“Yeah, same,” I say.
Miranda grabs my forearm and leans in, right next to my ear, “You owe me for this babe, have fun tonight,” she whispers. Then she’s gone, leaving me alone with Adrian and absolutely no idea how to interact with hot guys anymore.
I take a sip of my drink and nod my head to the music, trying to look like I’m enjoying the song instead of feeling self conscious about how I don’t know what to say right now. Adrian’s looking down at me with a drink in his hand as well, neither of us saying anything. I open my mouth to say literally anything but nothing comes out. Heat rises to my cheeks, I’m starting to feel like he must think I’m an idiot.
“Do you want to go to the balcony?” he says.
“God, yes.”
Outside, the cool air seems to bring some awareness back to my brain. Again, the sliding glass door buffers the music and out here, I feel like I can breathe again.
“You look really good tonight,” he says, leaning against the balcony railing and flashing me a smile.
I feel heat creeping up my neck. “Thank you,” I say, awkward and stiff. I don’t know where to look so I turn my body away from him and look out across the dark lawn.
Adrian stands there, holding his beer, looking down at me. I can feel him looking at the side of my face. “How was your summer?” I ask him without looking in his direction, painfully aware of the awkward tension in the air.
He shifts his weight next to me. “Yeah, it was good.Yours?”
This is so painful. I’m supposed to be flirting right now, not making awkward small talk like I’m stuck on an especially long elevator ride with someone I barely know.
“It was fine,” I say and immediately regret it.Fine?
I turn my head away from the lawn and back in his direction. I don’t miss the fact that he’s glancing back inside as he sips his beer, casting looks longingly at the party happening on the other side of the sliding glass door.
This right here is part of my problem. I used to know exactly how to flirt with any guy, exactly when to place my hand on a forearm and when to lean in for a kiss. I knew exactly how to ask questions and what to say in response. When I should smile and tuck my hair behind my ear. Now, I feel stuck, like I’ve somehow lost the ability to interact with the opposite sex altogether.
Adrian and I continue to make awkward and painful conversation about our upcoming class schedules and hockey. He’s polite, sure, but I’m getting the sense he’s looking for an out.
“Are you excited for your last season?” I ask him as a last ditch attempt at saving this horrible interaction.
He nods his head yeah and looks at me like I’m stupid, which to his credit, is exactly how I feel right now. “Yeah," he says and doesn't elaborate. He takes another sip of his beer and literally takes a small step away from me and toward the sliding glass door. He’s actually slowly inching away from me as if trying to escape my presence.
I turn away from him and face the dark lawn again, contemplating how to save myself from the polite conversation we’re engaged in. He clearly wants to leave and I want to be done and go home.
Adrian is extremely good looking, but he’s very obviously not into me and I’m not into guys that aren’t into me.
From the corner of my eye I can see him scoot just a fraction closer to the door and further away from me again. There’s a knot in my stomach and I have no idea how in the world to release him from this horrible interaction without sounding like a bitch, but this is painful and so embarrassing and I kind of want to hide my face and pretend not to notice as he runs away from me and this stupid patio.
Chapter Two
Will
The girl in front of me is hot. Like celebrity level hot. She bats her eyelashes up at me and rests her hand on my forearm. Hell yeah, I’m definitely getting laid tonight. Or at least I would be if I could actually focus on the hot girl in front of me, but my thoughts keep drifting towards Kennedy.
I glance around the room for any signs of her. Nothing. If I knew she left and went home, I'd be able to relax and fully enjoy the rest of tonight with this girl who’s currently giving me fuck me eyes.
I promised my sister, Miranda, I’d keep an eye on her. Miranda and Kennedy have been best friends since the three of us were babies, and Kennedy and I have been friends, well since we were babies too.
Our moms have been best friends since before we were born. I don’t think I’d ever admit this to Kennedy since I know I’m notherbest friend, but she is definitely mine. Being twins with Miranda while also friends with her best friend is a little bit of a mindfuck as I always feel on the fringes when it comes to them. I know I have Adrian and Liam, but it's not really thesame. Miranda and I are close, and again I don’t think I’d admit this out loud, but I think we would be a lot less close if it wasn’t for Kennedy. Which is why I can’t relax. I haven’t seen her in at least an hour, not since she walked into the main room like she was walking into her own funeral.
My inability to find Kennedy sends a prickle of worry down my back. I should probably find her and make sure she’s okay.
I try not to sound like a huge douche when I interrupt the girl in front of me and ask, “Do you want another drink? I’m gonna go get us more drinks.” I don’t wait for her response before I walk away in search of either Kennedy or Miranda. Miranda will know where she is if I can’t find her. I spot Miranda with her roommate and make my way over to them.
“Did Kennedy leave?” I lean down and yell into Miranda’s ear.
“No, she’s with Adrian.”
