“I’m not avoiding Brinley. I’m avoiding Alex. She’s the one avoiding me,” he argues. “She hasn’t responded to a single text I’ve sent her in weeks.”
“And why do you think that is?”
“Because she met Alex.”
I roll my eyes.
Is this boy really that dense? He doesn’t think it has anything to do with him getting his flirt on right in front of her. Or him constantly stringing her along, whether he means to or not?
“You’re ridiculous.” I push off the counter and head toward the living room, but Jaxon grabs my arm to stop me.
“She said something to you?”
“She didn’t need to, Jax. She feels like thisfriendshipis one-sided. She decided to distance herself for her own good. Who knows, maybe Alex will be a good thing for you guys.”
“How so?”
How do I tell him that she needs to get over her feelings for him before they can return to the way they were?
If they can even get there.
“She needs time to find herself without you. Does that make sense?”
“Not really.” His face twists with confusion.
“Just give it time.”
“So, I should just leave her alone and wait for her to come to me?”
“I think you need to stop being such an idiot and avoiding her because you think she’s avoiding you.” I pat his shoulder. “You guys just need to act like everything is fine and be normal around each other. The more you tiptoe around her because you’re jealous of Alex—”
“I am not jealous of Alex.”
“Sure.”
“I’m not.”
“Just leave it alone, dude. Maybe one day you’ll understand the female brain, but today is not that day.” Fletcher grins at Jaxon as we leave him standing in the kitchen and find a spot on the couch amongst the crowd.
six
Tate
All I’m saying is, Marcus is the thousandth person tonight to ask me if we’re finally dating.” Fletcher sits back down next to me on the couch, handing me aDr Pepper.“It’s not like we planned this costume ahead of time. I always wear a jersey. If we wanted a couple's costume, I think we would’ve been a little more—”
“Unique?” I pop open the can.
“Exactly. I wouldn’t make you figure out a costume idea around a group costume I do with my team every year. What kind of boyfriend would I be then? I’d totally stop doing the costume with the guys.”
I raise an eyebrow, and his shoulders slump.
“Okay, maybe I wouldn’t. But that’s only because it’s tradition. We’ve been doing it forever; I couldn’t just give that up.”
“You’re such an idiot.”
“The way I see it is Liv lets Brooks stick with the hockey team tradition, so the chances of me finding a girl who won’t are slim to none.”
“Liv also only lets Brooks stay at the party for an hour or so before saying she’s bored and wants to leave.”
