Page 18 of The Space Between Heartbeats
“Fuck,” he says, somehow still cheerful. That man has the patience of a saint.
I watch him line up his next shot, hoping, for him, that he does it this time. He needs this way more than I do.
And the second ring doesn’t even make it to the bottles. I hold in a sigh.
“Okay, that one was the wind.”
“Owen…there’s no wind. We’re inside a booth.”
He examines the last ring, like he’ll find some kind of flaw in its circular form. “Fine…atmospheric pressure, then.”
I shake my head and let out a small laugh.
“You wanna kiss the ring.” He holds it out to me. “For good luck.”
I scrunch up my nose. “Eww, do you know how many booger-picking kids probably touched that thing today alone? Hard pass.”
“Thanks for that,” he says with a laugh. “Okay, fine. This is the one. I feel it.”
You said that ten minutes ago.
“I believe in you,” I say instead.
He rolls his shoulders back like he’s prepping for a Hail Mary in the last seconds of the Super Bowl and lets it go. It bounces off the side of a bottle, spins in the air for one breath-holding,hopeful second, and then lands on the ground with a sad little thud.
“Goddammit.” Owen laughs, adjusting his cap. “Okay, I give up…for now.”
“Finally.”
“But next time,” he points at me, then at the unicorn, “I’m winning it. That monstrosity is coming home with us. I promise.”
“Sure you will.” I pat his shoulder and try not to crack a smirk at the sweet, expectant look on his face.
“I will.” He closes the space between us, tilting my chin up to meet his gaze. “I don’t break my promises to you, Sunny.”
His hazel eyes are burning with an intensity that’s so different from the carefree way he was just playing the game. In a way that’s rare for Owen. It makes my throat tighten and stomach flutter.
“It’s just a stuffed animal,” I say quietly.
“It’s not about the unicorn.” His thumb brushes along my jaw. “It’s about...I don’t know. Proving I can give you what you want.”
“Owen, you already?—”
“Do you remember the night after Hailey’s wedding?” he interrupts, softening his tone. “When I asked you to make it official?”
My heart stutters. “Yeah. Of course I remember.”
“I was so damn nervous, I’m embarrassed to think about it.” He lets out a breathy laugh, moving his hands to my shoulders. “I kept thinking you were going to say no. That you’d want to keep things casual, that it would ruin our friendship…or that you’d—” He pauses and glances to the side for a second.
“That I’d what?”
“That you had a thing for Knox instead.”
I try to breathe normally, but it’s so hard. What is he saying? Why is he bringing this up now?
“I used to worry about all of that. Like when we were younger…he was always the exciting one, you know? The one who made you laugh harder, who got you to do crazy shit. And I was just...the best friend, the reliable one. The safe choice.”
Breathe. Don’t react. Just breathe.
