“Yeah, I didn’t think I’d become friends with another fucking Hill, but here we are and I’m already planning our next beer pong tournament,” Zade said, getting a huge grin from me. We all turned to Tanner, waiting for him to say something similar as a goodbye, but he remained silent, staring at me.
Nerves got the best of me and I stuttered, “W-well, thanks for the help. See you around.”
“I’ll see you soon, Kenzie. I promise.” He smiled, the playful grin I’d fallen in love with, and winked. “Bye.”
They left, leaving me alone in my dorm meant for three people, and Ihatedit. I wished I’d waited for Rachel or Lorelei to get there first, or that I could’ve stayed at the house longer, or even talked to Tanner to try and be friends again.
That’s what best friends do for each other.
Does that mean he wants to be friends again…just friends?
Fuck. Was being friends with him worse than pretending that nothing had happened between us? Because I sure as hell couldn’t forget, and the sadness was enough to have me make the bed and plop down onto it. Maybe I’d text Clyde for a shift that night so I didn’t have to sit alone, but when I checked my phone, I already had a text.
Tanner: Check your to-do list.
Okay, weird request. I frowned, scanning my bags to remember where I’d stored my ongoing list—probably my backpack. I checked in the pocket and came up empty. Shit. Maybe I’d left it at the house. I unloaded my two bags and my clothes were a mess all over the bed My pulse raced. Why was my list important? Had he added something?
Please, yes.
My purse! Yes! That was where I’d left it. I dumped all the contents onto the tiled floor, yanked the notepad from the pile, jumped onto the clothes and got comfortable. It looked like someone had added to my list and my smile was so large it hurt my cheeks. He’d started a new page and, in his choppy, bold handwriting, written—
Kenzie’s to do list:
-listen to Tallen’s apologies, multiple times
-realize he was a total dumbass afraid to fight for you
-accept the fact Tallen is an idiot and has learned from this
-get meals with him every day when he’s in town
-go on first, real date with Tallen (all planned by him)
-go on second date with Tallen
-go on third date with Tallen
-wear Tallen’s jersey to fall ball games
-come visit Tallen three nights a week (he’ll come to you as much as you want)
-watch shitty movies with him
-be his girlfriend? (if you want—he doesn’t need labels)
-let him cook a romantic dinner for you
-accept the fact he loves you, all of you
-MOST IMPORTANLY—make sure he’s still alive. He’s telling your brother everything. Right now.
I gasped. “Oh shit.”
Chapter Thirty
Tanner
This is a fucking stupid idea. The worst. Could ruin the team.
