Page 52 of No Easy Catch
“Ah, well, I need to go. Have a business meeting, but I’ll see you soon, okay? I think I’ll be in the area within a week, Amber. Stay out of trouble.”
“You too!” I almost shouted at him. He hung up, but my pulse pounded in my ears for a couple of minutes when I calmed down from the call.Is it always going to be this way? Me faking it?
The poor lining in my stomach wasn’t going to survive this whole ordeal. I grabbed a packet of crackers and a soda fromdownstairs to settle the almost acid-like feeling in there, and Laney cornered me with a suspicious look. “Yes?”
“I have a huge favor to ask of you.”
“I’m listening,” I responded, hesitant to agree without hearing her out completely. She was clever as hell and had once got me to take out the trash for an entire week and that was not happening again. “But none of your fancy words.”
She rolled her eyes and leaned onto the doorway with an almost shy look. “This guy I’m into invited me over to a pre-game tonight and said to bring some friends. I have no idea if this is a huge party or intimate, but would you come with me? Marissa’s internship is too stressful and she gave up going out for two months.”
“That’s why you looked all nervous? Yes, of course I’ll go with you.” I laughed at all the other things she could’ve asked me and tilted my head as her words hit me. “Who is this guy, by the way? I’ve heard nothing about him.”
“Well,” she began, and I succumbed to sitting down at the table and letting her rave about him for a good fifteen minutes.
Dressedin skinny jeans and a casual sweater that was tighter than I liked, I chose to wear my red lacy bralette underneath it that made me feel good. It was easier to accept how I was built when I’d avoided my mom’s calls for almost two weeks, but I wasn’t sure how much longer I could hold off on talking to her. So I was going to enjoy the little confidence while I could. Laney looped her arm through mine as we walked toward the house located about five blocks away from ours and the wind blasted our faces. The goddamn cold was getting out of control and Imade plans to not leave the house for the rest of the weekend.Unless Jeff wants to meet up.
Just the thought of him had me warm and I checked my phone to see if he’d responded to my text from earlier. He hadn’t and the absence of his reply could mean a lot of things. Like, he was busy, at a team meeting of sorts, talking to his coach…orwith another girl.
God damn it. No. Not that thought.
Amber:My uncle called and I’m probably visiting him during spring break. I’m so nervous talking to him now, it’s sad. What if he knows, I know…? Anyway, you have plans tonight?
That was allI’d said. Nothing too demanding or clingy or anything, really. But it was okay. He’d text when he could and that was good enough for me.
“Liam better be worth this trek,” Laney said, her teeth chattering and I agreed with her. We were shivering by the time we knocked on the old wooden door of a three-story house. It was similar to the houses on our block, but this one almost looked like a former fraternity with the large windows and shutters on the sides.
“Ladies.” A kid answered the door with a huge toothy smile and ushered us inside. “Welcome! Everyone’s downstairs. Just head through that door.”
“Great, thank you!” Laney almost skipped inside and ran to the open archway that led below. Music blared and shook the walls as we descended and I didn’t have the heart to tell Laney that this was not an intimate pre-game. It was a house party, plain and simple, and it didn’t shock me when we were greeted by a large, already intoxicated crowd.
Laney didn’t let her discomfort show though. Not my confident best friend. She waved at a handsome guy and dragged us toward the couch where she introduced me to Liam. I had never seen her blush like that before and I had to fight a grin. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to find a water.”
“Head to the back room down there. We have a fridge with water,” Liam said, not looking away from Laney.Someone is smitten.
I saluted them and found my way down the hall and had to choose between three doors. The first was a bathroom and the second was locked. The third one opened when I pushed it and I gasped when Jeff and a tall brunette stood really close together. The image of the way her hand rested on his arm and the way his face was tilted toward hers with interest burned into my mind.
Have we defined the relationship?
Is this why he didn’t text back?
Can I even be mad?
Oh my god,say something.It’s been ten seconds. “Uh, I’m sorry? Water. I was looking for water.” I pretended to look around the room and ran into the doorframe on my escape. “Shit.”
Get out. Go to Laney.I’d barely got five steps away from the door when Jeff’s voice sounded right behind me and he wrapped his fingers around my wrist. “Amber, hey, hold on.”
He spun me around to face him with ease, but I focused on his beautiful broad shoulders instead of his face. My adrenaline spiked, making my words come out fast and jammed together. “Hey, what’s up? What’s going on?”
“Jessica is a junior on the volleyball team.” He widened his eyes and gestured to her as she left the room. He smiled at her. “Thanks for talking to me. We won’t use any names.”
“That’s all I ask.” She huffed and gave me a tight smile. “I need a beer.”
She didn’t say more before walking back to the main area of the basement and I turned to follow her when Jeff tightened his grip on my arm. “Henderson, get in that room.”
I felt all sorts of stupid for a variety of reasons and my entire body burned when I walked into the bedroom and faced him. Instead of trying to talk through the wedge in my throat, I smiled goofily at him. He laughed and put both of his hands on my shoulders, an amused expression on his face.
“I didn’t take you for jealous. It was kinda cute.”
