Page 140 of From Now On

I laugh. Ben doesn’t swear very often, so it’s always entertaining when he does. “Yeah. He is.”

“All he wanted to talk about was sports. Typical jock.”

I run my tongue along the backs of my teeth, tempted to grimace. Not the best intro to telling my ex I’m dating an athlete.

I clear my throat. “What I wanted to talk to you about doesn’t have to do with my parents. I wanted to let you know that I’m, um, seeing someone.”

No reaction this time.

Ben’s expression appears purposefully blank. I’m not even sure if he’s blinking.

“Oh,” he finally states.

I gnaw on the inside of my cheek. “I wasn’t sure if you would want to know. But it’s a small campus and I know you might see us together or hear something, and so I just—I wanted you to hear it from me.”

Ben nods once. “Who is he?”

“Hunter Morgan.”

“I don’t know him.”

“Yeah, I figured. He’s, um, he’s friends with Conor. He’s on the hockey team.”

“Oh.” Now Ben’s expressionispurposefully blank. “Is it serious?”

“Yes.”

He glances down briefly, then makes eye contact again. “Okay. Thanks for telling me.”

“Yeah, of course. I… I should go. I’m getting lunch with Mary.”

He nods again. “Have fun.”

I smile before turning, but only make it a couple of steps before Ben says my name.

I swallow, then spin back around to face him.

Ben’s staring at the ground, but he glances up when I say, “Yeah?”

“Hunter’s a good guy? He treats you well?”

I swallow again, this time to clear the lump in my throat. “Yes—yeah. He’s…really good.”

Ben nods. “Good.”

“You—you talk to Rowan lately?” I ask tentatively.

He shakes his head. “No. Not since…”

“You should call her,” I suggest softly.

“Yeah. Maybe. See you, Eve.”

“Bye, Ben.”

When I walk away from him this time, it feels like closure.

Hunter’s bicep bunches as he runs a hand through his hair. “I need a haircut.”

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