揟hatcher!?the guys call out in a chorus. Liam is with them and stands when he sees me.
揘o way. I didn抰 know you were coming,?he says.
揑t was a last-minute decision.?
Jordan stays at my side. He introduces me to his teammates, and then we sit in a circle. I抦 next to Liam, but Jordan takes a chair across from us.
It抯 a rare night that Liam is drinking, but he goes through beer at a much slower pace than his buddies. Now that my stomach has settled, I抦 happily buzzed and content. Someone passes around a bottle of Fireball. Liam takes a drink then passes it to me. His fingers brush mine, and I wait for the sparks to shoot up my arm or a fluttering in my stomach梖or any sign that there could be something more between us.
揧ou got it??he asks when I don抰 pull the bottle away.
揧eah. I think I do.?I take a sip, stealing a glance at Jordan. I find him looking back at me, and those sparks and flutters I was waiting for finally arrive.
Oh shit. I went and fell for the wrong guy.
17
JORDAN
揘ice game tonight.?Gavin steps out of the circle of guys he抯 with when I approach. His lips pull into an easy smile, and we slap hands.
揟hanks.?I take a long drink of beer. 揑 heard you guys won too.?
He nods. 揥e did. One more for the W column.?
揥e might both be playing in April next year.?
揋od, I hope so,?he says. 揇id you just get here? I saw Liam and McCallum come in, but you抳e been MIA.?
揘ah, I抳e been here. Been?around.?
He waits for me to elaborate, smiling like he thinks I was off hooking up or some shit. Don抰 I wish.
揑 came with Daisy. We were doing century club for a while.?
揇aisy? Violet抯 cousin??His brows raise in question.
揧eah.?
揜eally??Gavin tips his head toward where she and Liam sit together, laughing. 揑 thought those two were a thing.?
揘ope, but that might be on me. And you.?
揥hat the hell did I do??
揘ew girlfriends are the worst kind of distraction,?I mimic his tone, repeating the words he said to me that night at the bowling alley. 揑 stopped him from asking her out.?
I stare at her, cataloging how happy she looks. Daisy抯 drunk, I know, but still, she looks so fucking happy. They both do. I want to squash it. I want her to only look like that with me.
揑f you抮e trying to keep them apart, maybe you shouldn抰 have brought her to a party and then left her alone.?
揇oesn抰 matter. He likes her. She likes him. It抯 inevitable.?I take another drink of beer, wishing it were something stronger.
Gavin laughs, and it snaps my attention back to him.
揥hat??
揧ou should see yourself. You look like you抮e about to spit fire. You have a thing for Daisy??He brings a fist to his mouth and keeps on laughing. 揙h man, the great Jordan Thatcher has fallen hard for a girl. She抯 cute but not your type. Like at all.?
揝he抯厰 I stop myself from pouring my heart out on the lawn of the party. 揥hatever.?
揟he night is young, and the booze is flowing.?He steps back. 揋o get the girl, Thatcher.?
He juts his chin, and I follow his gaze back to Liam and Daisy. He抯 filling her cup with another beer. Fuck, what she needs is a water. Her eyes flit up, and she smiles right at me. I swear it hits me like a bullet to the chest, and I can抰 breathe for a second. Earlier, when she took my hand, I was transported back to middle school like it was my first time all over again.
I don抰 immediately move toward them. Maybe I should just duck out and let things happen with them.
Liam is finally playing well, but I want him to be happy. The decent thing would be to walk away.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I pull it out, smiling at the text from the last person I expected. I choose dancing now!
I look up at Daisy to find her grinning at her phone.
Daisy is drunk. So am I, but that抯 status quo for a Friday night.
Instead of replying, I move toward her. Whatever good intentions I had are gone. I can抰 walk away from her. Not tonight anyway.
She sees me at ten feet away, says something to Liam, and then walks from him to me. I catch his eye and give him a head tip to let him know I have her. We抳e both been keeping an eye on her by some unspoken agreement.
When she reaches me, she takes my hand again and presses her tits into my bicep.
Yeah, she抯 definitely drunk.
At the outskirts of the dance area, I face her. Her gaze darts around to the others dancing, but she doesn抰 move.
揅hange your mind??
揘o. It抯 just, I抦 not a very good dancer.?
I lift our joined hands and force her to do a spin. Graceful, she is not. But this isn抰 Dancing with the Stars.
揘obody cares. Just move however you feel.?
Slowly, she sways to the beat. This is not on my usual adventure map, but I抳e been pulled out here a time or ten. Plus, I don抰 give a shit if I can dance. I抦 sort of in awe of Daisy. She cares deeply, yet she still puts herself out there. Mostly for Liam抯 sake, but I抦 trying hard not to think about that. Or how I抦 lusting after a girl my buddy likes.
With each song, she gets a little more into it. When the DJ plays a slower song, she looks at me awkwardly and fans her face. 揑 think I need another drink.?
揧ou need water.?
揑抦 fine,?she insists.
揂ll right, sweet Daisy. Pick your poison. Beer or liquor??
Her face scrunches up. 揘o more beer.?
In the kitchen, our options are limited. Empty cans and nearly empty bottles line the counter. I make her a Sprite with a splash of vodka. She notices but only rolls her eyes.
揟hank you.?
I grab a water and lead her back outside.
揧ou抮e not drinking anymore??
揑抦 plenty drunk. Don抰 worry about me.?This is true, but I also realize that she抯 on the verge of needing someone to hold her hair back.
Liam and a few guys are still in our spot playing cards. The others are most likely in the pool trying to hook up.
Daisy takes a chair next to Liam, and I fall into the one beside her.
揇o you want to play, Daisy??Liam asks her.
She shakes her head. I抦 momentarily pleased that she抯 choosing not to do something Liam asked her to, but then it hits me there抯 probably another reason she said no.
I lean closer. 揥ant me to teach you??
揘o,?she says quietly so only I can hear. 揚lease don抰 make a big thing of it. I抦 fine not playing. You can if you want.?
She finishes her drink and then closes her eyes. 揑抦 kind of tired. I should probably go home soon.?
揥ant a boost over the fence??
Her blue eyes pop open and narrow.
揔idding. I told you, I like my nipples.?I stand and say bye to the guys.
Liam gets up, and I hold out my hand to pull him into a side hug and talk into his ear. 揑抦 going to walk Daisy home and make sure she抯 okay. She抯 pretty drunk.?
I half expect and half hope that he抯 going to tell me to stay and that he抣l do it. That抯 just the type of thing Liam would do even if he wasn抰 interested in the girl.
揧eah.?He chuckles lightly. 揝he抯 fading fast. Let me know if you need anything.?
揥ill do.?
By the time I抳e said goodbye to the rest of the guys, Daisy is fighting to keep her eyes open.
I help her to her feet and wrap an arm around her waist.
揑抦 fine,?she protests even as she leans into me. 揃ut you smell good.?
揂nother compliment. A guy might start to think you like him.?
揑 do like you,?she says. 揥e抮e friends, right??
I pause inside of the house and find her big, blue eyes staring up at me from only a few inches away. It抎 be so easy to kiss her, show her how not friends we are.