Page 23 of What If I Knew You

“So not even like, I don’t know…fifty puck bunnies?”

“Dude, not even one.”

Griffin freezes, his drink halfway to his mouth.

“Huh? You mean you have a steady girlfriend?”

“Nope. Never had a girlfriend.”

Harrison laughs next to me, having picked up on our conversation. “Come on Pickle Pants. Don’t tell us you’re a virgin.”

“Okay.” I laugh nervously but shrug like it’s no big deal. “I won’t tell you.”

“Wait.” Griffin’s eyes grow unusually large. Like, scarily large. I don’t know how they’re not just falling out of the sockets. But then he shouts, “Wait, wait, wait. Are you seriously saying you’re a virgin?”

“Shhh!”

Jesus, fuck! Does he have to be so damn loud?

“Jesus! Can you say that any louder?”

“Yes. Yes. I can.”

“Well, I’d appreciate it if you keep your voice down, alright?”

“Dude, is it true?” he asks, quieter this time. “You’re a fucking virgin?”

I bob my head, weighing whether or not to be honest. “Yes. I’m a virgin. Why? Are you planning a sacrifice of some kind?”

“What? No, dumbass.” He laughs. “But how the fuck are you a virgin?”

Harrison leans on the table and brings his fist to his chin, suddenly interested.

Griffin lowers his voice and murmurs, “Is it a limp dick issue? I mean it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Lots of guys have that problem.” He shrugs one shoulder. “Granted, they’re usually in their seventies but still.”

“No Griffin. I do not have a limp dick issue. But thank you very much for your concern.” Ugh I really didn’t want to have to go through this but if I don’t give them the whole truth, I might never live this down. “I did it for my dad.”

“Your dad asked you to remain a virgin?” Griffin scrunches his face. “Dude, that’s?—”

Harrison nods as if he gets it. “Did you have a strict don’t-touch-the-remote policy growing up in your house?”

Cocking my head, I glance at Harrison and wonder what the fuck kind of childhood he must have had to even ask a questionlike that. “I feel like there’s a lot to unpack in that question, Meers. But no, he didn’t ask me to be a virgin,” I say, shaking my head. “My father made it possible for me to have this life. He bent over backwards to give me the ability to play hockey and so I never wanted to disappoint him.”

“Oookaaay…” Griffin says, clearly unimpressed.

“And then he died from cancer four years ago. Cancer that I didn’t know he had until it was too late because instead of spending his goddamn money on cancer treatments he was traveling around the country watching me play college hockey. After all he did for me, how could I ever look myself in the mirror if I were to accidentally knock up some chick I fucked for the fun of it?”

Harrison sits back in his chair. “Wow. That’s…”

“Deep.” Griffin nods. “That’s deep.”

Harrison’s expression softens. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

“Ditto,” Griffin says. “That must’ve been hard.”

“It was. I just…didn’t want to be a disappointment to my father after all this time, you know? I mean, when I was young I was just hyper focused on being the best so I didn’t allow myself to give a moment of my time to girls.”

“Wait, so you didn’t even like…” Griffin pumps his curled fist up and down to which I roll my eyes.

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