Jack claps me on the shoulder. “I’m out of here. I’ll see you in the morning. And uh, try to get the crazy out of your system before then.”
Jack heads out and I linger back a few minutes longer. Get her out of my system? I don’t think that’s possible. Not sure I even want to. I’ve dated enough to know that what I feel for her isn’t common. If there’s a chance that she feels it too, then I don’t want to ignore whatever this is between us. We can figure out the shit with Gabe if it gets to that point, right? He’s an asshole but it isn’t like they’re together anymore.
Slowly, I make my way across the room toward her.
Everly is hanging on Grace, nearly taking her friend down. Maybe I should have given her that lecture on drinking after all.
“I think it’s time for some water,” Grace says.
“Ash!” Everly lights up when she sees me, then frowns adorably. “Why aren’t you out here dancing with us?”
“I’m here now.”
“Grace is making me take a break.” She glares playfully at her best friend.
“Seems like a good idea.”
“I’m fine,” she insists, then stumbles.
I step up on the other side to steady her. “You all right, Little Sharpie?”
“Totes fine.” She shrugs away from me. “Stay here and keep Bridget company.”
“I’m coming with you,” Bridget says.
Everly, not so discreetly, looks between us, but whatever she wants to say, she refrains. The four of us go upstairs. I get Ev water and Grace makes her a plate of food.
“I wonder if we should get her home,” Bridget says quietly, where only I can hear.
“Piper already made up the guest rooms here. She thought you three might want to crash.”
“Oh.” She gets this cute little wrinkle between her eyes as she squints.
“Problem?”
“No. It’s just that everyone is so nice. It keeps throwing me off.”
“You’re not used to people being nice to you?” I immediately think of Gabe. Fucker.
She must realize that’s what I’m thinking because she flushes and then her gaze drops.
“Want something else to drink?” I ask.
“Sure.” She still doesn’t quite meet my gaze.
I grab two more beers and then make another mixed drink while the girls get some food and water in their system.
“Is the firepit going outside?” Ev asks.
“I’m not sure. Let’s check.” I head outside with them behind me.
“It’s so cold,” Grace protests when we step onto the patio.
The firepit isn’t on but I get it going while the girls huddle up together. It’s not long before heat is coming out of it, warming the space and cutting the bite of the frigid winter night.
“I’m going to grab some blankets.” Everly starts for the door.
“I’ll come with you.” Grace follows.
When they’re gone, I set my drinks down and move over to a plastic bench seat and lift it up. As expected, there are blankets in here. I hold them up and Bridget laughs.
“You seem to know your way around this place pretty well.”
“Jack owned this house before Tyler and Piper. I spent a lot of nights out here rookie year.” I drop one blanket onto a chair for Grace and Ev, and then take the other and unfold it before carefully wrapping it around Bridget’s shoulders.
“Thanks.” Her hand comes up to pull it tighter around her, brushing against my fingers in the process.
Next, I pull out my phone and connect to the speakers out here to get some music going. Bridget takes a seat in one of the chairs next to the firepit. She leans forward, cupping the beer can with both hands.
“Here.” I offer her the mixed drink I brought out with us. “Try this.”
She hesitates.
“This one is good. Promise.”
She brings the cup to her lips and takes a small sip, then smiles. “Lemon drop?”
I nod. “Technically it’s a lemon drop cocktail but if you only take a sip at a time, it’s a shot.”
She takes another sip and then hands it back.
I take a seat in the chair next to her.
“Wanna share?” she asks, taking the blanket off her shoulders and holding out half to me.
I drag my chair closer to hers. The scrape of metal against the concrete drowns out the voice in my head—Jack’s voice, warning me that this is a terrible idea.
Her knee knocks against mine as we place the blanket over both of our legs. Bridget leans forward so the top of the fabric also covers her bare arms and shoulders.
“Everyone should be nice to you,” I say, still thinking about our conversation inside.
“Well, that’s not life. Is everyone nice to you?”
“No, but everyone that matters is.”
“It’s over. Gabe and I are so over.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You’re sorry? For what?”
“That he was a dick to you. That I didn’t hit him that night outside of Wild’s bar.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“I know, but you should have people that look out for you too. Like Everly and Grace.”
The wind blows her hair into her face so I can’t see her lips. I reach forward and capture the long, blonde strands. The pads of my fingers drag along her smooth skin as I tuck it behind her ear. “I want to be one of those people for you.”
“Why? You don’t even really know me.”
“I guess not, but that’s not how it feels when I’m around you.”
She glances down at my mouth and then angles away from me, staring into the fire. “Why weren’t you into Grace?”
“Grace?” I’m thrown by the change in topic, but I guess I’m not totally surprised she knows about the brief time period in which I considered what it might be like to date Everly’s best friend.
“Yeah. I know that she liked you last summer.”
I nod and roll my bottom lip behind my teeth.
“She’s smart and beautiful and really nice. I could see you two together.”
“Grace is great.”
“But?” she asks, laughing at my obvious attempt to divert.
“But nothing. I just didn’t feel that way about her.” I could tell her the same lie I told myself, that I thought Grace was too young and that we were at different places in our lives. Those things are true, but I know now it isn’t the whole story. Maybe it’s part of it, but we didn’t have the same spark I feel when I’m with Bridget.
She looks at me, unblinking, like what I’ve said doesn’t make any sense.
“You want me to be into Grace?”
The reaction is quick and gone before I can get too excited, but it’s there. The flicker of jealousy. “She’s with Lane now.”
“It wouldn’t change anything if she wasn’t.” And because I don’t want to walk away from here tonight with Bridget having any doubts on how I’m feeling, I add, “I like you. I know that I don’t know everything there is about you, but it’s still true.”
“We can’t. Gabe—”
“Isn’t here.”
“Everly is my friend.”
“She’s mine too.” I shift so more of my leg is resting against hers under the blanket.
“I know. Which is why us getting involved is complicated.”