Emma
It’s beenthree and a half days since my date with Eli.
Well, I guess it wasn’t technically a date. Not after I made a spectacle of myself in the hallway and in my bedroom. No, date isn’t the right word. It doesn’t matter. It’s been three and a half days since I last saw him. Or spoke to him. He told me he’d call me on Sunday, but he didn’t. That was okay because I knew he was busy with hockey practice and being a computer programming major.
I get it.
But when Monday came and went and Tuesday was the same, well, I’ve resigned myself to the fact that that whole thing with Eli in my apartment Saturday night was entirely imagined. He got a little action and that was all he wanted.
Oh, crap.
Wait one second… What if he––what if I’m a terrible kisser? What if he was turned off by my, well, my body? Goodness knows he saw some of it. His hands felt quite a bit of it.
Slapping a hand over my face, I groan. No. I’m going with the first one, because I felt how much he enjoyed touching me, so it had to be my kissing skills, or lack-thereof. Of course, he wasn’t impressed “I’m so embarrassed.”
“Why?” Ava asks, stepping up next to me at the library counter.
“Oh.” I didn’t realize she was here. It means my shift is almost over. “Nothing.”
“It wasn’t nothing. You groaned like you were in pain. Why are you embarrassed?”
Should I tell her?
No. She’s not my friend.
“Just going back over a test I just took. I did terrible.”
Ava’s expression is unreadable. When she shrugs, I know she’s going to let this whole thing drop. Looking behind her, she looks back at me as she pulls her phone out of her pocket. “Hey, check this out. I saw our boy at Paradise on Saturday.”
Ourboy?
“I took a couple of pictures.” Ava makes a scoffing sound. “The guy is such a player.” Turning her phone to face me, I see a photo of Eli. It’s easy to tell it’s him. He appears to be wearing the same suit from Saturday night. There’s a blonde girl wrapped up in his arms, kissing his neck. I glance at his face and he seems to be okay with it. I mean, he’s not fighting her off. His hand is resting on her arm and everything.
My face heats immediately. Embarrassment like I’ve never felt before sweeps through me. “Wh-What time was that?”
She peeks at the photo. “Time stamp says 11:23.”
He left my house a little before eleven. He sent me a text fifteen minutes or so after that. Wow. He didn’t waste any time. I guess when I told him I wanted to stop, he needed more.
“Moral of the story?” She smirks. “Stay away fromthatguy unless you’re just hoping for a hookup.”
“Right.” I do my best to smile. It’s difficult though. “Of course. We’re just friends.” I swallow the lump in my throat, and it hurts it’s so dry.
“Oh, speak of the devil,” Ava whispers. “The man himself.”
I look up in time to watch Eli saunter closer. My initial reaction is to smile at him but then I remember the picture and the smile drops. I don’t bother scowling. I’m not his girlfriend. It was just the two of us watching TV. A couple of kisses––a hand up my shirt. Nothing more. Why would there be more?
“Hey, beautiful.”
Okay. Now that hurts.
“Eli.” It’s all I can muster; my voice sounds strained.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing?” I force a smile across my lips.
“You sure?” His handsome face actually looks concerned.
