Page 15 of One Bet

It was funny the things I couldn’t remember versus what I could. “You brought her home after that night.” She’d walked out of the bedroom, upset and crying. Finn and I had been in the kitchen when we heard the video, but someone shut it off before I got into the living room. A couple of the guys had laughed, but Jameson had followed her out.

“Yeah. Ryder was always an asshole.” He chuckled. “But then again, we all were.”

And we weren’t the only ones. His wife seemed to have some explaining to do. Bro code said I should tell him, but he pulled into the lot at Hilly’s and shoved the car into park. “You should come to dinner while you’re in town. Susie makes a mean meatloaf.”

Well, wouldn’t that just be awkward as hell? But he’d been a good friend once and he’d saved my ass. One awkward dinner wasn’t too much to ask, I owed him that much. “Yeah. Sounds good. Can I bring a date?”

If Avery ever wanted to see me again, I thought she might like to see how this played out.

He nodded and chuckled. “Yeah. How about Friday night? After the alumni mixer?”

“Great. Sounds great.” More than anything, I wanted to call Avery and ask her to come with me, I also wanted to tell her what I knew. I wondered if her number was still the same.

One Decade Ago

I drove back to the frat house with the biggest smile I’d ever felt on my face. For not having screwed her, I’d never been so happy to just sleep with someone, as a matter of fact, I never had. At least not since I fell asleep with Lydia Marks in ninth grade when she came to visit me after I got my first concussion at football practice.

That smile carried me through right up to the minute she saw me in a film studies class, and she sat across the room from me. Across the room. Certainly not the reaction I expected from someone who folded herself into my side and laid her head on my shoulder while I watched her eyelids flutter and her soft slow smiles while she dreamed.

And I wasn’t about to let this go. I picked up my stuff and moved to sit beside her. She countered by returning to the seat I’d vacated. Professor Weller watched us as I followed her again, but I didn’t care.

“Don’t be the guy I have to get a restraining order against.” She hissed the words at me, and Professor Weller cleared his throat and shot us a glare as Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison sang some ridiculous song on the projection screen.

What the hell happened? Three hours ago, she was cuddled up next to me with her arm over my stomach and her knee curled over mine, three hours ago.

“Avery, what’s going on?” My unfortunate timing of a silent part in the video made my question sound a lot louder than I’d meant it to be.

Professor Weller paused the video. “Could you two kindly take this outside?”

Avery huffed out a loud breath and gathered her stuff then stomped to the front of the class and out the door, I followed because no way could I let it go at this.

She walked a few steps ahead then turned around to face me. “Look, Keaton, this was a bad idea, a mistake.” Her skin shaded a dusky red, but she turned to walk away again and because I was pathetic for her, I followed.

“Please, Avery. Talk to me.” She stopped and sighed as if I was truly bothering her.

She opened her mouth, snapped it shut, then opened it again. “No.”

“What did I do?” For the first time in my life, I actually felt a pain in my heart. Over a girl and to be clear, it was a girl I’d only known a couple of days.

She sighed and pursed her lips. I hoped it meant she was going to tell me, but she shook her head again and kept walking. After a minute she came back as she simultaneously dug around in her purse then handed me her cell phone. “Put your phone number in here.”

“Okay.” I took the phone, hoping this was a good sign. When I handed it back, she turned again, and this time, jogged off into the distance.

A minute later, my cell pinged.

You have more experience than I do.

I stared at the words until I realized what she meant. Then I smiled.

Is that a problem?

Clearly, it was for her, but it also explained why she’d acted like I’d given her a disease, she was embarrassed. I pictured her, skin ruddy as she chewed her lower lip.

I don’t even know how to sext.

That she’d thought about being with me as something other than a friend warmed my gut and made my dick twitch as another text came in.

I looked it up this morning before I realized I didn’t have your number. But I could never say those things.