“Wonder if that has anything to do with the fact that you’ve been saying,” Jules added, “since high school you wouldn’t date him if he were the last guy in the world?”
I had been known to say that.
“Only because he’s slept with every pretty girl in Cedar Falls. And not to mention most of its pretty tourists. And has a thing against commitment, hence the pact and all.”
“Not to state the obvious”—Delaney shifted in her seat—“but Mason and Parker took the pact too. Things change after college.”
“For most guys,” I said. “Not Beck.”
“And the other one, Cole. He’s still all in, I assume?” Jules asked.
“You haven’t met Cole?” Delaney asked her.
“No. Not yet.”
“Now that one probably won’t ever fold. According to Parker, it was his idea in the first place. But Beck?” She shrugged. “I just think he has a little maturing to do.”
“A lot of maturing to do. Emphasis on a lot.” Jules didn’t seem as shocked as me by this fourth rule revelation. I said as much.
“Eh. I always thought he had a thing for you.”
“You did?” I asked, incredulous. “You never mentioned that.”
“Didn’t seem to matter. I always just took the two of you as good friends at face value. Until now. I could tell something was up.”
She seemed very proud of her investigative prowess.
“Is something up?” Delaney asked.
As if on cue, my phone buzzed. It was upside down on the table.
“Get it,” Jules said.
“No.”
“Go ahead,” Delaney prompted. “Now I’m fully invested.”
They were looking at me like I was about to crack open some long-buried secret.
I sighed and flipped the phone over. One new message. From Beck. I opened it, expecting a meme or some dry sarcasm after I’d sent him a selfie of the three of us in front of the bakery.
Instead:
Kitchi Falls looks good on you.
Short. Casual. But my stomach did that annoying swoop anyway.
I didn’t respond right away but just stared at the message a little too long. And then looked up.
“Damn,” Jules said, watching me carefully. “That bad?”
I shook my head. “No. Just… Beck being Beck.”
But even I didn’t believe that anymore.
13
BECK
