“Just saying.”
His jaw tenses, and he rubs the back of his neck. I’ve come to recognize it as something he does when he’s overwhelmed.
“I mean…yeah,” he stammers. “But that’s different.”
I frown. “How?”
“I don’t know, Harper. It justis.”
My name on his lips never gets old. I could listen to him say it over and over and over again…and I should drop this subject and move on. Tell him to hang up and go to sleep. Make another joke. Tease him instead of throwing barbs.
But I don’t.
I take his earlier advice, holding his gaze. “If a girl liked you but she was too scared to say anything because…I don’t know, maybe she thought you liked someone else…” I swallow, pulse hammering. “Would you still want to know?”
His lips part, like the words are forming but not quite making it out of his mouth. His brows pinch together slightly, thoughts running a mile a minute behind his eyes.
He’s thinking about it.
He’s thinking about me.
He knows.
The moment stretches, thick with tension.
Then he answers, so low I almost don’t hear it—
“Yes.”
The word sends a shiver through me.
I nod, my heart in my throat. “Yes?”
His throat bobs as he swallows, eyes darting away self-consciously.
“Yeah.” He exhales a breath, quieter this time. “I’d want to know. Everyone deserves a chance to make an informed decision.”
Everything feels like it’s vibrating. My body. My thoughts. The air between us.
But I don’t say anything else.
And neither does he.
Chapter 19
Easton
Aside from the low hum of the radio, the inside of my dad’s SUV is quiet.
Too quiet.
Usually, I don’t mind the silence. After practice my body is wrecked, my brain is drained, and I don’t care about anything but food and sleep. But tonight?
Tonight, my head is a mess.
I barely remember the way my skates cut across the ice during drills or the weight of my gear as I lugged it through the parking lot afterward. All I can hear is Harper’s voice in my head, soft and careful, asking,If a girl thought you liked someone else…would you still want to know?
Yes, I said. And she said…nothing.
