Page 26 of One Day

“I’m okay. Thank you,” she says, waving me off and allowing me to guide Sonya along.

The second we’re far enough away, Sonya all but melts into my chest. “Thank you,” she says, turning to face me. “I didn’t know what to say. She’s so blunt.”

“Remind you of anyone?” I let out a small laugh.

A giggle slips past her lips, so bright and full of life that I feel it in every corner of my body. “She’s the female version of Everett. I wonder if he even realizes it.”

“I’m going to go out on a limb and say no,” I tell her, turning towards the bar. “What did you want?”

She waves me off. “I’m DD tonight. We’re going out to On The Bench after this to celebrate Evy and Dylan’s game. You should come.”

“You sure? I don’t want to crash.”

“Yes! Come,” she says with a smile. “At the very least, you can buy Flynn some extra time with Devon. That is the Devon, right?”

I nod my head. “How’d you know?”

“She’s lit up the same way she was the last time I was at your place, and she mentioned her. They’re cute together!”

“They are.”

“Is that a yes, then? I wouldn’t mind getting to hang out with you.”

“I’ll toss it out to them, see what they think,” I tell her before looking across the room to where her friends are. “Want to show me Everett’s work?”

She smiles, slipping her hand into mine. “Absolutely.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

SONYA

“What exactly is our game plan tonight?” Bekah asks the moment we reach our usual table at On The Bench. Tucked away enough for privacy but not too far away from the action. She turns to eye me, hands resting on her hips while waiting at the edge of the table for Everett to slide into the booth first. “Are we finding you a hook-up tonight, Sunny?”

“I don’t know yet,” I say, swallowing the lump in my throat. Walker took his no back and that should mean something. It does mean something. I want to wait for him, but waiting for him could mean being inevitably disappointed when he says no again. “I invited Walker and a few of his friends to join us,” I share, pressing my lips together when my eyes drift to Everett, who still hasn’t sat down. “Wren might be coming, too.”

“Fantastic,” he says through gritted teeth. “I’m getting a drink.”

He doesn’t wait to see if anyone else wants anything, he simply turns and detours towards the bar that sits as the main fixture. I wish I could pinpoint what exactly it is about Wren he doesn’t like, but he’s never said why. As open as he can be with his art, it’s hard getting him to talk. He’s got the whole tortured artist thing down to a science at this point, and as much as I wish he’d let one of us into that locked-up heart, I know it’s only a matter of waiting.

He needs the right person, and more than that, he deserves someone who sees past all the bullshit walls he puts up and stays. But until that day comes, all we can do is wait.

“You are definitely his favorite person now,” Bekah teases, settling into the booth when she realizes he won’t be joining us yet. “You’re having second thoughts about Campbell?”

“I was never sure about that to begin with.”

“Sure of what?” Dylan approaches the table.

“Nothing,” Bekah answers while I eye the flowers tucked under his arm and the wall of hockey players behind him.

“What’s with the flowers?” I ask, moving over to let him slide in next to me while his teammates grab chairs from the nearby table to bring over. Fitz makes himself at home opposite Dylan, forcing Bekah to scoot in.

“For Evy,” he shares. “Where is he?”

I scan the bar for him and find him leaning across it, his eyes set on the muscular bartender. “Admiring.” I point in his direction. “He’s a little upset. I unintentionally invited his arch-nemesis to join us here.”

“Arch-nemesis?” Campbell asks, his hair still a little damp from the postgame shower.

“Yeah, he’s not too fond of this girl in his program. She’s best friends with my friend’s roommate’s crush, so when I invited them…I kind of invited her.”

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