Page 8 of The Comeback

If I don’t go back to the party, Jackson is going to start chirping at me again, so I grab a cold beer. I prop my hip on the counter, popping the top off, and downing half of the bitter brew before heading back to my friends with a smile plastered on my face.

I don’t know why I let that get to me so much. I can’t afford any distractions if I want to prove myself and get drafted this year. Abby is clearly a distraction if one PG kiss had me running into the street, barely dressed. There’s no need to see her again, anyway. It’s not like we have any classes together and there’s no way she’ll show up here again. I can’t get that look in her eyes or the taste of her lips out of my head, though, as hard as I try to push them out.

Chapter 5

Abby

“Whatwasthatallabout, Abby?” We’re barely through the apartment door when she turns to me, eyes dark with concern. I’m surprised she held it in for the entire ride home. I guess it was too much to hope she would forget about it. “Who was the barefoot hottie with your lipstick all over his face?”

I didn’t even notice my lipstick on his face. Oh my god. “That was Bastian, Sebastian Fleet. We went to school together.”

She pulls me onto our comfy overstuffed gray couch, dragging a soft blanket over us. I snuggle into her side. “You went to school with Sebastian Fleet? Like star hockey player for the Lightning, Sebastian Fleet? How did I not know this?”

I narrow my eyes at my friend. “Since when do you care about hockey?”

“I might not go to the games or anything, but everyone on campus knows Seb and the other hockey guys.”

“Yeah, and they know it. I don’t know him that well. At least not… anymore.” I burrow deeper into the couch and bring the blanket up to hide my face.

“Sounds like there’s more to that story. Does it require ice cream?” She pulls the blanket down a little with a hopeful look. “Who am I kidding. There are very few situations that are not improved by ice cream.”

Her side of the couch tilts as she gets up, still nattering away. “Except maybe sex. Way too sticky and messy.”

“Too much information!” I yell at her retreating back, but still giggling, which I suspect was her intention. She returns a moment later with a pint of cookie dough and two spoons.

“Ok, now spill.” She pulls the top off the carton, offering me a spoon, but pulling it away when I go to grab it. I stick my lower lip out in a pout.

“I’ll tell you. Just give me the good stuff.” She relinquishes the spoon to my grabby hands.

I jam a big spoonful of the creamy goodness into my mouth in a futile stall for time. “Ugh. Bastian and I were friends. Best friends. When we were kids. I met him and Tristan, this other boy in kindergarten, and we hit it off right away. As much as you can when you’re five. We all liked superheroes and movies and all things nerdtastic. We spent all our time together. And then in eighth grade, his family moved, and he got sent to a different school. I didn’t see him for two years and when he transferred to my high school in Junior year, he was a totally different person. He was full of himself and had no time for an old friend, so that’s it. We were done.” That’s not the complete story, but it hurts too much to talk about, even with my best friend, and I can’t deal with those memories right now.

She narrows her eyes at me. “I can tell you’re hiding something from me, but I’ll leave it for now. You’ve had a rough day. What with your stupid ex and his bitchy girlfriend.”

It’s kind of funny that I hadn’t even thought about Connor and Lauren. That part of the party turned into a blip after what happened with Sebastian. I still can’t believe I kissed him, and he kissed me back. I’m sure of it. There was definitely mutual kissing. I shift in my seat, trying to avoid the uncomfortable tingle when I remember his naked body on display for me. He’s always been in good shape, what with the whole hockey player thing, but he’s filled out and gained bulk on his tall frame. Those abs are unbelievable. Holy shit, they didn’t seem real. I try to push the memory out of my head, but it lingers.

“Did you hear about the Hastings?” I ask, trying to deflect her from any further Sebastian related questioning. She’s a drama major, so she won’t be competing in the competition.

“Yeah, I heard it’s a duet thing. You’re pairing up with Dax, right? That’s going to be epic. Your voices together are amazing. Much better than if you’d done it with Connor.” Her face scrunches up as if even saying his name leaves an unpleasant taste in her mouth. Feel that.

“Yes, but I have to sing. I was planning on helping write the song and then taking a backseat on the piano during the actual performance. How am I going to sing? In front of all those people. Under all that pressure? I don’t know how you do it.” Ree was born for the stage and screen. The energy of a crowd fills her up until she’s luminous where I shrink from it. Me, on the other hand. You know that avocado green color that was popular in the fifties? That’s my face under the spotlight.

“You won’t be alone. You’ll have Dax up there with you. Just close your eyes and pretend you’re singing in the shower. We can probably get some stage time too, and you can practice up there for me. Abby.” Her hand is warm and comforting on my arm. “I know how hard this is for you, but I also know how strong you are. You can totally do this.”

My shoulders ease up. I’m so glad I found my people here at college. I wore high school like an ill-fitting pair of shoes, always pinching my toes and causing me blisters. Here at college, I’ve found my place. No matter how different Ree and I are, I know she’s got my back. That’s why I don’t need to revisit the painful days of high school. Tonight was an insignificant blip. I’m not going to have any need to cross paths with Sebastian again.

“What are we watching?” Ree and I might not have too much in common personality wise, but one thing we can both agree on is movies. From Romcoms to big action blockbusters and angsty indie films, we love them all.

“Ten Things I Hate About You?” She scrolls through the streaming list. I mean, it does have romance to it, but maybe I can handle it, especially when Bianca punches Joey in his perfect face. I’m kinda wanting to take a page out of her playbook right now and serve one up to my former friend.

“How do you know me so well?”

Her eyes widen into a creeper stare, and she gives me an unbalanced smile. “Psychic powers.”

“Uh-huh.”

We settle in for the evening laughing and chatting and the events of the day fade away.

Chapter 6

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