Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 80102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
“Hey, Mr. McJudgy, you’re the one who told me I had to talk less.”
I’m such an asshole. “That isn’t what I meant. Well, it was, but I was trying to tell you that you should still be yourself. Not that you should stop talking completely.”
“Well, now you’re in my head, and all night I’ve been sitting there not knowing what I can and can’t say.”
“See what happens when I try to help?” I exclaim. “This is why I would make a shit wingman. Look, go out there and forget everything I said about not talking and calming down and whatever else. Because if they don’t like you for who you are, then what’s the point?”
“Not being rejected would be nice.”
“True that. Though, the feeling with my date was pretty mutual.”
Whit leans against the counter. “What was wrong with her?”
“Too ambitious.”
“What a bitch,” he says dryly.
“It’s a great trait to have, but people like that need to be with other ambitious people or they’ll get dragged down and held back.”
“It sounds like you’re speaking from experience.”
“High school girlfriend didn’t want me to move to Vermont for college.”
“Where are you from originally?”
“Rhode Island.”
Whit’s brow scrunches. “That’s not that far away.”
“Four hours is far for eighteen-year-olds. She wanted to do the ‘high school sweetheart, get married, and have lots of babies’ thing. I wanted hockey fame and would do anything to get it. Even say goodbye to her.”
“Why didn’t you move back after your injury? Reunited high school sweethearts. That’s a cute story.”
I swallow down the truth to that answer. I’m too bitter to go back. I’m a failure. I stupidly thought I’d still finish my degree at some point, so I stuck around waiting for my ambition to come back. “I like Burlington.”
Whit looks confused. “But your family’s in Rhode Island.”
“Yep. I have a cousin here. She went to Moo U as well and decided to stay when she graduated.”
“So … you just … spend holidays and weekends with your cousin?”
“What? No. I get home occasionally. For major holidays.” If I have the gas money. “They’ve come here a couple of times.” Though, if I’m honest with myself, I can’t even remember the last time I called my mom.
When I had my second injury, I’d been drafted to Buffalo, but I never saw a contract after my surgery. Every time I’d talk to Mom, she’d spout the usual bullshit people try to convince you of when you experience loss. “It wasn’t meant to be.” And all that other fate bullshit.
Whit rubs his chin. “Huh.”
“What?”
“I live with my parents, and I can’t fathom spending a weekend where I don’t see them.”
My first response is to cringe, because I’ve been on my own since I left for my freshman year, but that closeness actually sounds … nice. Unexpected longing stabs at me.
I shake it off. Talking to Whit seems to bring back all the crappy emotions I’ve been pushing down for three years. “You should get back out there. Your date probably thinks you’re in here taking a dump, and I’m not sure about gay relationships, but in my hetero experience, women like to pretend we don’t do that. And if we do, they don’t want to hear about it.”
Whit smiles, but it doesn’t bring out his dimples. “Is it bad I don’t want to go back out there? How do you get out of a date?”
“Well, tonight I did nothing but be myself, so take whatever you want from that.”
“Okay, so be you. I need to be a grumpy straight guy who tells people to stop talking. Got it.”
“In my defense, I only ever told you to talk less. I let my date tonight talk all she wanted. Which was a lot, but still not as much as you.”
“Wow. So helpful. Thank you. Really. Thank you so much.”
His expressive, mismatched eyes tug at my sympathy strings.
I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but it comes out anyway. “Do you want me to go say you don’t feel well and are going home?”
Whit’s face lights up. “Would you?”
“It’s partially my fault for giving you bad advice that led to this date to begin with.”
“Yes. Your fault. Let’s go with that.”
I chuckle. “Wait here.”
I leave the restroom and move toward his table where the server is clearing the empty plates. A quick glance around lets me know Whit’s date has left.
Well, shit. I’m not sure his ego could take this hit right now.
When I get back to him, I don’t have the heart to tell him the truth. “All done.”
“How’d he take it? Shit, I should’ve done it myself. He was so … unsure, and what if I’ve scarred him for life?”
Okay, would it be worse or better for him to know the dude abandoned him?
“That’s a little dramatic,” I say. “It was a first date. I’m sure he’s fine.”