Page 5 of Blue Summer

She turns back around before slowly giving me a nod.

“So, yes to both questions?” She nods for me again. “Go out with me tomorrow? Just us?”

Before she can catch herself, she is nodding, “Ye… wait, what?”

“Too late. You already agreed.”

At the same time, Pearl is hopping up and down with a big smile on her face. “Yes, she does, and she did say yes, didn’t she? I heard her. We all heard her say yes.”

“I did?” Her brows crease together and she looks behind her at her friend. This time I nod for her before giving her a laugh. I’ll take the help and any more Pearl can offer me.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to, but I thought I might stack the cards my way if I ask while you were agreeing to everything.”

“You… want to go out? With me?”

“Oh yeah.” I want to do more than go out with her, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. For right now… I just want her to say yes.

Chapter Five

Summer

My heart starts beating fast when he asks me out but then it sinks all the way to my toes. He’s not asking me because he wants to really go out with me. He wants to… thank me for helping him. I guess I can understand that.

“Um, sure.”

“Great. Say four tomorrow afternoon?”

“Yeah, that… that’s good. Four.”

“Alright then. I guess I’ll see you after we finish then.”

He turns to hop from the bleachers and get ready to play. As soon as he clears the stands the girls start making noises and jostling me.

“Oh my God! That was so hot.” Kat starts fanning herself.

“I’m so proud, like a momma bird watching her little baby bird leave the nest.” This comes from Pearl.

“Where do you think he’s going to take you? What are you going to wear?” Bea asks a little quieter than the other two but still just as excited.

“Guys, I’m sure it’s not what it sounds like.” All three of them look like I just killed a butterfly. “It’s not because he likes me.”

“What? Are you crazy? Of course, he likes you. Why else would he ask you out?” Kat blows a stray curl back from her face like she’s completely agitated with the situation.

“He’s just being nice because of how we met. He wants to say thank you.”

Bea frowns and turns to Kat. Pearl is the one to speak though. “That doesn’t sound right.”

“That’s because it isn’t.” Kat agrees with Pearl and turns to me with one hip cocked much like her eyebrow. “He isn’t doing this out of gratitude. No way this is gratitude. The man is into you, girl.”

I try to give them a smile and state the obvious. “If it were a date, I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t start at four, guys. Four is the perfect time to take a friend out and still have plenty of time to go back out with someone else later in the night.”

Kat still looks like she’s not buying it. Bea looks like my logic makes sense and she’s sorry for it, while Pearl looks wholly disappointed.

“Oh no. That sucks.”

It does, but I don’t want them to realize just how bad I think so. “It’s still sweet that he wants to thank me. And it might be really creepy, us sitting here talking about him when he could have a girlfriend he loves and doesn’t necessarily want people talking about him or drooling over him.”

Kat is the person who speaks up first, “I’ve never heard Roan talk about a woman.”

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