Page 117 of Collide
“Where have you been?” Amara asks when I step inside.
“Got into it with my dad. I finally let it out. Not everything, but I didn’t stay quiet this time.”
Worry mars her features. “Shit. Did he take it well?”
I snort. “Not in the slightest. I haven’t checked my phone since, but I’m sure I have voicemails from my mom.”
“Well, I’m glad you feel better.” She hugs me. “But that doesn't explain why you’re coming home in the middle of the afternoon in an oversized hoodie.” She pulls at my sleeve to inspect it. “Oh, and what's this? Number twenty-two,Captain. Interesting.”
I yank it out of her grip. “I slept over at Aiden’s, Nancy Drew.”
Amara lifts herself on the counter. “Tell me everything.”
“I cried. He held me. And when he asked me to stay so he could care for me, I said yes.”
She makes a face like she’s going to cry. “This is monumental. You stayed over at a guy’s place.You! Ms. I don’t do anything relationship-y.”
“I don’t know, Amara. It feels like a huge step because I’ve been staying away from everything hockey for years, and I’ve been hurt before. It’s like I just opened that jammed door and Aiden walked through and uncovered every nook and cranny.” I feel vulnerable, and more naked than I’ve ever been.
“I know, and I get that letting yourself be with him, without the whole friends-with-benefits thing to fall back on, is a huge leap, especially with everything that just happened with your dad.”
Emotion clogs my throat. “He’s the only other guy I’ve actually been with since Donny, and we know how that turned out.” Donny was sweet at first, but his true self showed eventually.
“Donny’s old news. As far as I know, his preppy ass doesn’t exist.” She grimaces as if thinking about him makes her physically ill. “And he’s a terrible reflection of the kind of guys out there.” Her expression turns inquisitive. “Maybe that date with Oliver will help you sort out your feelings.”
I completely forgot about my date with Oliver. Oliver is in one of Amara’s electives which is one of the hardest courses at Dalton because of its seven course credits. She may or may not have given him my number because she’s trying to partner with him for the course. I gave her the go ahead when I wanted to explore my options. It was before Aiden held me as if letting me go would physically hurt.
The gears in my brain spin faster, and I find Amara awaiting my answer. Aiden’s words about making my own decisions float back to me and I know what I need. “You’re right. Maybe it will.”
DID YOU KNOW Yellowtail Snappers are nocturnal predators?
Oliver Benson, an accounting major with a passion for agriculture studies, as well as my date for the night, has been droning on about his trip to the Florida Keys.
Yesterday, I felt like even if the world collapsed, I’d be okay if I stayed in Aiden’s arms. I haven’t seen him since because I think he’s giving me space, but he has texted me random things about the guys that make me laugh. Mostly about Kian and how he’s coping with the Cassie situation. Apparently, Dylan’s been teaching him how to figure skate.
Oliver continues talking, and my eyes glaze over with boredom as I mentally organize my schedule, but a familiar voice interrupts my calendar debrief.Twoirritatingly familiar voices, headed straight for our table. I chose this off-campus diner for my date specifically because it’s not full of Dalton students.
Dylan falls into the booth beside Oliver, and Kian tries to slide in next to me, but I stay rooted in place, so he can’t fit. We have a silent stare down until he hip-checks me, sending me sliding across the leather to make room for him.
Kian brightens with mock surprise. “This is crazy! What are the chances of us seeing you here?”
“You don’t mind if we join, right, man?” Dylan asks Oliver.
“Friends of Summers are friends of mine,” he says slowly.
I try not to roll my eyes. These two are interrupting our date, and he’s inviting them to stay?
Dylan extends a hand to Oliver. “I’m Dylan.”
“Oliver.”
“Nice to meet you, Ollie. That’s Kian,” he says, pointing to a beaming Kian. “By the way, you left this in Aiden’s bedroom, Sunny.” Dylan pulls something out of his pocket and places it in the center of the table.
Oliver eyes the hair clip, and I hope I’m doing a decent job of looking neutral even as I clench my fists. “That’s not mine.”
Kian’s head tilts. “You sure? You’re wearing an almost identical one right now.”
Before I can lie again, Oliver chimes in, “Are you talking about Aiden Crawford?”
