Page 39 of Wrecked Rose

“Griff is a good guy. I like him a lot. And he’s fucking hotter than hell—a goddamn dreamboat, which is why I put him into my phone like that. I mean, who in their right mind wouldn’t want a chance with him? He’s fucking legendary, hence me giving him that nickname.”

Scarlett presses a few fingers to her temple. “You’ve given him more than one nickname. That says something right there.” Her brows pinch together. “I’m thinking back to all of the times you’ve joked around with him. All the talking at the table at the gala since neither of you had a date with you…”

Daph wrinkles her nose in that cute way she has. “Yeah, and then wanting to use him for a pillow on New Year’s.”

“He made a damn good pillow, and I slept well that night despite the intoxication and subsequent hangover.” I wet my lower lip with my tongue, still kind of unsure what they think.

Daphne covers her mouth, suddenly laughing. “Max, after all the issues I had with Micah putting himself into my phone as Daph’s Dream Dick, you’d have to know we’d eventually see it.”

I grin sheepishly. “Yeah, well. I couldn’t help myself. Listen, it’s not that big a deal. I’m sure most of the female population of Rosehaven Academy have their sights set on him. My chance is about one in a million when you consider we’re talking about Griff.”

Never mind that I have slightly different information. Never mind that he’s kissed me twice all on his own.

Holding her hands clasped together under her chin, Scarlett chews on the corner of her lip. “So… what are you going to do? I mean, if you do like him like that?”

“Uh, nothing? I think you’re overestimating my gay-man superpowers, Cupcake. As much as I might like to think otherwise, my dick is not magical.”

Daphne frowns. “But what about when he took off after you at the par—”

I interrupt her with a shake of my head, unable to look either of my friends in the eye. “There’s nothing more to say.Really.”

And that’s when my best friend out-and-out scowls at me and pokes me in the chest to drive her point home. “You’re lying. But that’s okay.”

Scarlett sighs. “It’s always one of us having problems, isn’t it?”

As I nod, mouth tightly sealed, I close my eyes. “Just do me a favor and don’t say anything to him—not a single word, not even jokingly.”

When my eyes open, both Scarlett and Daph are staring at me, worried looks on their faces, but they nod their agreement.

I really wish I could tell them the whole truth, but for now they’ll have to speculate with each other. Obviously, my crush was news to them, so they remain clueless about Griff’s current state of confusion. And if Griff hasn’t told people that he’s going through something right now, it’s not my place to give anyone else that information. Not unless he says it’s okay.

Besides, I still have to process and think through what he’d said.He’s not ready for me.

But does that mean he could be one day?

If and when that day comes, I’m sure Daphne and Scarlett will have a field day looking back on this conversation.

All this thought and speculation makes me think of Sam, especially since I haven’t reached out to him in a while. After I sit down on the bleachers with the girls to watch Lyla flip around, I pull out my phone and open the OUTspoken app to check for messages. Sure enough, there’s one sitting there from Sam.

Sam:Hey. I was afraid of this.

Max:Uh-oh. What’s up?

Sam:Remember how Dad said maybe if I would just go out on a date with a girl that things would change?

Sam:Now that my face is somewhat back to normal, he’s set me up on a date with some girl.

Sam:You know, like he keeps telling me I need to do…

Sam:What do you think?

I roll my eyes. This guy’s dad is a grade A dick.

Max:Well, I can’t tell you what to do.

Max:But I can maybe tell you what I would do if I have more info.

Max:Do you know this girl?

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