going on in my life.

“Yep,” I answer. “Pretending he was dropping off coffee for me, but we both knew that was bullshit.”

Ramona grins. “So John Logan is the jealous type. Honestly? Not a shocker. Hockey players are wired with aggression. They’re these big alpha dudes, going all caveman when someone tries to steal the puck from them.”

“Am I the puck in this scenario?”

“Pretty much, yeah.”

I roll my eyes. “Well, screw that. If anything, I’m the one who should be jealous. Do you realize how many girls throw themselves at him? It happens all the time, even when I’m with him. We did have one incredibly satisfying run-in, though.” I pause for effect. “We bumped into Piper at the theater in Hastings.”

Ramona gasps. “Oooh. Shit. What did she say?”

Satisfaction surges through me. “At first she was super sweet, but that’s probably because she didn’t notice I was there. She flirted with him, but it was obvious he wasn’t reciprocating, so she started talking about hockey instead, and then suddenly she realized I was with him, and not just standing near him, and it was like she’d walked into a serial killer’s dungeon. Pure horror.”

Ramona snickers.

“Logan introduced me as his girlfriend, and I swear she looked ready to murder me.” I’m gleefully vindictive as I recount the tale. “Then she huffed off and went to join her friends.”

“Who was she with?”

“Some chicks I didn’t recognize.” I pause. “And Maya. Who, by the way, didn’t even say hello to me.”

That doesn’t seem to surprise Ramona. “Maya thinks you hate her,” she admits. “You know, for her role in the whole Twitter thing.”

“I don’t hate her.” Shrugging, I take a bite of my chocolate-banana muffin. “But I have no desire to hang out with her, either. We have nothing in common.”

I don’t miss the way Ramona winces as if the accusation had been directed at her. But that wasn’t my intention. The two of us had a lot of fun together. One time in high school, we’d stayed up talking for an entire night. I don’t even remember what we talked about, just that it went on forever.

Sorrow twines around my insides. I miss that. Other than Daisy, I haven’t made any female friends this semester, and although Daisy and I are close, we’re nowhere near as close as Ramona and I used to be.

As if reading my mind, her voice softens. “I miss you, Gracie. I really miss you.”

My heart clenches. “I miss you too, but…”

But what? I don’t trust you? I haven’t forgiven you? I’m not sure how I feel about our friendship, and I’m not ready to dissect it yet.

“But I think it’s better if we keep doing the slow thing,” I finish. Then I paste on an encouraging smile. “So what have you been up to? How are your classes?”