Grace looks up towards the clear sky and breathes deeply. “I wish we were kids again. Being an adult kind of sucks.”
“Are we really adults if we’re still in school?”
“Pre-adulting,” Grace clarifies. “Post-teenage angst.”
“Sounds good to me.”
We turn the corner that gets us closer to her apartment, the one that sits across from Killian’s. I put my arm out, walking so she’s inside the sidewalk and away from the road. It’s almost mechanic-like, probably since I’ve done it a million times before.
“You really didn’t have to walk me all the way home,” Grace says while looking across the street at her apartment. The little “Walk” sign flashes white and begins the countdown for us to make it safely across the street. “It’s not like I live in the slums.”
“I don’t think Hanson even has slums,” I smirk.
“Either way, you didn’t have to do it. But it was really nice of you.”
I don’t stop walking until we’re both standing awkwardly on her front porch. I’m reminded of our first date, where I had wanted to kiss her goodnight, but I could see her grandmother peeking through the door she’d left cracked open. This time, everything had shifted and was different.
“Made it safe,” Grace mumbles while fiddling with her key ring. “No one to kidnap me.”
“They’d bring you back,” I tease. “You’d probably annoy them too much.”
“So you don’t think they’d kill me?” She presses her lips together to keep from smiling.
“Your ornery ass?” I snort. “You’d probably scare them.”
“You’re ridiculous,” Grace laughs. “I’ll see you around?”
I shove my hands deep into my pockets to stop myself from doing something stupid, like reaching for her. “Yup.” I drop my chin. “See you around.” And into the apartment she goes when I turn my back to walk back towards campus.
Chapter Fourteen
Grace
“This is weird,” Lila states as we stand in line for coffee.
“It’s not weird,” I insist.
“You’re having coffee with Alex,” Lila drops her voice in a whisper-hiss. “How is that not weird?”
“Because half the football team is here?” I gesture around us, to where the majority of the space is filled with jocks. “Why do you look so mad?”
“I’m not mad,” my best friend deflates. “I just didn’t know if there’s something you’re not telling me. Killian said there was some bet and now all of a sudden you and Alex are buddy-buddy.”
“We aren’t buddy-buddy.”
“Grace,” Lila gives me a pointed look. “Look over at our table.”
I comply, only to see that there’s a table by the windows were Ian, Alex, and Killian are sitting around chatting. There are two empty seats for Lila and me when we return. “I don’t get it. They’re just sitting there.”
“You are horribly oblivious, I swear.” She points rather rudely to the two empty seats. “Look who they’re by.”
Okay, so now I think I know where she’s going with this. One of the seats is next to Killian, the other open seat next to Alex, with Ian sitting at the head of the table. “Well, what do you want me to do about it? They’re the ones who sat down first.”
“I’m just trying to point out that they did it on purpose.”
I snort. “They did not.”
“Grace! They totally did.”
“You’re being ridiculous,” I tell her. “Alex and I are friends. Just friends. Trust me, there was a memo sent out to everyone and everything.” We step up to the counter where Lila rattles off her and Killian’s order and then it’s my turn. “One black large coffee and a medium hot chocolate,” I say.
“You don’t drink black coffee,” Lila says pointedly.
“You bought Killian something!”
“We’re dating, so it’s allowed. You just bought Alex a coffee.”
I lift my chin in defiance. “It could be for Ian, you don’t know that.”
“You’re so full of shit, Grace,” she laughs as we step to the side after paying. “I mean, as long as you’re happy, then I’m happy. I just need to know if I should be celebrating or threatening the guy.”
“Don’t threaten Alex,” I roll my eyes. “We aren’t twelve.”
“That's debatable,” she shrugs as the barista hands us our orders.
We sidestep around the line and beeline for the table. I'd like to think that I can keep the rationale part of my brain in check so I don't react to things so quickly. But in this case, I jolt to a stop and Lila almost collides into my back.
“What’s wrong?” she asks before peering around my shoulder.
The two seats that were moments ago left open are now filled by not one, not even two, but three girls. One of which is sitting on another girl's lap.
“Oh good grief,” Lila huffs as she moves around me. She slams her cup down between the girl and Killian, standing between them so the girl has nothing to look at but Lila’s back.
I've got to give the girl props. She absolutely hates the attention her relationship receives, but stakes her claim like a pro.
On the other hand, you have me. I don't exactly get the gall to walk up and interrupt the two girls talking to Alex. It's not like I can stake a claim. So I awkwardly stand behind them next to where Ian is sitting.
“You got two drinks?” Ian asks me.
I look down to see that my knuckles are white as both hands clench the cups. “Yeah.”
Alex doesn't look up at me, instead he's focused on the two girls babbling about some party he should go to with them.
“I got you coffee,” I blurt out awkwardly and thrust the cup towards Ian. “Here.”
Lila raises her eyebrows at me and Killian shakes his head.
Ian takes the coffee while looking majorly uncomfortable. “Thanks.”
“No problem,” I sigh.
A few minutes go by before the two girls get up, leaving the seat that I’d originally planned on taking bare. But I don’t sit down. Call me juvenile, or a four year-old, but I don’t want to ignore the problem that is currently happening. So adding fuel to the fire was the only thing on my mind.
“You look weird standing there,” Alex says, nudging the now empty chair towards me with his foot. “Take a load off.”
“I’m fine where I’m at,” I say tersely.
“Oh for Heaven’s sake,” Lila sighs, “just sit down.”
I sit. Not because I want to, but because I’d rather not make Lila mad.
“You got Ian coffee?” Alex frowns, staring at Ian as he sips the cup that was intended for Alex.
“Ian looked all lonely without girls pawing at him,” I shrug. Ha. There.
Ian sputters after the sip he just took. “Well, thanks for the coffee, anyways.”
“I could have used some coffee,” Alex mutters. “It’s starting to get chilly outside.”
He wasn’t wrong there. The weatherman on the news was saying that over the next two weeks temperatures were going to start slipping lower and lower. Soon enough winter would be here.
Lila chuckles. “If you’re so hell bent on wanting coffee, then go order yourself one.”
“Fine,” Alex shoves his chair against the wall as he stands up. He glances down at me before saying, “Don’t let anyone take my spot.”
“Sure,” I grumble. “No problem.”
Alex nods his head, gives Ian a look I can’t decipher and then waltzes away to go join the line that leads to the front counter.
“So,” Ian coughs and sets the coffee cup down. “It was nice of you to get Alex a coffee.”
I blink. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Grace,” Ian snorts. “I don’t drink coffee. And I’m sure that whatever the hell it is I’m drinking, is the way that Alex takes his coffee. Because to me it tastes like motor oil.”
The blush that overtakes my face is uncontrollable.
> “She’s trying to be nice to him since they decided they were friends again,” Lila says for me. “Don’t read too much into it.”
“Like you’re not reading too much into it?” Ian grins. “I guarantee you had some words to say when she ordered. You’re the one who was up there with her.”
“So what if I did?” Lila shrugs. “Leave them alone.”
“Now you want to butt out of their business?” Killian interrupts. “I don’t buy it. You’re planning something sneaky.”
I narrow my eyes at Lila. “Why are you suddenly agreeing with me?”
“So this coffee was for Alex!” Ian says in triumph. “I knew it.”
“Get over yourself,” I scowl. “It’s not that big of a deal. It’s a freaking cup of coffee, not a marriage proposal.”
Alex saunters back over then, slipping behind me so he can fit into his seat. He drops a cup of coffee on the table and I roll my eyes.
“What?” Alex asks.
“I see the barista likes you,” I say and tilt my chin towards his cup. The side of it has a girl’s name written on it, along with a cell phone number and a little winky face.
“Oh, that?” Alex blinks innocently. “I hadn’t noticed.”
Bullshit, but whatever.
“So, what are everybody’s plans for today?” Lila asks, interrupting Alex and I staring at one another.
“I’m going to the dance hall to practice,” I shrug.
“Should you be doing that after straining your leg muscle?” Alex asks.
It’s the first time that we’ve talked about anything from that day. The day that I thought he was going to kiss me, or at least do something. But he didn’t, instead leaving me sitting in wonder and anger at the whole ordeal. Looking around at everyone at the table, they all seem confused as to what he’s talking about, but I don’t feel like explaining.
“Grace?” Alex asks.
“It’s fine,” I wave him off. “I’m not going to overextend or anything this time. Just some simple ideas I want to throw around for the audition Mrs. Voit told me about.”
“What audition?” Lila piques up. “Is it another showcase?”
“Basically,” I say. “It’s a scholarship offer. Which I could use to cover my last semester so that way I don’t have as many loans once I graduate. And then, if I win, I can probably use that to get with a dance company in the area.”
“That’ll be amazing, Grace!” Lila grins. “I didn’t know you were even thinking about something like that.”
“I hadn’t put much thought into it, honestly. I’m not sure what to expect. There could be really good dancers here that I just haven’t seen,” I shrug.
“The people that dance here suck compared to you,” Alex states firmly. “You’ve got this scholarship in the bag.”
That might be the nicest thing he’s ever said to me. “Thank you,” I murmur.
“So, you guys going to come to our game next weekend?” Killian asks, glancing from Lila to me. “Jackson mentioned that Nina was finally not busy and was going to come.”
“She called me a few days ago,” Lila turns towards Killian. “I told her I’d see where I was at with my art stuff. But I think I’m free. Grace?” Lila moves her gaze over to me. “Do you want to catch a football game with us?”
Did I? I hadn’t seen a football game in a long, long time. Not since high school, at least. “Sure,” I shrug my shoulders. “That sounds like a good idea.”
“You’re going to watch a football game?” Alex gapes at me. “Why? You don’t even like football.”
“I don’t not like football,” I say. “But I’m sometimes busy on Saturdays so it’s hard to get out to see a game. But I’ve been going to the studio a lot during the week, so my weekends tend to be freer than they were…” I trail off.
“In high school,” Alex finishes for me. He folds his enormous arms across his chest and arches an eyebrow. “So you’re going to come to a game and cheer me on, then? I guess that’s not weird since we’re friends again. Do you want me to help you make a sign saying you’re cheering for me?”
“No,” I snort. “I don’t want to make a sign for you at all. I’ll cheer on Killian and Ian.”
Alex pouts. “But what about me?”
“What about you? Don’t you have a massive fan base that cheers for you?” I arch an eyebrow back at him. “You know, all these girls that come up to you?”
“They come up to Killian too, so why do I have to get the backlash from it?” Alex huffs. “It’s not like I asked them to come over here. Or for them to give me their numbers.”
“So it’s agreed, you don’t need me to cheer for you then,” I smile.
“I mean, he seems awful pushy about you watching him play,” Killians teases. “Might as well do the poor man a favor and give in, Grace.”
“This is ridiculous,” I roll my eyes. “You don’t need me to cheer for you. That’s weird.”
“But we’re friends now. Wouldn’t it be weirder if you didn’t cheer for me?” Alex points out.
“He’s got a point,” Ian finally adds to our conversation. “If you’re friends, then what’s the big deal?”
“That I don’t want people to get the wrong idea?” I open my hands in an, Isn’t that obvious? motion.
“But why would it make a difference if all of campus is cheering for him, too?” Ian questions. “Your reasoning doesn’t make sense, Grace.”
I hadn’t thought about it like that. Just that me cheering would somehow stand out versus other people doing it. But Alex is the quarterback, so it would look kind of weird to not cheer for him if I was at the football game. “Okay, okay,” I sigh. “You won be over. I’ll cheer for Alex.”
“See?” Alex grins at me. “Was that so hard to agree to?”
“I only agreed because Ian made the point that literally everyone in the stands is going to be cheering for you,” I roll my eyes. “It doesn’t have anything to do specifically with you.”
“Well that’s rude, you’ll be saying Ian and Killian’s names,” the quarterback pouts. “Why not mine?”
“Is it really that big of a deal?” I ask.
Alex opens his mouth, then snaps it shut and shrugs as an answer instead.
Well, so much for that getting a response. I turn towards Lila and Killian. “So we’ll meet up with your old roommate and go to the game, then?”
“Yeah,” Lila nods. “You’ll like Nina. She’s really nice.”
“And loud,” Killian snorts.
“That too,” Lila laughs. “But you’ll have a good time, I promise. And then we can all go out for pizza after the game.”
Ian groans. “Pizza sounds so good right now.”
“Then go eat,” Killian says. “You’re not being held captive here.”
“True,” Ian agrees and stands up. “Plus, I don’t really want to be a third wheel to your double-date.” He winks over towards Alex and me.
“I hate you,” Alex sighs dramatically. “You could just stop tempting fate and leave before I hit you.”
“I’m just messing around,” Ian rolls his eyes. “You’re both sitting next to girls,” he looks from Killian to Alex. “It kind of looks date-ish.” He tosses the coffee cup in the trashcan by the door as he exits.
Geez, I didn’t think it looked date-ish until now. Ugh.
Chapter Fifteen
Alex
My leg won’t stop jiggling as I sit on the bench, trying to keep from turning myself around and searching the crowd for her. All this nervous energy has nothing to do with the game currently happening in front of me, and everything to do with Grace sitting in the stands somewhere.
“You look like you’re about to puke,” Killian drops down onto the bench next to me. “What gives?”
“I’m just antsy, that’s all.”
“You sure about that?” he says while arching an eyebrow. “Because this doesn’t look like a football problem, it looks like a girl problem. And if Coach sees that loo
k on your face that’s practically screaming I have a girl problem, he’s going to murder everyone about not being focused.”
Killian’s right. Our coach doesn’t take lightly to things interrupting our focus. Every game I’ve played this year I’ve done great at. But suddenly knowing that Grace is somewhere out there watching me, it’s pushing adrenaline I didn’t know I had in my veins.
“Just don’t think about her,” Killian ambles on.
“Do you ever stop thinking about Lila?” I ask.
“No, but that’s different. I’ve fully accepted that I’m never not going to think about Lila,” he grins cheekily. “That’s how I’m able to focus on football. The sooner we cream these guys, the sooner I get to see my girl. See how that works?”
Actually, yeah, I did. It may sound mushy, maybe even a crude way of being romantic, but it made sense. And it would probably help me focus, too. “Thanks, man.”
“Don’t mention it.” He leans back on the bench and winces when he looks out towards the field. “Just, you know, try and remember that there’s thousands of people watching you, not just her.”
“I can do that,” I sigh. “But how did you know?”
Killian follows the ball with his eyes as it moves through the air. “How did I know what?”
“That you liked Lila.”
Killian stops watching the game, turning so his whole body is turned my direction. “Are you saying you like Grace?”
“I’m not saying that out loud,” I huff. “But you didn’t answer my question.”
“You.”
I frown. “I’m not following. What do you mean me?”
“You pointed out that I was jealous,” Killian explains. “It didn’t sink in right at first, but it started twisting everything I was seeing when it came to Lila. And then one day, it just hit me. I was jealous of all of those guys she dated. Lila likes commitment and I didn’t realize that I even had a committed bone in my body. But I’m committed to her, always have been. It didn’t make sense until it made sense.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” I grumble.
“Do you know why you like Grace?” Killian asks bluntly. “Because if you don’t, then you aren’t going to know how to fix it with her. When you get why you like her, then it’ll be the reason you try and fix things.”
The Wrong Girl_Hanson University_Book Two Page 10
