Page 75 of Study Buddies

But neither of us spoke for a while

23

TORI

Tall trees passedby the truck, and I watched them to distract myself from the guilt and dismay. Kyle was silent as he drove, but I could almost feel unhappiness radiating from him.

This was all on me.

Kyle was an easy-going guy. All he’d wanted to do was to go to the batting cages. I’d not only turned him down, but I also reminded him of topics he didn’t want to think about. About the academics he struggled so much with. And his bad history with Lucas.

That redhead would’ve gone with him to the batting cages to fawn over his muscles, his skill. She likely would’ve gone everywhere he asked, including his bed. I didn’t want him to be with her, but I also didn’t want him to be so miserable.

Especially when it was my fault. I’d been upset about my mom, and it had affected my judgment.

How to fix this? I thought about what I knew about him, what he might like to talk about. There was baseball, of course. And himself—that seemed like a favorite topic. And sex. That was definitely one of his interests.

I didn’t know much about baseball, but maybe I could get him talking about one of the other two.

Or both.

It took me a minute to figure out an approach, but then I turned to him and tried to keep my voice casual and carefree. “Hey, I was wondering if you could help me understand something. About guys. About how they think.”

Kyle didn’t take his eyes off the road, but he answered quickly enough. “Maybe theydon’tthink. My grades are proof of that.” It was a clear attempt to lighten the mood, and I appreciated it, even if I felt I didn’t deserve it.

“Just wait until you get your paper back. You might be surprised.”

“Not likely,” he said succinctly. “And women always say they want to know how men think—and then they’re often horrified by what they find out.”

“I’ll risk it. I think you might be able to help me understand because this is someone you know.”

“Ah, one of the great brains back at the house.”

“No. It’s this other guy.” I braved looking at him. His face was neutral, which was better than glum. “You see, this guy asked me if I’d go on a date with him, but then he never followed up after that.”

Kyle’s expression morphed into a reluctant grin. “Did he actually ask you or did he blackmail you into it?”

“I forget the details.”

He gave a low laugh, and I was so glad to hear that sound. He took a deep breath. “Okay, school’s in session, little tutor. I’m going to let you in on a huge secret about men.”

He cocked a finger at me, and I leaned in. He brought his head close, his eyes still facing forward, and whispered, “Most men are idiots.”

I laughed, straightening back up, thrilled that he was acting more like himself. “That’s not a secret.”

“True. But there are some exceptions. Some men are handsome, charming, and know how to handle their bat.” He smirked. “Like I did at the game yesterday, I mean.”

“Sure that’s what you meant.” My relief at the change in mood was making me feel playful.

“I always mean what I say, Victoria. Just like I meant it when I asked you on a date.”

“Blackmailedme for a date.”

“I forget the details.” His use of my line from before made me laugh. “But I do still want to take you out. A deal’s a deal, and I showed up at your nerd convention.”

“Study group.”

“Same difference. Anyway, I was waiting for the right time for our date.”

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