“Oh,” Hayden said, pausing by the railing to look out at the black water of the creek, moonlight bouncing off it where it rippled or caught on a rock.
The sounds of the club in the distance were faint now, just loud enough to hear as a background hum, nothing more than a baseline.
Crickets chirped. A night bird somewhere called out, and was answered.
The creek trickled into the ocean.
I was watching Hayden’s hands on the rail, pale in the moonlight, his thumb rubbing at a rough spot idly.
“You rescued me from him twice,” I said, tugging blindly on a thread I knew had to unravelsomething.
“You seemed to need rescuing,” Hayden said, looking down at his hands on the railing. A dark strand had escaped from the slicked-back style Seth had wrestled Hayden’s hair into, flopping over his forehead.
“I did,” I said. Forgetting someone’s name wasawkward.
“Ex-boyfriend?” Hayden asked.
“Hookup,” I admitted. I wasn’t about to start lying.
Hayden’s shoulders slumped from where they’d been climbing up toward his ears. “Oh.”
I sidled up closer to him, letting the heat of his body seep into me, shoulders almost brushing.
“Hayden Lewis,” I said. “Were youjealous?”
Hayden turned to look at me, throat working as he swallowed.
Oh shit.
“Yes,” he said, barely above a whisper.
Oh.
He was already looking at the creek again, thumb still rubbing the railing.
I got my phone out, opened the conversation we’d been having earlier, and sent him a message.
10
Hayden
What was Isaying?
My heart felt like it was pounding in my throat, a cold shiver rolling down my spine as I thought about what I’d just done. What I’d justsaid.
Wes wasn’t interested. He’d already made that clear—he was trying to help me find someone else,anyoneelse. But he was kind and warm and funny and he made me feel liked and my stupid hopeless broken heart just wanted someone tolikeme, just for a little while.
My phone vibrated in my pocket, rescuing me from the anxiety spiral I could feel coming on. I’d been so confident once, but Aaron had made me second-guess everything, and now…
OverEasy:love the new profile pics. Come home with me?
I stared at the message for a long few moments, working up the courage to meet Wes’s eyes.
When I finally did, I could see the same nervousness written all over his face as I could feel coiling up in the pit of my stomach. He was scared, too.
“I’d like that,” I said, pushing down all the fear.
I didn’t do hookups—but I also didn’t do gay bars, eyeliner, or leather jackets.
