Page 63 of Broken Hearts
Dakota snorts. “They are all acting so crazy. The only one that seems normal this week is Maverick. He’s his same ridiculous self.”
Reagan looks to me. “How’s Rhett handling it?”
“Oh…” I glance around the circle. “He seems fine. I don’t think I know him well enough to know the difference yet.”
“He’s the most competitive one out of all of them,” Ginny says. “So it doesn’t surprise me that he’s handling the pressure well.”
“And he’s distracted by this one.” Dakota nudges my foot with hers. “I’ve never seen him smile so much.”
“What?” I can feel my face getting warm. “No. That can’t be right.”
Ginny nods. “It’s true.”
“I mean, things are great and we’re spending a lot of time together, but it’s still new.”
“I’m happy for him,” Reagan says. “After the way Carrie treated him, he deserves someone amazing like you.”
“Why? How did Carrie treat him? Aside from calling Rhett constantly, I don’t know much about her.”
None of them speaks at first.
“We don’t really know anything about her either,” Reagan says. “She only visited a couple of times and she didn’t make any attempt to get to know us. It was more of the way he was with her. Rhett spent ninety-nine percent of his time on the phone with her, he always had to check in even if we were out doing things. I’ve never done the long-distance thing so maybe that’s normal.”
“He was a really good boyfriend,” Ginny speaks up for him with a reassuring smile like she’s trying to convince me.
“You don’t need to sell me on him. He’s great.” Trying to take the heat off me and Rhett, I look to the single one of the group, Dakota. “So, Ginny and Heath, Reagan and Adam, and you and Maverick?”
“No.” Dakota’s red hair catches the moonlight as she shakes her head. “I’m forever single.”
“Why forever?”
Reagan leans forward and holds a hand up to her face, then whispers loud enough for everyone to hear, “This one is super picky.”
Dakota smacks her arm playfully. “They’re called standards.”
Reagan laughs and sits back. “What about you? Have you dated a lot of people before Rhett?”
“No, not really. A couple of guys, but nothing serious.”
“Why not?” Ginny asks with a disbelieving arch to her brow.
“What she means is, you’re hot and amazing. How are you possibly still unattached?” Dakota asks. “Fear of commitment? Long lost love?”
I giggle. “No, neither.”
They’re all looking at me waiting for me to elaborate.
“I guess between the heart thing scaring people off and skating taking up so much of my time, it just hasn’t happened. I’m not a big drinker so I usually leave the party before people start pairing off and going home together.”
“You were waiting for Rhett.” When Ginny smiles at me like she’s doing right now, I feel about a hundred years older than her and super jaded. My default would be to make some sarcastic comment, but instead I smile back at her. Maybe I was.
Ginny’s phone lights up in her hand, breaking the moment.
“Heath?” Reagan asks.
“Yeah, he told me where they are and said to hurry up.”
“Clingy,” Dakota says with a snort.
