This earns a deep belly laugh from Drew. “Honestly, you already know more about me than most. I highly doubt anyone had much else to reveal.”
“If you say so.” I keep up with my teasing. But I’m sure he can see right through my efforts since he lets the subject drop.
Drew glances at his watch and shakes his head. Then he pins me with his now dark-blue eyes, nearly taking my breath away. “I… uh better get going.” I see him peruse my face once more, and I could’ve sworn his gaze focused on my lips longer than the rest of me. But when I blink, his focus has returned to my eyes.
Now it’s my turn to rock. My keys jingle between us as I fidget. “Okay, then…” I draw out. “I’ll see you later.”
He stares for a moment longer then pivots to walk away, causing whatever breath I’d been holding to release. After a few steps, he looks back. “I’ll see you at the game tomorrow, ‘kay?”
Instinctively, I manage to nod.
Did I just agree to go to the basketball game?
Once Drew leaves, I head into my bedroom to change into pajamas. When I return to the living room, I flop onto the couch and put my feet on the coffee table. Sydney’s in the kitchen getting a snack, and Chloe’s curled up on the loveseat next to me.
“How was your trip?” Syd asks as she enters the room to sit next to me. She hands me a spoon and asks, “Strawberry cheesecake?” as she holds out my own pint of my favorite ice cream and another in her hand for herself. Thank God for great friends and delicious ice cream. They can be counted on to take my stress away.
I pop the lid and scoop out a healthy glob, then slowly taste my efforts. Ice cream is to be savored, not devoured. Just the taste of sweet strawberry melts my troubles away. “Better than I expected.” I sigh heavily as exhaustion creeps over me. It was quite the opposite. “Drew’s parents are on the mend, and it was nice to get to know his family.”
My mind lingers on the last of my conversation with Drew.Why would he want me at his game?
Sydney takes another bite from her spoon and stops mid-lick. She eyes me curiously then shakes her head and returns her attention to the TV.
But Chloe pipes in, “Are you sure you’re all right? Something seems off.”
I could lie and pass it off as just being tired. But these girls are the closest people in the world to me. I take a heavy breath and draw out. “So… Drew asked me to go to the basketball game tomorrow night.”
“Really?” Chloe asks in surprise. “He asked you to go to the game?”
Um… I just said that. I stare at her as if she’s missing a brain cell or a million.
“What’s wrong with going to the basketball game?” Sydney asks in a tone that clearly states I should tread lightly and not feed her any of the BS I’m about to flop her way.
“It’s… It’s just… weird? I mean…” I try to regain my thoughts as they’ve scattered like bugs on a windshield. None of them make sense and lead me to dead ends. “Why would it matter if I’m there or not?” I look to each of my friends, hoping for a better insight on the situation.
They each stare at me with their mouths agape. They look to each other slowly, then back to me. Then back to each other, before Sydney speaks up, “Oh… you’re serious.”
“Why wouldn’t I be serious?” My pitch creeps higher, almost defensively.
“Holy shit. For being one of the smartest people I know, you sure can be dense,” Chloe teases. Well, at least I hope she’s teasing. I look back and forth between my two best friends in the world, and they both have the same mirrored expression, as they roll their eyes.
“What?” I practically yell when they remain quiet.
“Abby.” Sydney’s voice is stern, like when she must cut off a drunk frat guy, or threaten to call the cops. “He obviously likes you.”
“We’re just lab partners, and I helped him with his family emergency. That’s all,” I say as quick as the thought forms. “He’s never indicated anything otherwise.”
But then… there was the hand holding…and the hugging.
But that was just because he needed comfort, right?
“If you say so…” Chloe shakes her head. “Sydney knows more about the basketball players than me, but I’m sure he wouldn’t have asked you if he didn’t like you. You can live in the land of denial all you want, but I’d bet a pint of Ben & Jerry’s that the guy is into you.”
I roll my disbelieving eyes because there’s no way a guy who’s got his sights set on a championship—not to mention getting into med school—would think twice about dating someone at this point in the game. His plate’s practically overflowing between basketball and graduating with honors. There must be something else going on. He did say he wanted to be friends. Maybe this is his idea of what friends do?
“You’re going to the game,” Sydney says with conviction, and I give her a sideeye glare.
So you say…
