Page 6 of Keep Me
“How’d you know?”
Matty snorted but masked it with a cough.
When Olana knocked him on the back, any hint of a smile left his face. “Ben, did you tell her already? I should have known. It’s such a cute story.”
She threw her head back and laughed, but she was the only one who found herself funny. Matty’s gaze caught mine, that buzzing electricity passed through my veins, then the world disappeared around us. It almost felt like we were passing secret messages with our smirks.
Then I remembered it was his girlfriend I was grinning about.His girlfriend,i.e. not me. Never going to be me, and he was probably smiling like that to be polite.
Keeping my smile wide, I was trying my hardest not to look disappointed. Not only had she gotten the guy I was interested in, but she also stole my meet cute.
What was left for me?
Everyone was coupling up around the fire, and not wanting to make it obvious I was alone, I decided I needed to leave before I said anything to embarrass myself.
I dropped my stick into the flames, grabbed my phone, and stood. Blowing out a breath, I wiped the dirt off the back of my jeans.
“That’s super cute, but you know what? I didn’t realize the time. I’m late for a meeting with…” I looked down at my wrist, pretending there was a watch there and hoping they wouldn’t notice I was staring at my freckled arm. “Someone. It was nice meeting you both.” I waved, feeling foolish, but bit my tongue to avoid showing it.
“Hopefully, I’ll see you both around campus sometime,” I squeaked out before scurrying off to lick my wounds alone in my apartment.
There I was trying to make a move on Matty, and I did it to myself again. I came across as desperate and eager, trying to split up a couple who had been together for years. The only saving grace in this entire thing was that Matty seemed oblivious to my crush.
Never again would I trust advice from a stupid college advice column.
Who even writes that garbage, anyway?
Berating myself all the way to my dorm, I replayed the entire conversation in my head as if that would make me feel better about it. It didn’t. It only made me feel worse.
What was I thinking? I’d just met him, and I would have gotten naked in front of that fire if he’d asked me to. Shaking my head, I sighed. Maybe Iwasa Pick Me. Maybe I needed to accept that about myself.
Stupid.
I needed to get over this and accept the L.
Just friends.
That was all I’d ever be with Ben “Matty” Mathieson.
College–1, Britt–0
Chapter 1
Present
As I was taking in the guests, Jackson, my roommate, elbowed me in the ribs. Leaning in, he whispered, “Your bow tie is crooked, and that, combined with your usual lopsided grin, is making you look like a simp.”
Fuck.
After fixing my bow tie, I smoothed down the rest of my tux and did my best to make my smile look somewhat normal. Too bad my hands wouldn’t stop shaking. I clasped them behind my back out of view, hoping no one would notice.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
The only thing I could hear was the erratic beating of my heart, the sheer number of guests not helping matters. I should be used to this. I’ve kicked field goals with more spectators watching me, but as I stood next to a makeshift alter with a priest under it, I conceded this was a completely different kind of nerves. This wasn’t a football game. Training wasn’t possible.Thiswas a wedding, and that kind of pressure was something no one could prepare you for.
I took a long, deep breath and closed my eyes. Maybe if I pretended I was on the field and there was a football in front of me ready to be kicked, I’d calm down. After all, no one could get in my head when I was focused on the mechanics of my kick.
“That’s better,” Jackson said, drawing me straight back to reality. “I just saved you from looking like an idiot. You can thank me later.”
