“Okay?” I say, standing up and following him to the dance floor feeling confused and irritated.
Will shoves his way into the crowd, making a path for me to follow. When he finds a spot he deems good enough he stops abruptly. With lips pursed and jaw clenched, he lifts his eyebrows and nods his chin once. He takes another pull of his beer and just stands there. Looking at me. All broody and angry.
A wave of self consciousness washes over me as I look around. I’m realizing right now for the first time that I’ve never actually been dancing by myself before. I don’t know how to move or sway if I’m not pressed up against someone else. Will and I have obviously never danced together and I’m not about to turn around and press my ass against him right now.
I pinch the tiny black straw of my drink between my teeth and gulp down my drink, hoping that some liquid courage might help me to relax. The song changes and I nod my head along to the beat, glancing to my left and right, worried about what I look like and how awkward I feel.
Will catches my eye, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
He takes another drink of his beer and then looks away from me, head slightly shaking, jaw again clenched tight. Hescans the bodies around us and somehow manages to look around the entire crowd without making eye contact with me again. The knot in my chest is getting tighter with every second we’re here. Maybe this was a bad idea. Why did I think coming here like this was a smart choice? It’s not like I can dance up on him after I just rejected him at my apartment. And it's not like I can really dance with anyone else.
“Can we just go back to the table for a few minutes?”
Will nods his head yes, but again doesn’t even make eye contact with me. He’s being a giant ass right now. And for what? Because some guy I have no control over asked me out? Maybe he should’ve asked me out first. Then, I would’ve told him I was here with my boyfriend instead of my friend.
We find our table again, but this time Will does take the seat next to me. He throws himself down with a grunt and then tosses his arm across the back of my chair. He leans back, legs spread and chest puffed out. He’s acting insane right now. Not at all like the Will I know. I had no idea he could be so…jealous.
We sit in silence. I finish my drink and then open my mouth to say something when Tyler appears next to our table again. This time though, he’s holding a drink. A pinky drink with ice and limes. Will stiffens next to me and says nothing as Tyler smiles and sets the drink down in front of me. “Thought you might want another.”
Will’s knee is now pressed against my thigh, as if I needed reminding about who I’m here with. I swallow, feeling awkward and stressed and so weird. I don’t know how to navigate this. “Thanks,” I say and reach forward, bringing the drink closer to me.
Tyler, thankfully, doesn’t hang around or make small talk. But I feel like him buying me the drink was more about pissing off Will than it was about me.
Just as I’m about to bring the drink to my lips and take a sip, Will scoffs. I slam the drink down on the table and turn my body toward him, sick and fed up with his childish and possessive mood. “What?” I demand a little louder than I anticipated.
“You’re really gonna drink that?”
“And why shouldn’t I? Hmm?”
“Don’t be cute, Kenny. You’re too smart for that naive shit. You know drinking that is like telling him you’re down to fuck.”
“How could you even say that? It’s a drink, Will. That’s it. You’ve bought me dozens of drinks.”
He once again shakes his head and rolls his eyes. “That’s different. That guy is an asshole who only wants one thing from you.” I feel indignant heat rising up my neck and over my cheeks. Will nods his chin in Tyler’s direction, contempt dripping off his face. “Just look at him. Look at his fucking shirt. It shoutsdaddy’s pretty boyfrom a mile away.”
I turn my head, following the direction of Will’s gaze. Tyler must’ve already been watching us because he’s looking at me by the time I turn around. He smiles and winks at me from across the bar.
“He’s a fucking tool. I thought you were done with guys like that after Carter.”
That’s it. Will has officially crossed the line and now I’m done. Coming here with him was a mistake. “You’re being a giant asshole right now.” I stand up, patting my pockets to make sure I have my phone and ID. “This was a bad idea. I think we should just call it a night and go home.”
Defensiveness and irritation bubbles into real and righteous anger when he doesn’t try to fight me on it or even apologize for acting like a complete asshole. He just follows me out of the bar, not even bothering to close his tab.
He unlocks his car with a beep and I make sure he knows how I feel about him by scooting as close to the window as I can, arms crossed over my chest, knees facing away from him.
The air is heavy and thick inside the car, so much so that I roll down my window, desperate to get away from him, even metaphorically. Who the hell does he think he is? I’ve never seen Will act like a possessive mean caveman before.
“Thanks,” I say with no feeling as he drops me off at my apartment, throwing open his car door and slamming it shit behind me as I stomp my way up the stairs. He doesn’t drive off, I can hear the car idling behind me but I refuse to look back at him. Not even as I’m unlocking my apartment door.
Chapter Twelve
Will
I’m on the ice, tense, crouched, ready for faceoff and instead of paying attention to what’s happening on the ice, I’m having to force myself to keep my eyes on the puck instead of looking from section to section in search of Kennedy.
She hasn’t talked to me since we attempted to go dancing at SixtyForty yesterday. I knew I was being an asshole and I still haven’t apologized to her. Seeing her flirting with that guy while I was waiting on drinks right after we had the hottest make out session of my life made me jealous. I can’t even pretend it didn’t. And then when he asked if she was my girl and I said no, it made me want to punch myself in the fucking head. She isn’t my girl, we’re not talking, we’re not dating, we kissed one time and she made it really clear that it was a mistake and won’t happen ever again. I had no right to be jealous, but I was.
