Game Changer (The Field Party)

“You mean in case I chicken out?” I asked.

He shrugged. “That too.”

“Good idea,” I agreed.

Brett laughed and I wished I felt like laughing.

We left to go get the pizza, and then we headed to the drive-in. Things were going good. I was slightly distracted from the ache in my chest. Being back at the drive-in a week later with Brett was not what I had imagined last weekend. I’d thought the rest of my summer would include just Asa. Sure, I’d told him nothing serious, but I didn’t actually mean I was going to date around. I had said that so that he had the freedom to do it.

And he had done it. The very next day and not called me once. All week. Technically I had no reason to be upset with him. He made it very clear what we were. He hadn’t done anything for me to hold against him. I just wished he’d have called. Or texted. Anything.

“Jock squad at three o’clock,” Brett muttered under his breath, and I turned to see what he was talking about before it registered. Nash, Tallulah, Ryker, and Aurora were all headed in this direction. The refreshments were behind us, so there was a good chance they were going to get food. Tallulah smiled brightly at me and waved. Now they were in fact headed in our direction.

“You good?” he asked quietly.

“Sure,” I said. It wasn’t like Asa was with them. He was probably out with the redhead. My stomach soured at that thought. No, he wouldn’t be with her again. He would be with someone else. God forbid he date the same girl that close together.

“Hey, y’all,” Tallulah said.

“Hey,” I replied, returning her friendly smile.

“Brett,” Nash said, seeming amused.

“Nash,” he replied with a nod.

“Are y’all doing the Christmas screen or the horror one?” Tallulah asked.

“Horror,” I told her.

She shivered. “You are braver than me!”

“Not so sure about that,” I told her. “We may not make it through the first movie.”

“There are always other things to do,” Nash suggested, and Tallulah jabbed him with her elbow.

“It was good to see you,” Tallulah said, still smiling. “Y’all have fun.”

“You too,” I said.

They started to walk off, but Ryker stopped beside me. “Solid move. I underestimated you,” he said, then walked away with the rest of them.

I had no idea what he meant, and from the frown on Brett’s face, neither did he.

“Weird,” he said when Ryker was far enough away.

I nodded in agreement.

JULY 11, 2020 Well, If It Isn’t Asa Griffith

CHAPTER 23

ASA

“You going for a run?” Nash asked as he walked into the apartment to find me lacing up my shoes.

“Yeah,” I replied.

“Huh,” he said, and although it was a single word, I knew Nash well enough to know it meant more. He wanted to say something more.

“What?” I asked, annoyed.

“Nothing,” he said with a shrug as he plopped down on the sofa, looking smug. I wanted to run. Burn off steam. I was fighting the urge to call Ezmita, and I had made it this long—I had to be strong.

“You look like you want to say something to me. Please get it out so I can go run.”

He lifted a shoulder, then stretched his arms out on the back of the sofa. “What did you do last night?” he asked.

“Lifted weights, read a book, went to bed,” I responded.

“We went back to the drive-in,” he replied, then grinned. “Missed you there, but we did see Ezmita again. She was doing good.”

Motherfucker. He was baiting me. I should have left when he started smirking. “Who with?” I asked.

“I was with Tallulah, of course.”

“Not you! You fucking know what I’m asking you.”

“Ah yes, Ezmita. She was there with Brett. They were going to see Carrie,” he said, then waggled his eyebrows up and down to insinuate they weren’t there to watch a movie.

She had gone out with Brett again. To the drive-in. Okay. She could do that. We had talked about not being exclusive, and she’d agreed she was fine with that. So she was fine with it. My going out with Bexley hadn’t been a bad thing. My having sex with Bexley when Ezmita had… She wouldn’t have sex with Brett. She wasn’t like that. Or was she? How did I know? She hadn’t been the one to stop us last week. I had done that. She had been trying to get me on top of her and between her legs. She’d wiggled her hips around and gotten me so damn hard, I’d been in pain for hours. Shit.

Okay. No reason to get worked up. I hadn’t called her all week. She was free to date whoever. But Brett… she sure saw him a lot.

I didn’t say anything more to Nash. I headed for the door.

“They were real cozy eating pizza at the picnic table. Sitting close. He may have licked some sauce from her lips.” I slammed the door, closing out Nash’s voice. He was enjoying this too much.