Page 65 of Overtime
“A bit?” She snorts. “He’s nearly as big as you and plays defense, but I’ve never seen him as scared as he was when you squared up to him.”
“I would’ve killed him if it’d been his fault,” I mumble as I pull into the high school parking lot.
“And that’s precisely the problem I’m trying to illustrate, you Neanderthal.” She unbuckles her seat belt and gives me my own patented deadpan stare. “Would it kill you to be more sensitive sometimes?”
Yes.
Yes, it freaking would. That’s what got me into this mess in the first place. If I hadn’t acted like a sensitive little shit during the game, I might’ve kept my head screwed on right after.
“I’m your older brother. My job is to keep you safe, not to paint your toenails.”
Huffing, she rolls her eyes. “Te odio.”
“Me too. Don’t forget your scarf.”
She slams the door shut with shocking strength and flips me the bird, but then she winds her scarf around her neck. What a brat. My lips curve.
I switch on the radio and get back on the road. I have a half hour to drive around town and get to the St. Cloud library, where Strawberry will be waiting for me to start the tutoring session. The one that will be our last.
The smile drops away from my face. Instead of taking a right turn where I should, I drive straight down the longest path back to college.
At a red light, I focus away from the road for a second and find my old elementary school on the right. My pulse spikes at the onslaught of memories of that night. My hands on her waist. Her face buried in my chest. Her small hand grabbing mine for dear life. The smile on her face when she finally managed to skate a stretch on her own. Her arms around me after she almost fell.
“Ah, shit.”
At the first chance, I do a U-turn and take the short way back to school. I need to nip this in the bud. The faster I get to the library, the faster I can tell her I don’t need her to tutor me anymore. Not like a coward, like I almost did over the weekend by simply canceling the service online. But head-on. Just like I’ve done with every imminent breakup.
Except this is not a breakup. And we’ll still see each other. Just less.
Ryan can teach Maddie all about hockey. It’ll be easier that way, since they live together. I’ll see her occasionally coming in and out of our apartments. Maybe at O’Malley’s. Even less at school. English and accounting are a world apart on campus. It’ll be fine.
The last three words repeat in my head as I cross town. I park near the library entrance and grab my backpack from the back seat. I tie my black scarf close to the base of my neck and take a step forward.
“It’ll be fine, jerk. Why are you hesitating?”
Of course, no one answers my question. Not even my own brain.
I force myself to move ahead. I take a bracing breath as I push the heavy entrance door open. I flash my student ID at the scanner and walk past the information desk. Massive rows of bookcases occupy about a third of the ground floor. I cut through the middle of the long tables by the center and pivot to the stairs, taking two or three steps at a time. My heart gallops, but the little effort isn’t enough to justify it.
I’m low-key freaking out. Once I get to the farthest tables on the top floor, I’ll have to?—
I spot her right away. She sits in the corner by the massive window. Sunlight from the clear morning streams over her, making her hair glow red. Her face is set in a grumpy expression as she furiously taps on her keyboard, and like magic, it makes the corner of my lips tip upward.
Tension leaves my body, even though my heart is still racing against itself.
Then, as if she senses me, Strawberry’s eyes tear away from her computer and skewer me. That’s how it feels when a smile blooms across her face.
My resolve wanes with every step that brings me closer to her. I was wound up like a coil when I was farther from her.Am I going to transform into an angry beast after I put a firm, permanent distance between us?
And then what’s going to happen to my game? Am I really going to concentrate better if I’m always this worked up?
“Aran! I’m so glad you came.” Her cheeks are still rosy from her smile, even when she narrows her eyes a bit. “I wasn’t sure you would, since you’ve been ignoring all of us for days.”
I pull up the chair across from her and take my sweet time divesting myself of my coat, scarf, and gloves. Finally, I take a seat. For the first time, I meet her eyes.
And I’m toast.
“Are you okay?” Strawberry asks, worry evident on her face. “You don’t have to say anything other than yes or no. And if you say no, I won’t nag you. I promise.”
