Page 50 of (Un)Expected

Shaking my head, I turned back to Calla, myactualdate. She was lively and fun, everything that Ishouldhave wanted. I needed someone sweet and kind in my life, not a girl who constantly gave me shit, someone who could balance out my asshole tendencies. It also didn’t hurt that Calla was gorgeous, no questions about it. She looked like a real-life mermaid, with her long red hair flowing down her back and her innocent smile. She was perfect.

When I tried to talk to her, though, there was nothing between us. I didn’t feel a need to be close to her, to get to know every thought in her head. Not the way I did with Alex.

Alex was the girl who crawled under my skin, refusing to let go.

I wish I could’ve said I hated the feeling.

I didn’t.

I hated the guilt that came with it.

We both waited as Alex stepped up to the tee, placing her teal ball on top of it. She squinted her eyes as she lined up her shot, bitingthe corner of her lip in concentration. It was cute how seriously she took this game. I couldn’t give a fuck if I won or lost—getting a rise out of her was becoming my newest addiction.

She peeked over her shoulder before her swing, staring daggers back at me, waiting for me to make my move. In truth, I had nothing planned, enjoying planting those seeds of doubt in her head.

With a deep breath, Alex tapped the ball, and we all watched with bated breath as it slid down the hill. It felt like the whole course was silent as it bounced off a stone at the base. It looked like it was going to stop, but as it rounded the hill, the ball grazed the outside wall, causing it to turn ever so slightly.

One slight tweak, and it slid right into the cup.Hole in fucking one.

“Yes!” Alex screamed, holding her club up in victory and pointing it at me. “Suck on that, you motherfu?—”

“Miss Green!” a voice called out from behind us. A woman glared at us, her hands covering a small boy’s ears. He smiled cheekily up at his mother, probably crafting some questions for later in his mind.

Alex’s cheeks turned various shades of red. “Sorry, Mrs. Patterson.” I smirked back at her, and she pointed her finger in my direction. “Don’t you dare say anything.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

The rest of us finished our games, not even coming close to beating Alex. The bright smile on her face lit up the entire course, making it almost impossible to look away.

As my mind started getting lost in thoughts of Alex again, Adam came to my side, nudging me with his elbow. “You good?”

Clearing my throat, I lowered my gaze, hating how easy it was to forget that Alex was here with my best friend, not me. “Fine.”

“About the bet…”

“Don’t,” I cut him off. “There’s no need. I appreciate you looking out for me.”

“Always,Cole.”

My stomach dropped at the simple exchange, a reminder of how much Adam had done for me. If it weren’t for him, I would probably still be stuck in my hometown, drinking myself into an early grave, wishing I hadn’t lost my purpose in an instant, hating the aimless loser I’d become. I owed him my life, which was a debt that could never be repaid.

A good place to start would be to get my dick under control. No more thinking about Alex—at all. Looking away from the woman stuck in my head, I studied Calla. It was unfair that I’d never given her a chance.

So when it came time to leave, and Adam asked if we wanted to go to dinner together, I gave Calla a questioning look. “I was thinking we could grab some food just the two of us.”

She smiled back at me. “That sounds great.”

“Wait,are you serious? Friday Night Lights is a real thing?”

Calla stared at me, trying to wrap her head around my childhood. Apparently, growing up in rural Texas and New York City were vastly different experiences. While my childhood was surrounded by livestock and miles of open land, she spent her days in a penthouse apartment with a doorman.

Despite our differences, we were having a good time. She took me to a small beachside shack that served some of the best burgers I’d ever eaten. It was barely even a restaurant, more a one-person operation behind the grill. Wooden picnic tables lined the concrete slab, and the red and white striped plastic roof gave the whole place a warm glow. As we sat on opposite sides of the table, I turned, staring out at the lake the town was named after.

As I watched the world go by, I started to imagine what it would be like to live here. Could I do it? The laid-back atmosphere suited me better than LA, that was for damn sure. Could I picture myselfhere five, even ten years down the line? I started to push the thought away, but that usual unease about the future was missing. For the first time in a long time, the idea of putting down roots didn’t turn my stomach.

“Last call!” the guy behind the counter bellowed, tossing a couple of spare hotdogs onto the counter. After tossing out our trash, Calla grabbed one, taking it with her as we walked toward her car. With her living at the resort, it was an easy call to head back together.

As we drove, we talked about anything and everything, from sports to her dream vacations. I kept waiting for that spark of interest to ignite, something that would make me want to do this again. I enjoyed talking to Calla; she was funny and smart as hell, much more serious than I initially gave her credit for. She was someone Ishouldwant to get to know better.

---