should we do about it?" I asked, praying that she would say forget about it and move forward.
"Nothing," she said. "It's in the past."
I grinned. I didn't understand her at all, but for once, I liked her idea. "I should get back. I have a ton of studying to do," I said.
"Are you seeing Tyce tonight?" she asked.
I wanted more than anything to see him again, but I was going to leave the puck in his possession. He would need to make the first move.
"Um, I don't know?" I said. "It sounded like he was buried in work too."
She nodded and that was the end of our conversation. The clink of dishes and the low murmur from the other restaurant patrons was the only noise at our table. Arielle didn't speak again until I opened the car door and got out.
"I'll talk to you tomorrow," Arielle said.
I nodded and walked around to the driver's side of the car, leaning into her window to give her a kiss on the cheek.
As I stepped back, the roar of an engine and squealing tires made me turn my head. A car raced into the parking lot, not slowing down as it came careening toward me. Arielle shoved at me and I dove out of the way, tumbling to the concrete, tearing holes in the knees of my jeans and ripping up my hands.
"What the fuck was that?" Arielle screamed as she jumped out of the car. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, dusting my pants off, watching as what looked like a blue car speed down the road. "Probably some drunk asshole."
She eyed me and ran a hand over the hood over her car. The driver of that other car better hope they hadn't done anything to her baby or they would have hell to pay. I wondered if she would be more upset if I got run over or if her car got dinged up. I wasn't about to ask.
"Fuck," she said. "Be careful, Erik." I waited for her to say more, but she shook her head and climbed back into her car. When Ariel pulled away, I swear I heard laughter in the distance.
Chapter 5
It was around midnight when I finally finished one of the papers I needed to have done for a class tomorrow. My head hurt, I was exhausted, and my body was shouting at me to sleep, but I couldn't get my mind to quiet down. It was on full speed ahead and Tyce was the main attraction. There had only been one short text early in the evening telling me he was busy studying for a test. I debated sending him one, but I didn't know what to say without sounding like I was whining. I really did miss him. I kept picking up my phone and staring at it, willing it ring or buzz with a new text. I suppose that was the main reason it took me three hours to write a ten-page paper. I finally stuffed my phone in my desk drawer.
About an hour later, there was a muffled buzz from inside the drawer. I pulled it open and dug around until I found my phone. It was a short text from Tyce. Actually, it was just one simple word, written in all capital letters. Goodnight. It would be a lie if I didn't admit that I was disappointed. I frowned, but then I noticed a small letter x, sitting alone, like he added it as an afterthought.
Sometimes my sister used Xs and Os at the end of her messages when she was being a smart ass. Rochelle had occasionally added an x at the end of her text, but it never made my stomach knot up or my heart bang so hard against my ribs that it felt like it would shatter my bones.
It was a silly code Tyce and I used to communicate our feelings when other people were around. He'd walk by my desk in school and mark my hand with an x. Before a game, we'd put a tiny x on our wrist or ankle or hipbones. Every time I saw that x, warm feelings curled in my chest. No one ever noticed the marks and if they did, they didn't ask any questions.
I touched my phone screen, staring at that stupid little letter. Did he mean it? There was no way I'd get any more work done or any sleep until I found out. I yanked on a pair of sweatpants, grabbed a jacket, yelled at Dix that I was leaving, and raced out the door. Just as I made it down the first step, I
"Nothing," she said. "It's in the past."
I grinned. I didn't understand her at all, but for once, I liked her idea. "I should get back. I have a ton of studying to do," I said.
"Are you seeing Tyce tonight?" she asked.
I wanted more than anything to see him again, but I was going to leave the puck in his possession. He would need to make the first move.
"Um, I don't know?" I said. "It sounded like he was buried in work too."
She nodded and that was the end of our conversation. The clink of dishes and the low murmur from the other restaurant patrons was the only noise at our table. Arielle didn't speak again until I opened the car door and got out.
"I'll talk to you tomorrow," Arielle said.
I nodded and walked around to the driver's side of the car, leaning into her window to give her a kiss on the cheek.
As I stepped back, the roar of an engine and squealing tires made me turn my head. A car raced into the parking lot, not slowing down as it came careening toward me. Arielle shoved at me and I dove out of the way, tumbling to the concrete, tearing holes in the knees of my jeans and ripping up my hands.
"What the fuck was that?" Arielle screamed as she jumped out of the car. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, dusting my pants off, watching as what looked like a blue car speed down the road. "Probably some drunk asshole."
She eyed me and ran a hand over the hood over her car. The driver of that other car better hope they hadn't done anything to her baby or they would have hell to pay. I wondered if she would be more upset if I got run over or if her car got dinged up. I wasn't about to ask.
"Fuck," she said. "Be careful, Erik." I waited for her to say more, but she shook her head and climbed back into her car. When Ariel pulled away, I swear I heard laughter in the distance.
Chapter 5
It was around midnight when I finally finished one of the papers I needed to have done for a class tomorrow. My head hurt, I was exhausted, and my body was shouting at me to sleep, but I couldn't get my mind to quiet down. It was on full speed ahead and Tyce was the main attraction. There had only been one short text early in the evening telling me he was busy studying for a test. I debated sending him one, but I didn't know what to say without sounding like I was whining. I really did miss him. I kept picking up my phone and staring at it, willing it ring or buzz with a new text. I suppose that was the main reason it took me three hours to write a ten-page paper. I finally stuffed my phone in my desk drawer.
About an hour later, there was a muffled buzz from inside the drawer. I pulled it open and dug around until I found my phone. It was a short text from Tyce. Actually, it was just one simple word, written in all capital letters. Goodnight. It would be a lie if I didn't admit that I was disappointed. I frowned, but then I noticed a small letter x, sitting alone, like he added it as an afterthought.
Sometimes my sister used Xs and Os at the end of her messages when she was being a smart ass. Rochelle had occasionally added an x at the end of her text, but it never made my stomach knot up or my heart bang so hard against my ribs that it felt like it would shatter my bones.
It was a silly code Tyce and I used to communicate our feelings when other people were around. He'd walk by my desk in school and mark my hand with an x. Before a game, we'd put a tiny x on our wrist or ankle or hipbones. Every time I saw that x, warm feelings curled in my chest. No one ever noticed the marks and if they did, they didn't ask any questions.
I touched my phone screen, staring at that stupid little letter. Did he mean it? There was no way I'd get any more work done or any sleep until I found out. I yanked on a pair of sweatpants, grabbed a jacket, yelled at Dix that I was leaving, and raced out the door. Just as I made it down the first step, I
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