“Sorry,” I sighed when he saved my phone from smashing on the concrete. “This isn’t how I usually am… I’m better than this.”
He appeared calm as he opened my contacts and turned the screen to me. “Don’t worry about it. Take your time and tell me when you see your person, okay?”
I swallowed and nodded. He scrolled through the contacts. My brother, Kai, number popped up, but I said nothing. He’d given me the coldest glare during the game when he saw my sign. I deserved it. I couldn’t stomach whatever lecture he’d give me if he saw me in my current state. Mr. Perfect would hand me my ass if he smelt the alcohol on me.
Lizzy’s number made me see red. She would have been my go-to before today. We’d met in high school and never went a day without talking to each other since.
Next was Silas. The friend I’d gotten the tequila from. He didn’t question when I wanted to have a few shots before their game. In fact, he preferred to kick a few back before kick-off, which was why I chose him as a drinking buddy.
Silas had left my house before getting too drunk. If he would have known I’d continue, he wouldn’t have left me.
“Him.” I tapped the screen. “He’d come.”
The guy nodded and placed the call on speaker. I crossed my fingers Silas would answer. Post-game celebrations would be underway. They’d been in the lead before I got kicked out by security. There was a chance Silas wouldn’t look at his phone until the locker room died down.
When I let out a shaky sigh, the guy said, “You’re okay.”
His dark eyes softened, and he repeated the assurance when I met his gaze. Up close, I could see a few small moles on his cheeks. He wasn’t your typical handsome. Think of the opposite of a pretty boy. Long nose, unruly brows, and sharp cheekbones. My stomach twisted a bit when I realized how close we were and how horrible I must look in my oversized tee and red eyes. He moved back a bit, seeming to sense my discomfort.
Silas didn’t answer. The guy hung up before the beep of the voice mail and redialed. This time, the line picked up. There was cheering on Silas’s end, almost drowning out his words.
“Emmy? Where are you?”
I opened my mouth but couldn’t get the words out. The guy spoke up.
“I found her in the parking lot. She’s not doing so great and needs someone right now.” He glanced up at the bus stop’s sign. “We’re on the east corner of the parking lot. Near bus route F.”
“Shit, I’m on my way,” Silas promised and hung up.
“Thank you,” I murmured when he handed me back my phone.
“Of course.” The guy pushed off the ground and joined me on the bench.
“I’m not usually like this,” I whispered with burning cheeks. Usually, I didn’t give much care to what people thought of me. Being a large, tall girl meant people would always have something to say, so I learned how to deal. But, for some reason, I didn’t want him to think this was my norm.
He nodded. “We all have our days.”
I let out a breathy laugh. The action bordered on a sob, but I kept it together long enough to say, “I doubt most people have one like this.”
He stayed quiet for a moment, placing his elbows on his knees, “Once, when I was in high school, I rigged up a bucket full of dye for one of my bullies a la Carrie style.”
I raised a brow, keeping silent so he would continue.
“Lured him into the gym so it’d fall, and the thing didn’t work.” He shook his head with a smile. I liked how the small curve of his lips set a dimple in one of his cheeks. A guy decked out in tattoos with dimples. I didn’t know I needed to see such a thing until now.
“Well, it didn’t work until my crush came in after him. She tried to help break up the impending fight,” he continued with a chuckle.
I smiled too and asked, “Did you not learn anything from the movie?”
“No,” he said, still chuckling. “But I learned that day. My crush had to shave her hair off. The dye ruined it. Afterward, she never spoke to me again. Started dating the bully a week later.”
“Yikes.”
“Yikes,” he agreed. “We all have our moments.”
“Sure, but… mine is pretty awful.” I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment, wincing in embarrassment. “You saw what I did back there. I think I took it too far.”
He nodded. “Maybe. But I’m sure you’ll figure out a way to fix it. And even if you don’t, well… from what I could gather from your sign, the asshole deserved it.”
