Fake Skating(22)

I clenched my teeth and was about to look away when he winked.

Winked at me.

He might’ve even made a clicking noise with his mouth, but I couldn’t be sure my brain hadn’t added that douchebag sound effect.

My face was on fire as I sat down and unzipped my backpack, torn between nervousness, embarrassment, and kind of wanting to rip his face off for winking at me.

Who did that? What kind of eighteen-year-old senior in high school winked at someone?

The arrogance it took to throw out a wink in response to someone looking in your direction was truly astounding.

Thankfully, the teacher started in on a lesson, and since we were required to take notes, I was able to forget about the freaking winker on the other side of the room. I threw myself into notes, writing every single word because it was a far better option than looking up from my paper.

Halfway through the class I glanced his way, only to see that his head was down on his desk, and he was asleep.

Alec was sleeping in class like he didn’t give a shit.

And it kind of made me want to cry, honestly. It felt like I’d lost something (even though I’d technically lost him a long time ago), because over the past five years, through all the bad days, I’d imagined that my best friend still existed somewhere, even if he wasn’t in my life.

I was able to think that somedaywe might be friends again.

But now I was forced to face the reality that the possibility no longer existed.





CHAPTER TEN Alec




“I can’t believe you fell asleep again,” Kyle said.

“I can’t believe Sykes let me,” I replied, relieved as we left the classroom.

Because I’d needed that nap so badly.

Last night, after the game, my throbbing shoulder kept me up until my alarm went off, I swear to God. I was fucking exhausted, and that nap during speech had done wonders.

The only shock was that I’d been able to fall asleep at all after getting punched in the gut with Dani’s presence. Somehow, even though I knew she went to my school now, I hadn’t considered the reality that she might actually end up in one of my classes.

When she walked into public speaking, I could barely breathe.

How the hell was this happening? I didn’t want her to be in Southview at all, but definitely not in my life, in my fucking speech class.

It was unbelievable.

Her cheeks had been bright red, and her eyes were down when she walked to her desk, and if I didn’t know her, I would’ve thought she was super shy.

But Dani Collins wasn’t shy. At all.

I wasn’t sure if it was an act or if she was unhappy to see me, but it didn’t matter.

She was just another girl at my school, and I would ignore her like I did any other girl I wasn’t friends with. I loaded a little Connor Kauffman into my playlist and moved the hell on.

Only for some reason, when I saw her through the library window at lunch, I couldn’t do it. She was sitting all by herself at a table, and dammit—I couldn’t ignore her.

“Hey, I’m going to go in the library for a sec,” I said to Kyle, my eyes on blond hair and glasses. “I’ll meet you in the cafeteria.”

“I’ll go with you,” he said with a smirk. “I see what you’re doing.”

“It’s not what you think,” I said as he gestured with his head toward Dani. “I just need to grab a book.”

“Sure, me too,” he said, walking beside me as I pulled open the library door and went inside.

For a half second, I was able to look at her without her seeing me. Her eyes were on the book in her hands, so I took a moment to really take in my old friend.

Holy shit.

I might not give a damn about her now, but the kid who’d spent his entire childhood following her around like a puppy needed a minute to catalog this updated version of her.

The curly hair that used to stick out all over now fell in long waves around her face, like she’d figured out how to relax the wildness. Which could maybe be said for her personality, I supposed, since I’d yet to see the wild-ass grin that used to be her default expression.

She looked good in the black turtleneck sweater she was wearing. It was plain, nothing remarkable about it at all, but it was like it fucking showcased her soft skin and the—

“Dude,” Kyle said, grinning at me like he just caught me staring at the new girl.

Because he had.

“Kiss my ass,” I said, walking over to her table.

“Hey, Collins,” I said, dropping down into the chair across from her even though I had no idea what I was doing there or what my plan was. She was like a magnet pulling me toward her.

I hated it.

She raised her eyes from her book, and for the splittest of seconds it looked like she might smile.

The moment held like a pause, long-lashed brown eyes I’d known sowell watching me from behind black glasses, and I felt almost homesick for the person I used to know.

But then her eyes went to Kyle, and back to me, and then she blinked fast before quietly saying, “Hey, Alec.”

“So how come you’re hiding in the library at lunch?” I asked, telling myself to get it together and knock off the homesick bullshit.

“I’m not very hungry and I wanted to read,” she said with a shrug.