“You’re stuck in the same shitty boat I’m in, so I don’t know why you’re apologizing. The only apology I want is from Bailey.”
I’m not sure if Bailey’s ever kept anything like this from Hunter before, so it’s understandable why he’s upset. “I know, but I can still be sorry you’re upset.”
Hunter’s emerald green eyes search mine, almost like they’re looking for something. “Thanks, Kait.”
I knock his knee under the table with mine, earning a faint smile from Hunt. “What are best friends for?”
“I’m not sure,” he teases, and I roll my eyes, trying tolighten the mood from the unknown. I don’t want to keep pushing the topic of Bailey, but I’m wondering if I asked him about what’s going on if he’d tell me.
I just hope he’s okay.
“Jerk.”
The bell rings, signaling the end of the period, and I groan, dragging my hands over my face as I look down at my nonexistent notes, instead seeing a page filled with flowers and clouds. Hunter looks at my page compared to his full one before he closes it, a knowing smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. “I’ll send you pictures of my notes later so you can copy them,” he says, and that might be the best thing I’ve heard all day.
“Are you serious? Oh my god, I think I could kiss you,” I blurt out, thinking of how much faster I’ll get done with everything if I don’t have to comb through the fifteen pages to figure out what minuscule details I should’ve decided were important.
I’m a good student, but I struggle with keeping everything organized. I also tend to procrastinate until the last minute to get anything done. Hunter seems to be good at everything, and if it weren’t so helpful in moments like this, I might say it’s annoying.
Hunter’s cheeks flush, and he starts gathering his things together, while my brain is slow to catch up to what actually just came out of my mouth. “Oh my god, I don’t mean actually kiss you. That’d be weird, but like you know, it’s just a saying that people say when they get really excited? I’m sorry, but also thank you for offering to send me your notes?” I ramble, hoping I didn’t just make things incredibly awkward for us.
Thankfully, Hunter puts me out of my misery with a short laugh. “I know what you meant.It’s fine.”
This is beyond embarrassing. I’m probably never going to live this down.
“Thanks.” I close my notebook and textbook, shoving them into my backpack before slipping my arms through the straps. “Do you have weights next?” I ask, and Hunter nods, shouldering his backpack.
“Yeah, but I can walk with you to your next class.” He falls into step next to me as we walk out of the library.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you like spending time with me, Hunt,” I tease, glancing at him.
“Then you won’t question whether I’d rather go with you to stuff than other people,” he says, and I wish he’d just forget about that too. “So there’s this bonfire coming up this weekend that it sounds like a lot of the team is going to.”
It’s all everyone’s been talking about at practice this week, and while it’s getting better, a couple of my teammates still asked if I thought Hunter and Bailey would be going. “I think the entire cheer squad is going. It could be fun,” I say as Hunter reaches to hold the library door for me.
“Are you going?” he asks, and I nod, my brain already skipping ahead to see if I could convince Bailey to go with us.
“I think so. Also, I totally forgot to tell you, but Ruby has been talking about how she’s going to talk to you at the bonfire.”
Hunter’s arm bumps mine. “Really?”
“She’s really prettyandnice. Who knows? Maybe you’ll like her if you give her a chance,” I say, and he shakes his head.
“I don’t think so,” he says, giving me no clues to understand what’s running through his head. “Just promise me you won’t leave me to get cornered?”
I roll my eyes, wondering what it would take for him to give someone a chance, because as far as I know, Hunter has never had a girlfriend.
“Dude, it wouldn’t kill you to think about somethingother than academics and football, but I promise I won’t let you get cornered by anyone.”
Hunter isn’t an introvert, but he’s not nearly as extroverted as Mirabelle and JJ.
“There’s nothing wrong with being focused,” he says, and I wonder if there’s more to it that he’s leaving out.
“Is it because you don’t want to start something before leaving for college? Have you thought any more about where you want to go?” I ask, feeling my phone vibrate in my back pocket. It’s probably the group chat I’m in with the cheer squad, but I’ll check it in my next class.
“There’s a couple coaches that’ve reached out about coming to games this season, but I haven’t decided anything yet,” Hunter says, and I’m surprised he’s waited this long to choose. He practically has his pick of any school he could want, and I know he took a couple of visits this past summer. I’m not sure what he’s waiting for.
Duke was an easy choice for me because it’s where Henry and Dad went, but I wish I knew what I wanted to do with my life past where I’m going to school.
