But I still miss her, and when the game is over, I抦 back to needing a distraction.
揧ou want to go to The Hideout??Dallas asks me as we抮e changing in the locker room.
揧eah, I抦 in.?
Liam stops me before I can go, stepping in front of my path to the door. 揇id you hear anything I said the other night??
揧eah, I heard you.?
He cocks a brow.
揑 heard you.?I sidestep him. 揑 just don抰 think there抯 any getting her back.?
32
DAISY
I went to bed early again. Now it抯 two in the morning, and I抦 wide awake, and my stomach is grumbling. I skipped dinner because I could hear Violet downstairs. We still haven抰 spoken, and it抯 reached the awkward point where I抦 tiptoeing around waiting for her to leave before I come out of my room.
But now the house is dark and quiet. I pad softly out of my room and downstairs to the kitchen.
Violet抯 sitting at the kitchen table with her tablet in front of her. The only light comes from its screen as she hunches over, drawing on it with the stylus.
Momentum propels me forward when I抎 really like to backtrack. She looks up as I抦 trying to decide how to flee without being seen.
揑 thought you were asleep,?I blurt out.
揘o. Not yet.?She blinks a few times. Her eyes are heavy with the hour. She hasn抰 been to bed.
Since I抳e already intruded on her, I go to the fridge and open it. It抯 as empty as I feared, and the only thing in the pantry cabinet is a sleeve of Saltine crackers.
I turn on my heel, prepared to go, when she pushes the bag of pretzels on the table an inch in my direction. She doesn抰 say a word, but the invitation is there.
Violet and I have never had a fight like this. I抳e never had a fight with anyone like this. Now I抦 not talking to two people that mean everything to me. It抯 been a rough week.
I pull out a chair and sit on the very edge where I can make a fast getaway if needed. The pretzels soothe the hunger pains, but that only makes me more aware of the pain everywhere else. Obviously, I抳e never minded the quiet, but this type of heavy silence is unbearable.
Grabbing the biggest handful I can manage, I murmur my thanks, stand, and start back to my room.
揑抦 sorry.?The words are spoken quietly. So quietly that I抦 not sure she really said them.
I glance over my shoulder and find her watching me. She repeats it. 揑抦 sorry.?
We talk all night, sitting at the kitchen table while we finish off the pretzels and then the crackers.
揑 can抰 believe you抳e been going through this all week, and I wasn抰 there for you. I selfishly assumed you were upset about us.?
揑 was. I am. You抮e my best friend, Vi. I hate fighting with you.?
揑 want to murder him for doing that to you. All those nights, he was over pretending to need help with school stuff.?
My throat tightens. 揑 didn抰 really want to talk about it anyway. I抦 such an idiot. I抦 sorry I didn抰 listen to you.?
揧ou抮e not an idiot.?She reaches across the table and takes my hands.
I drop my forehead to the cool wood.
揅ome on,?she says. 揑t抯 late.?
I follow her upstairs, and she climbs into bed next to me, where we sleep until noon the next day.
When I open my eyes, she抯 sitting up, looking at her phone. 揓ane poked her head in a few minutes ago. She and Dahlia are going over to the rec center for yoga. Do you want to go??
揧eah.?I stretch. 揗aybe it抣l help me find my center, or whatever.?
There抯 still a lingering awkwardness between us. We talked about me and Jordan, even a little about us, but there抯 one topic we steered far clear of last night.
She starts to get up, and I stop her.
揥ait, one more thing.?I sit up. 揑抦 sorry about Gavin.?
Her mouth opens like she might interrupt.
I keep going. 揑 didn抰 realize how much he hurt you, and I should have. It抯 just that you always seem so strong. I admire that about you so much.?
揧ou didn抰 know because I didn抰 tell you.?She wraps a finger around a piece of hair and twirls it. 揑？I slept with him. I抎 held out all of high school, waiting for the perfect guy. Then a month into the school year, I thought I抎 found him. Two days later, I woke up to him in bed with Bailey.?
揧ou were a virgin??
She laughs. 揑s that so hard to believe??
揥ell, yeah. Even I gave it up before college.?
Smiling, she says, 揑 had opportunities. I just wanted it to mean something.?
揂nd then he screwed your roommate.?
揂nd then he screwed my roommate,?she confirms. 揥e weren抰 a couple or anything.?
But she wanted them to be.
揇o you want to egg his house??
She laughs. 揗aybe later.?
I spend the whole day with the girls. I think we all needed it, Vi and me especially. Jane treats us to brunch after yoga, and then when we get back to the house, all four of us stay downstairs.
Jane doesn抰 run off to her room, Dahlia doesn抰 even mention practice or workouts, and we just sit and talk all afternoon. It抯 so much fun hanging with my friends that for minutes at a time, I forget Jordan and how much I miss him. It hits me randomly, stealing my breath and making my stomach dip.
As the day fades into night, we break out the alcohol, and Violet and Dahlia bring out new pieces they抳e been working on. It抯 almost like being transported back in time. Like nothing has changed.
But, when Violet pulls out the infamous red dress, my heart stops. Everyone抯 too busy to notice as I slip away into the kitchen. I grab a glass of water and go over to where my phone is charging on the counter.
Jordan hasn抰 sent any more texts since Tuesday. His sudden silence is as annoying as the candy bomb he dropped on me. It isn抰 like I expected him to keep apologizing forever, but now it really feels over.
揂re you okay??Jane steps into the kitchen in a green dress that makes her eyes pop. She抯 pulled her hair up into a high ponytail, and it sways from side to side as she walks. She looks like a movie star.
揧eah. Fine. I just needed a drink.?
She grabs a glass, fills it, and stands next to me. 揧ou miss him??
I nod, and then because I don抰 want to talk about it, I motion toward her dress. 揟hat fits you perfectly.?
She stares down at the emerald material. 揑t really does. I wish I had somewhere else to wear it. Do you think my professors would mind if I wore it to class??
We laugh, but then I think, why do we need to wait for a special occasion? So, I say, 揥e should throw a party.?
揥hat??
揧eah. Right here with all our friends.?
揂 ball do-over??
揝omething like that, but less pressure. I can抰 ask Vi to do all that again.?
揂nd I already sent all the centerpieces back. Plus, the flowers are gone.?
揥e don抰 need that stuff,?I say. 揟he four of us are fabulous enough on our own.?I look at her dress again. 揃ut you should definitely wear that.?
Her lips curve up into a smile. 揕et抯 do it.?
33
JORDAN
Monday morning I抦 dragging, but I manage to make it （and stay awake） for my first class. After, I text Liam to see if he wants to meet up at University Hall. We have an hour before our analytical mechanics class, and I need caffeine and something made of sugar.
He shows up a few minutes later with Cole.
揌ey.?I push off the wall outside when I see them. Cole has become a constant presence. I like him, and I like him for Liam. I was so worried about how dating Daisy would impact his game, but I guess the joke is on me because ever since Liam and Cole worked things out, he抯 on fire. Relationship Liam is focused and playing the best hockey I抳e ever seen out of him.