Hazed (Palm South University)

“Um… thanks?”

Erin laughs. “It’s our friendship bracelet, silly. See?” She holds up her wrist, and sure enough, she’s wearing one identical to the one in my hand. “I know they’re kind of… ugly. But I’m out of practice, and honestly, I think it gives them charm.”

I smile, handing her the bracelet and holding out my wrist. “They’re perfect.”

Erin blushes a little as she ties the thread around my wrist, and then our eyes meet, and I hold her gaze for a long moment as I shove down everything I want to say.

“Alright,” I finally declare, putting the truck in drive and tearing my eyes away from Erin and back to the road. “You ready to get your ass kicked in some skeeball?”

“You wish. I’ll have you know, I’m the skeeball champion back home.”

“Well, you’re about to be dethroned.”

It’s kind of an awkward silence after that as we make our way closer to one of my favorite off-campus hangs. It’s a newer bar with arcade games lining every wall and a giant dance floor that usually has a live band playing on the stage above it. When Erin said she wanted to get out of the house, I figured it was just the spot.

“It’s kind of weird, isn’t it?” Erin asks when I put the truck in park. “Me and you hanging out after all this time.”

“It doesn’t have to be.”

She gives a sigh of a laugh at that. “I’m not sure how it couldn’t be.” Her little mouth pulls to the side when she looks back up at me. “Clinton, I know I’ve said it, but I’m sorry for—”

I cut her off by reaching over the center console and grabbing her hands in mine. I pull her to face me, lowering my gaze to meet hers with a smile.

“Stop apologizing. Okay? We’ve hashed out all of the shit in our past. Yes, we’ve both been assholes along the way, but I don’t want to think about any of that anymore. I just want to hang out with you and catch up and beat your ass in every game inside that bar,” I add, nodding toward the building.

Erin laughs, but I don’t miss the way her eyes gloss over. “Yeah. I like that plan.”

“Good,” I say, and then I realize I’m smoothing my thumbs over her wrists where I hold them, and both our gazes fall to the point of contact.

We pull back like a jolt of electricity stung us, and before the awkwardness can seep back in, I hop out of the truck and jog around to open her door.

When we get inside, I head for the bar to get us a couple beers while Erin hits the token machine. We meet at skeeball first, and after a quick cheers, the games begin.

I’ve seen Erin in many situations — all dolled up for formal, looking hot as sin in a swimsuit on the top deck of a cruise ship, crying in my shower as I hold her together as much as I can, running a Kappa Kappa Beta chapter like a bad ass, pouring her heart out over a candlelit dinner.

But I’ve never seen her like this.

I’ve never seen this bright, unbreakable smile. I’ve never heard this carefree bubble of a laugh.

And yet, underneath it, I can sense something is off.

That’s how it’s always been with me and Erin. We’re in tune in a way that no one else is. Sure, with Skyler, she’s one of my best friends and I know when she’s hurting. But Skyler is also open with me when it comes to what’s going on in her life. I’m usually one of the first she runs to, and she’s one of the first I go to, too.

But with Erin, it’s like no matter how we try to hide the truth from each other, it’s always there, buzzing under the surface like a live wire.

We can’t ignore it.

We can’t run from it.

We can’t let each other go.

“So, how are things going with Gavin?” I ask as casually as I can after Erin absolutely wrecks me at a round of air hockey.

She’s still a little out of breath when she plops down at one of the high-top tables in the center of the bar, and I take the seat across from her. “Really good,” she says with a smile.

I wait for her to continue, but that’s all I get.

I arch a brow, taking a sip of my beer and trying again. “He was busy tonight?”

“He’s been busy a lot lately,” she says with a sigh, and her eyes fall to where her hands are around her beer. “I think… I think I might have scared him a little.”

“How in the world could you possibly scare anyone?”

She chuckles. “Well, in case you missed it over the years, I’m a hot mess with a pretty impressive load of baggage for a girl who’s fresh out of college.”