I cleared my throat. “You look good.”
“You think?” She stood in front of the mirror, tugging at her top.
“Definitely.” My voice sounded gruff. I cleared my throat.
She gave a final nod of resolution. “Okay, okay. I should just get in a cab before I change my mind again.”
“And you’re headed downtown, right?” I asked, following her out of her room. She’d told me the plan earlier that day, and I wanted to confirm. I felt better knowing where she’d be.
“Yep. We’re doing dinner and then Zoe wants to check out that new cocktail bar. We’ll probably just stay there all night.”
“Tell me if you end up moving, okay?”
“Alright,” she said pulling on boots and checking her phone again. I hoped she really would remember to text me. She seemed all over the place right now.
“Hey, wait,” I said.
She turned, her expression frazzled.
I pulled her in for a hug, rubbing what I hoped was a soothing circle against her back. She was stiff for a second before melting into me. “Try to have fun, okay? Don’t stress. Call me if you need anything.”
She pulled away from me, and I forced myself to let her go.
“Thanks, Reid.” She gazed up at me with the first genuine smile I’d seen out of her all evening.
It hit me then, watching her go. I kind of knew it, but I hadn’t accepted it until now—just how completely gone I was for her.
My phone vibratedin my lap. I pulled it out and set it onto the table, but it wasn’t Hazel, just my sleuthing group chat. I muted it.
It had been approximately three hours since I’d ushered Hazel into a rideshare and told her to have a good night. I hadn’t stopped thinking about her from the moment the car left my line of sight. I’d never seen her so nervous. Had high school been tough for her? Were these girls bullies?
I kicked myself for not asking her more about the group dynamic, but it hadn’t even occurred to me. I’d had a solid group of friends in high school. West was the only one I stilltalked to regularly, but every now and then, we’d all meet up and shoot the shit. It was easy. Chill. I’d taken that for granted, and just assumed Hazel had something similar.
But I couldn’t shake the look she’d given me, like she was a guppy being set loose in a bowl full of piranhas. Like she was scared and trying to put on a brave face just for me.
I hated it.
“A phone? Seriously, Reid? Pay attention. We’re never going to get through the game at this rate.” Regan tried to take my phone, but I snatched it away.
My mom gave a disapproving tsk. “A phone while we’re trying to learn a new game? You know better.”
“Sorry.” I stuffed it back into my pocket, but not before ensuring the ringer was turned to loud just in case Hazel tried to call me.
“It’s your turn,” my dad said.
I rolled the dice and moved my piece forward before passing the dice to West.
Game nights weren’t a regular occurrence in our family.
Occasionally we’d squeeze one in after family night dinners, but a whole night dedicated just to playing? I couldn’t handle that on a recurrent basis. Mom, Regan, and West were highly competitive, even going so far as to talk smack. We’d had to outlaw rummy in this house following an especially heated game that ended with Regan yelling at the table and storming off to her room. My dad and Ruby couldn’t care less about games and usually had to be talked through the rules every turn, somehow forgetting them. Every. Single. Time. I didn’t mind games in theory, but the stark difference in the dynamic usually had me zoning out. I could only sit through my mom and dad bickering about not knowing the correct strategy so many times. They sucked the fun out of it.
But tonight, Mom had begged us to come over to play a new game she’d bought, even bribed us with homemade cake. I couldn’t say no, but I felt bad for not being more into it.Usually, I at least made an attempt. But not tonight. Tonight, I was distracted.
West took his turn. My ringer went off again and I scrambled to check my phone, putting it away as soon as I saw it wasn’t Hazel.
“Well, that’s not distracting,” Ruby muttered,
“I’m waiting on a text from someone,” I said.
