This is exactly what I get for not listening to my friends. I said I wouldn’t take Stephen too seriously—that it was all just for fun—but seeing him with that girl as he tried to knock down glass bottles and win prizes for her stings.
Perhaps it wouldn’t sting so bad if he hadn’t lied about going to a party. He flat out told me he promised his teammate and roommate, Carl, that he’d go to a party with him and probably wouldn’t make it to the carnival. He’s a fucking liar.
He was never going to a party. He’d made plans to hang out with another girl.
I find a bench close to the lake behind the carnival and sit. It’s far enough away from the carnival that I can distance myself from the noises. I draw in a few deep breaths, placing the popcorn down and clutching the edge of the wooden bench.
As badly as I want to cry because I’m so pissed, I don’t. I hold back my tears, pick my head up, and inhale before exhaling. I am not crying over a boy.
Kendall and Janine were right, and I didn’t listen. But hey, at least now I know the truth. At least I’ve figured out firsthand that some rumors aren’t always rumors. That’s what I get for thinking that, just for a moment, Stephen and I could eventually become a real thing. I thought he’d take me seriously and ignore all the other girls. He always told me I was different, fun, cute, and had adorable quirks.
I huff a laugh at the sheer stupidity of the reminder. I bet he tells every girl that. I’m such an idiot.
Footsteps crunch on the rocky trail to my left and I look up, spotting Coach Torres walking away from the carnival and in my direction. He has a hot dog in his hands, eyes laser-focused on mine. He’s wearing gray sweatpants, which honestly aren’t doing a thing to hide his junk right now. I have to snatch my eyes away when I catch the imprint of it. Torres is definitely packing.
“Lakes…you good?” he asks, taking another step closer.
“What do you care, Torres?” I pull my gaze away, staring out at the lake.
He’s quiet for a moment. I glance to the side and he starts eating his hot dog as if he has no worries. I roll my eyes. It’s just like him to be careless right now. He saw what happened with Stephen. He saw my face. He knows I’m not good.
“Didn’t you say you were hungry?” he asks.
I ignore him.
He sits on the opposite end of the bench and breaks off the end of his hot dog. It’s one of those foot-long hot dogs. “You like ketchup and mustard?”
I side-eye the hot dog. Not going to lie, my mouth waters at the smell of it. I’m not a big hot dog person, but I am really hungry. I’m supposed to catch a late dinner with the girls, but three or four bites of hot dog shouldn’t ruin my appetite too much.
I accept the offered half of his hot dog. “Thank you,” I murmur.
He shrugs it off.
We eat in silence, staring out at the lake, listening to the distant whimsical sounds from the carnival games and rides.
“I told you you could do better,” Torres finally says, and I don’t have to look at him to know he finds this humorous. I can hear it in his voice.
“Yeah, well, I guess I just wanted to give him a chance and the benefit of the doubt.”
“Why?” He turns his head to look at me.
“I don’t know. I figured maybe what people were saying about him were mostly rumors. The same way Melanie has spread rumors about me, it could have easily been done to him.”
“Valid point.”
I sigh. “I just—I don’t get it. What’s the point of chasing so many girls? Does he really think all of them will stick around for that if they see him with so many others? Were you like that at his age?”
Torres’ brows shoot up in surprise and he breaks out in a sudden laugh, nearly choking on his food. “Trust me, I was much, much worse.”
“Really?”
“I was definitely out there. Every girl was fair game—well, except my friend’s ex-girlfriends and current girlfriends. Bro code and all. But I wasn’t as easy to be with like Stephen.” He pauses. “When I look at that kid—the Stephen guy—that’s all I see. He’s a kid, just like I was. He won’t settle down anytime soon. He has the looks, the position, and he knows how to use that to swindle the girls.”
“Yeah, well, he’s an asshole, so I guess that makes you one too.” I take my last bite of hot dog as he chuckles.
“You want to know what it is with guys like Stephen Hunt?”