Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 98023 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 490(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98023 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 490(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
But even AI isn’t equipped to handle the whirlwind of emotions Blake stirs up in me. And lately, there have been so many, I’ve lost count.
For a girl who loves all things numbers, that’s downright terrifying.
Friday, June 6th
Blake
Groove, a club not too far from campus, is alive and well on a Friday night. The bass thumps from the speakers and through the floor, reverberating up into my chest, while neon lights flicker and swirl in shades of electric blue and candy pink. The air smells like a mix of citrus, vodka, and just a hint of smoke from the fog machine near the DJ booth, and conversations blend with the music, loud but not obnoxious, as people laugh, drink, and dance like the night’s got no expiration date.
Finn sets a drink in front of Scottie and leans in for a kiss. Instantly, Julia, who is perched on the couch across from me, grins and throws me a wide-eyed look that screams, Are you seeing this?
Julia’s been on a vibe all night—buzzing about sneaking into an over twenty-one club with her fake ID, hyped that the whole gang is finally together again, and legit glowing because Finn and Scottie are back to being fucking adorable together. It’s impossible not to feed off her energy, even if I’m not in the exact same headspace.
Finn turns and heads back to the bar to help Ace carry the rest of the drinks.
“Need any help, man?” I ask Finn before he can get away, but he just shakes his head and climbs down the step from our VIP table to return to the bar.
Ace Kelly made all the fancy arrangements for tonight, and it shouldn’t be a surprise that he managed to get us a reservation behind the red velvet ropes. I’m sure it helped that he slipped the bouncer money out of his wallet on our way in or the fact that he knows the bouncer because Ace knows everyone.
We’re only a half hour or so into our night at Groove, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t already feeling the urge to call it a night.
I shift in my seat, forcing myself not to check my phone again to see if Lexi’s sent me a text or tried to call me or, I don’t know, fucking something since our text conversation yesterday. I try not to let myself get bogged down in thoughts of why she hasn’t answered the two messages I sent her today and whether I should try to reach out again. And I definitely try not to think about what it’d be like to have her here, with me and in front of my friends, because fuck, I don’t want to be that guy—you know, the desperate, mopey, obsessed-with-one-girl, single-minded guy. Those aren’t qualities I envision or wish for myself in football or life.
I can miss Lexi and be the fun, chill, good-time Blake that all my friends know and love. Not miss-Lexi-so-much-I’ve-forgotten-how-to-live-my-life Blake. Right?
Right.
Finn and Ace return again, a drink in each of their hands. They hand them out to Julia and me and then keep one for themselves. I’m the only one old enough to purchase the drinks, but Ace gets a thrill out of using his fake ID just like Julia, so I’m letting him have his moment.
Truth be told, the only thing I ever do with Ace Kelly is let him have his moment.
“Gah, this feels so good!” Ace cheers, rubbing his hands together and squeezing in on the one couch to sit next to Julia. “The gang is back together!”
“Four friends walk into a bar…” Scottie adds, sipping her little pink drink through a tiny cocktail straw. “And then one more rolls in.”
Ace, Julia, and I all freeze, but then Finn guffaws, devolving into hysterics rarely seen from his taciturn personality, and the rest of us slowly start to thaw.
“Oh, come on,” Scottie says, reaching over to shove me in the shoulder. “Lighten up and take the joke. Please. For the love of God. I need everyone to be normal.”
For the first time since arriving tonight, I realize she’s right. We’ve been off our game and playing at having fun rather than just having it.
I don’t blame Scottie for assuming her injury is the cause—for Ace and Julia, it might be—but for me, I’m having a hard time not letting my phone, and the woman I want to talk to who’s only reachable with it, rule my life.
It’s just weird being here, with people who know Lexi so well, and not telling them how I feel about her or mentioning her at all.
“You’re right,” I agree. “Sorry, Scottie. I’ll lighten up.”
“Thank God.” She sighs dramatically. “I was starting to worry that pod people had invaded your bodies and turned your likable, playful personality into a typical jock.”