Page 48 of Gamebreaker

We jerked apart like we'd been electrocuted. Cam grabbed her phone, looked at the screen, and cursed under her breath.

"I have to take this," she said. "It's Coach."

"Yeah. Okay. I should—" I was already reaching for the door handle, my hand shaking. "Thanks for the ride."

"Harper, wait—"

But I was already out of the car, already walking toward my building on legs that felt like they might give out.

I heard her answer the phone. Heard her car door open, like she was debating coming after me. But I didn't look back.

Couldn't look back.

I made it inside, climbed the stairs to my apartment on autopilot, unlocked my door, stepped inside, and immediately collapsed against it.

"What the hell was that?" I asked my empty apartment.

My apartment, wisely, didn't answer.

I poured myself water, chugged it at the sink, changed into pajamas, got into bed, and stared at the ceiling.

We'd almost kissed.

We'd almost kissed, and it would've been the worst decision either of us had ever made, and I'd wanted it anyway.

Wanted it so badly I could still feel the phantom touch of her hand in mine, could still smell her, could still see the way she'd looked at my mouth like she was starving.

"This is fine," I told my ceiling. "Everything is fine. You don't even like her. This is just residual attraction to someone who finally sees you as a person instead of a phone-obsessed Instagram addict. That's all this is. Physical. Meaningless. Nothing to worry about."

My ceiling remained unconvinced.

So did I.

I grabbed my phone, opened Instagram, and scrolled through my feed without really seeing it. Posted a story—just my view of the ceiling with the caption "processing (again)."

My phone buzzed thirty seconds later.

A like on my story.

From @camrusso.

Then a DM.

@camrusso: I'm sorry about tonight.

I stared at the message, my heart performing Olympic-level acrobatics in my chest that were absolutely not warranted by a simple Instagram DM.

@harperdubs: for what?

@camrusso: For almost... for everything.

@harperdubs: nothing happened

@camrusso: That's the problem.

I threw my phone across the bed.

"Oh no," I said out loud.