Page 83 of What If I Knew You

Motherfucker, what am I supposed to do now?

“Thank you for the invitation,” Coach says. “But we’re actually getting our lunch to go so we can eat at the park. You guys enjoy though. We’ll see you on the ice in the morning.”

The guys all wave goodbye and Corrigan looks at me one more time, her face expressionless except for a friendly smile to everyone before she turns back toward the front counter with her father.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” August asks, leaning across the table.

“Huh?”

“First of all, your face is white as fuck,” Harrison says. “Are you feeling alright?”

“Huh?”

“And secondly, you were kind of a dick to Coach’s daughter. She was just trying to shake your hand, man.”

My body has gone completely still on the outside but on the inside, it feels like every organ in my body is summersaulting, banging into each other and then exploding on impact. I’m staring straight ahead but I’m not seeing anything. My hands feel clammy and beads of sweat are forming across my forehead.

“I-I-I…Uh…”

“Auggie he really doesn’t look good,” Ella whispers. “Maybe we should do something.”

“No.” I shake my head vigorously, wiping the sweat from my forehead with my napkin and then pushing away my food so I can hold my head in my hands.

“Roche, what’s going on, man?” Griffin asks beside me. “Are you sick? Need to get out of here?”

Hell, yeah I want to get out of here.

Out of this restaurant.

Out of this town.

Out of this career.

Out of this life.

Fuck!

“I…I…” I shake my head and mumble, “I didn’t know. I didn’t know. I didn’t know. I didn’t know.”

“What didn’t you know?”

“Out with it Pickle Pants,” Barrett demands. “We can’t help you if you don’t tell us what the problem is.”

“She’s the girl,” I say softly.

Barrett’s brows pinch together. “What?”

“Corri-Cor-Corrrrrigan.”

Fuck why am I stuttering?

“What about her?”

I lift my eyes to meet Barrett’s. “She’s the…she’s the girl.”

God it’s so fucking hot in here.

“What girl?” Ella asks.

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