Page 39 of Halftime

“I will be.”

Cooper was leaning by the coffee machine, and he poured a cup and passed it to me.

“Maybe it’s a sign, dude. Maybe it’s time to join Team Fun. Find someone for today, not for the rest of eternity. You’re a sophomore, for fuck’s sake. Why not just have a good time for now?”

Maybe he was right. Maybe this was a sign. I had wanted what I had with Faith, but none of the other girls I’d dated had ever come close to that. I’d never wanted to be a user, a one-and-done guy, because I’d thought that was unfair to my partners. But maybe I was more of a user than I’d realized. I’d just done it over a course of weeks or months, rather than one night. Had I really committed to Holly or those girls? Or had they been placeholders? Had we broken up when they’d wanted too much from me? I hated to think that I’d used them, not been honest with them. I didn’t want to be that guy.

“You might be right.”

Cooper had turned to leave, but he flipped back to face me, eyes kind of bugging out. “What? Have I finally brought you over to the dark side?”

“Maybe. I don’t know. Just give me a bit of time to deal with this.” I was all over the place. Emotionally, this thing with Faith was messing with me. I needed some time, some thinking, and maybe a change in that thinking. It probably wasn’t smart to make a decision when just hours before Faith had been wrapped in my arms.

Cooper looked like he understood. “Whatever you need, bro. But when you’re ready to party, let me know.”

“Thanks.” I was grateful, but I wasn’t there yet.

Cooper rolled his eyes. “Yeah, we’ll wait until you cheer up a bit. If it’s not fun, it’s not worth it.”

“Gotta eat before class.” I opened the fridge and began to pull out the food I needed. Cooper had listened to me, advised me, and he was doing his best to understand, but he didn’t, not really.

“I get it, Hunts, she’s special,” he said.

By the time I’d closed the fridge door to look at him, he was gone.

* * *

Faith

I had to move when Penny knocked on my door.

I would’ve liked to ignore her. But when she said she was worried about me and asked if I was okay, I knew I should be decent enough to tell her I was fine. I stood, drew a breath, and opened the door. She looked up at me and gasped. I must look pretty bad.

Next thing I knew, I was sitting on my bed with Penny patting my leg, saying it would be okay, and asking if I wanted tea. I hated tea.

“Tell me what he did, and we’ll get him. Somehow. I know people.”

I shook my head slowly. My pixie was out for blood? “Who are you planning to get?” I was still foggy, confused, and not thinking straight.

She frowned. “Sebastien must have done something. You went out to meet him yesterday, and then you didn’t come back all night, and now you’re like this. I thought he’d done something.”

Had he? What was my problem? Seb hadn’t done anything that I hadn’t wanted him to do. And nothing like what Penny must be thinking if she wanted to hurt him.

I drew a breath. “My mom called. My grandmother is dying.”

Penny’s eyes widened, and her hand covered her mouth. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Faith! I didn’t know. Is there anything I can do? Do you need to go home?”

“Gramma doesn’t want me to. She wants me to keep on with hockey. Seb suggested I see if she can come down here, instead.” I needed to talk to my mom. See if the doctor had okayed it.

Penny nodded. “I guess, if that’s what you want. And what she wants. But since you didn’t come back here… Were you with Seb last night?”

I felt the heat moving up my face, filling my cheeks. Penny’s eyes grew wide. “Did you and he— Are you two?”

I dropped my face into my hands. “Yes and no. I don’t know. I don’t have time for this now.”

Penny moved closer and wrapped her arm around me. “Hey, if that got you through a bad night, that’s great. But what did you guys decide going forward?”

I shook my head. I could hear the frown in her voice.

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