Page 8 of From Now On

“Then what is it about?”

I slouch down in the armchair, staring at the television. A car ad is playing on the screen. “You and Hart have both settled down. I thought it might be nice to meet someone. I was never crazy about the party scene, so I thought I’d try dating.”

“I have not settled down,” Aidan insists. “I’m twenty-two—still a wild stallion.”

I snort.

Aidan doesn’t take much seriously, but it’s obvious he’s helmet over skates for Rylan. He still gets shit—and gained legendary status—about the scene they made at the championship game. Rylan is Coach Keller’s daughter. Aidan snuck into her hotel room before the game, and then kissed her in front of the entire team after it. You don’t dothatand then keep your options open.

“Pleaseneversay that again. And call yourself whatever you want. It’s a Friday night, and you’re on the couch, sober, waiting for Rylan to text you. You’ve changed, and it’s a good thing. So has Hart. If he and Harlow don’t get married, I’ll be shocked.”

Conor in a relationship was less of a surprise than Aidan. He’s had an intense personality as long as I’ve known him, it was just always focused on hockey. And, based on how he used to act around Harlow Hayes—entirely ignoring her—I wouldn’t have bet any money she’d be the one to shift Hart’s priorities. But now, he’s as serious about Harlow as he is about going pro.Veryfucking serious, in other words.

I miss playing hockey, but a break from Hart’s drill sergeant routine has been nice. We still skate together on the weekends, but it’s not the same grueling pace of practices and weight sessions and film sessions and traveling to away games.

“Did you mention marriage on the second date, Morgan?” Aidan teases. “Because that might have been where you went wrong.”

I flip him off. “You hear about your retake yet?”

That’s how Aidan met his girlfriend. He failed Stats last semester, and she got assigned as his tutor. Maybe straight As are why I’m single.

“No.” Aidan glances at his phone. His expression is suddenly sober, and I immediately feel badly for reminding him about the impending decision. He needs to pass the retake in order to graduate.

“I had this weird moment earlier,” I blurt.

Partly to distract him, and partly because…I have this strange urge to talk about it.

“What do you mean?” Aidan asks. “What kind of weird moment?”

“I was talking to this girl, and it was just…I dunno. Weird.”

If I tell him I feel an inexplicable buzz of electricity around Eve—a girl I talked toonceand who has been dating someone else most of the time since—I’m ninety percent certain Phillips will burst out laughing. A couple of months ago, I would’ve said a hundred, but he hasn’t changed that much.I’dlaugh, if our roles were reversed. Internally, at the very least.

“Dude, you’re going to have to come up with another adjective. Weirdhow? She was staring at your dick the whole time? She was bleeding? She was on a date with you, and you mentioned marriage?”

“No, I…” I don’t know how to describe my short conversation with Eve earlier. Around her, it’s just…different. I noticed it the first time we spoke. Since then, I’ve waited for it to dissipate. To see her and feel nothing. That still hasn’t happened. I shake my head, second-guessing sharing. She and Ben might already be back together. “Never mind.”

The front door opens and slams closed.

Conor’s eyebrows rise when he strolls into the living room, bringing a gust of cold air with him. “Wow. You’rebothhome.”

“Phillips is waiting for girls’ night to end,” I say.

“Morgan had a shitty date,” Aidan shares at the same time.

“Oh-kay.” Conor sinks down onto the couch next to Aidan. “I got none of that.”

“Hunter just got back from a bad date that involved a weird moment,” Aidan tells him.

Panic seizes my chest as Phillips cheerfully relays that information. What if Hart mentions my weird moment to Harlow? What if she says something about it to Eve? She’ll assume it was about my date, not her, Ithink. But what if she doesn’t?

Nearly four years of friendship, and I’ve never mentioned the girl I met the first week of freshman year to either of my best friends. It was stupid to break that streak now, especially since Hart is dating her best friend.

But I’m always careful and constrained and guarded, and I wish it hadn’t worked so well because it makes it a hell of a lot harder to change.

“Phillips is waiting for his girlfriend to invite him over,” I inform Conor.

“How’d you know that?” Aidan asks, frowning.

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