Tutoring the Player (Campus Wallflowers #1)(57)

“Where the hell have you been, man?” I ask, rubbing a hand over my mouth. “We looked everywhere for you.”

“Just with a friend,” he says.

I catch Daisy’s eye, and she nods as if she understands what I need. Actually, I’m starting to think she knows better than me most of the time.

“I should go home and unpack.” She picks up her coat and holds it against her chest.

“I’ll text you later,” I say. “Thanks.”

“Welcome.” She smiles slightly. “Bye, Liam.”

When she’s gone, I take a seat in the chair.

“When did that happen?” he asks.

I ignore his question to ask one of mine. “Where have you been? I was worried.”

“I should have told you already. I’ve been seeing someone, and I was with him tonight.”

I nod, letting that sink in. “Wait. Him?”

“Yeah. I’ve been seeing a guy.” He squares his shoulders like he’s ready to take on the world to defend himself.

“Relax. I don’t care who you fuck, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t surprised to learn my best friend is gay when you’ve been hooking up with girls for the past few years.” I thought we were close enough that he’d share something like that.

“I’m bisexual. And it’s just been easier to date girls here because everyone assumes I’m straight. Hockey team parties aren’t exactly hopping with dudes looking for dudes.” He cracks the smallest smile.

“I guess not.” Still, it hurts a little that he didn’t trust me. I guess I’m in no position to talk. “So, you’ve been seeing someone?”

His head dips. “For a few months now.”

My mind reels. A few months?

He nods and lets his shoulders slump forward. “He isn’t out, so we’ve kept it quiet. I wanted to tell you, but it wasn’t just my secret to tell.”

“I get that.”

“My head is all over the place. I’ve never felt this way about anyone, and it’s like I can’t stop letting it screw with everything else. I’m constantly letting the team down, but I’m just consumed.” He rubs a hand over his chest. “He told me before break that he thought we should end things. I went over tonight to talk to him.”

“And?”

“And I convinced him otherwise.” He smirks, but it falls quickly. “For now.”

“What about…” I trail off. It seems so stupid now. “I thought you liked Daisy.”

“I do. I did. She’s great.”

“You know what I mean.”

“If the timing was different, maybe.”

“But you were going to ask her out.”

“When?”

“Last semester.”

“Oh right. Yeah, I almost did. Col—” He catches himself. “The guy I’ve been seeing thought we should see other people, slow things down. I tried.” He shrugs. “Don’t get me wrong, she’s a cool chick.”

“Cool?” That seems like such a weird way to describe Daisy. She’s a lot of things, but cool isn’t anywhere in the top ten of adjectives I’d use. The way he’s blowing off any feelings for her pisses me off, and I’m pissed that I’m pissed off. Daisy isn’t mine to be going all He-Man to protect her honor or some shit. And why do I care if he doesn’t like her? That should make me happy.

“Yeah, she’s cool, but it’s hard to seriously think about dating someone when you can’t stop thinking about someone else. Besides, it seems like you have a thing for Daisy.”

My first instinct is denial, but he just caught me with my tongue down her throat and five seconds away from having her naked and bent over the couch he’s sitting on. Of course, I have a thing for her.

“I know I should have talked to you first.”

“Why?”

“Because I thought you were into her, and I know she was into you.” Some part of me wants to believe that I’m better for her—I’m the chaos she needs. But it doesn’t change the fact that I went behind his back. I know deep in my gut they would have gone out if I hadn’t interfered.

He leans forward, elbows resting on his thighs. “You’re the best friend I’ve ever had.”

I try to laugh him off, but he won’t let me.

“I’m not kidding,” he says. “You don’t give yourself enough credit. You just walked all over campus looking for me. Sorry, by the way, I should have texted.”

“That was mostly Daisy. I was trying to get her naked, and she wanted to find you.”

“I’m ninety-nine percent sure she did that for you, not me.”

“Maybe.” Daisy is always doing stuff for other people. She took on tutoring me like it was no big deal. She worked around my schedule. She freaking taught herself statistics so she could help me.

“Are we good?” I ask.

“You’re worried I’m pissed because you messed around with a girl you thought I was into?”

“Yeah, I guess so. You did say you were going to ask her out. I talked you out of it, remember?”

He laughs. “You didn’t have to try very hard, if you remember. We’re good, all right? Finally, a chick I approve of you dating.”