Page 47 of In the Net
I was wrong to treat Bryce, and others, the way I did years ago. Wrong to spend my entire freshman year of college as a cocky jerk until Coach and some of the older members on the team whipped me into shape.
I leave the hospital knowing that I have a best friend again. There’s no price you can put on that. I don’t know if it would be the case right now if not for Harper.
And there might just be a way to pay her back.
19
HARPER
My face hits the cushion when I let myself fall forward onto the living room couch after coming home from a date.
Iwishthis guy had stood me up.
“That good, huh?” Scarlett asks from the table by the kitchen, where she’s doing something on her laptop.
A muffled groan answers her.
“What was so bad about it?” she asks.
“He wouldn’t stop talking about fishing.”
She lets out a guffaw. “Fishing?”
“Fishing,” I confirm sourly.
“That was all he talked about?”
“That wasallhe talked about.”
I’m not saying I’d never go out with a guy who’s into fishing. But this guy wasonlyinto fishing.
“Did he show you fish pics?”
I dig my face into the cushion. “Please don’t make me relive it.”
Scarlett’s laughter mingles with the clicking of her keyboard. “I’m sure the next date will be better.”
I’d say that it couldn’t be worse—but I know that it really, really could, and I don’t want to jinx it.
At times like these, I think about just admitting defeat. Letting my family think the reason I haven’tfound a manis because I simply can’t.
But then that stubborn need to prove people wrong swells behind my chest. That feeling that’s driven me to success in more difficult tasks than finding a wedding date. I’m not going to give up.
The jealousy etched in my cousin’s face the two times she’s seen me and Sebastian together flashes in my mind. Being able to see that look all day long at Sophia’s wedding would really be sweet.
But even if I do succeed in finding a date, even if I succeed in finding agooddate, it’s incredibly unlikely it’s going to be someone who can generate that kind of envy in Mackenzie.
But even if I can’t bask in her jealousy for the entire ceremony and reception, just shutting her and everyone else up will be good enough.
Speaking of Sebastian, I did actually go to his house the day he was supposed to be visiting Bryce, fully intending to connect my foot with his firm, tight, pert ass if he’d chickened out.
Okay, I don’t know why I decided to add so many adjectives to the description of Sebastian’s butt, but that’s an issue for another day …
I know Sebastian did go to see Bryce, but I don’t know how it went.
It’s hardly as if we’re texting each other about our lives or anything. Sure, maybe he took care of me when I was sick, maybe I looked out for him when he was melting down over Bryce’s accident, but it’s not like we’re friends.
I mean, we’re probably still enemies. We still can’t stand each other. Right?
