“Seriously, you should be proud of yourself.”
“I almost fumbled that jump.”
“Okay, and? It waspouring. You didn’t fumble it, and that’s what matters.”
I’m not sure where I drew the card to default to negativethinking. Life would be so much easier if I could find the bright side like my friends.
Before he can say anything else, a group of people makes their way over towards us. They all start chanting Reid’s praises. He deserves it, but that doesn’t make it any easier to witness.
Reid lights up when he’s in a crowd. His eyes glow under the attention in a way they never do when he’s around me. That’s kind of his thing, and I don’t fault him for it. I’m jealous that my gaze will never be enough, though.
I had just decided to leave him to chat with his buddies when he clamps a hand down on my knee, urging me to stay. So I do. I sit there awkwardly, picking off the nail polish from each trembling finger as slurred speech surrounds me.
A warm body presses up against me, and I’m met with a pair of warm brown eyes. Callum, I remember him from last season. He was at two of the Colorado races. He’s an average rider but has an above average respect for women. Subconsciously, I move a fraction of an inch closer to Reid, just in case.
He nudges me slightly on the shoulder. It’s so soft, barely even there, like he wanted to make sure it was okay before he touched me. His smile is dazzling, and he’s handsome in a classic sort of way.
“You did great today, Addie!” Callum praises me.
He says my name with a reverence I’ve never heard. It sounds sweet, enticing, and I lean in just a little.
We fall into an easy conversation, talking about anything and nothing at all—it’s nice. I forget about Reid until he inserts himself into the discussion.
My warning look isn’t received. He keeps bringing the conversation back to fucking bike spokes, and I want to slap him. I finally find a guy I could maybe hit it off with, and he’s right there trying to sabotage it like he’s my fucking older brother.
I spit out, “Reid, a word.”
“Sure, Adelaide.”
His tone is dripping with sarcasm and I have half a mind to shove him in the marshy grass. “What do you think you’re doing?”
For once his confidence is pissing me off as he retorts, “Talking to Callum.”
My eyes roll back. “Iwas talking to Callum.”
“Addie, you can do so much better than Callum.” He spits out Callum’s name with a grimace.
I’m getting hotter by the second. “Really? You think? Because I don’t see anyone else who’s interested.”
Reid is the one rolling his eyes now. “Oh, Addie, please. There are plenty of people interested in you. You don’t have to settle for that East Coast loser.”
“He’s a loser because he doesn’t just sit around smoking and drinking? Some people have to actually work to succeed in this sport. Not everyone can be a golden boy like you.”
Tears are welling up in my eyes, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to make it much longer in this conversation without falling apart. As he’s about to reply, a group of girls starts drifting towards us.
I take the opportunity to bolt before tears start to fall. My jacket hugs tighter against me, providing some semblance of comfort. I’m praying I can find Riley before she gets a cowboy’s tongue halfway down her throat.
My blood pressure’s rising to a peak it won’t come back from when I finally spot her. Her soft curls are bobbing as she flits and flirts with the man who’s lap she’s on. Thankfully, she doesn’t spot me, so I head back to the gazebo. It’s empty now, so I rest my legs on the hard bench and let my head fall back against the banister.
This is exactly how I should have expected tonight to go.Reid doesn’t look too broken up about it. He’s already dancing with a bunch of tanned girls in barely-there jean shorts. It looks like he’s having the time of his life, and I’m sure he didn’t spare our little argument a second thought.
My chest feels tight, and it’s getting redder by the second. I’m not much of a drinker…I might be allergic. I get covered in red splotches and my cheeks burn bright whenever I have more than a few sips of the stuff. The rush of anxiety isn’t helping matters either.
I sit there looking up at the stars until I hear a pair of boots trudging through the mud. The foolish pieces of my heart wonder if maybe it’s Reid, but it’s not. It’s Callum, and his tall frame leans over me slightly. “I wasn’t sure if you’d be back. Otherwise, I would have stayed.”
He sits down next to me. Close, but not uncomfortably so. I let my knee knock over towards his, barely grazing the edges of his leg hair. Maybe it’s not too late to turn this night around.
My knee stays touching his, and I’m doing my best to restrain myself from pulling back and retreating into my head as I confess, “I’m glad you stayed.”
