She laughed. "Wasn't last night fun?"
"Yeah, it was." Just thinking about the vigilante made my heart race.
"We really have to get going. I told Patrick and Eli we'd meet them at the dining hall in an hour..." she glanced at her cell phone, "...half an hour ago. So you need to get ready." She handed me my shower caddy.
I really wasn't up for a double date. My head was still pounding and my muscles ached. Besides, I was working a double shift at the diner. I had to be there at 2. Not to mention the fact that I was annoyed with Eli. Things made sense when we were together, but when we were apart, it really didn't seem like he liked me at all. "I don't know..."
"Please, Sadie. Patrick is getting way too clingy. I need you there."
I thought about the way she jumped into his arms last night. I wasn't exactly sure Patrick was the one being clingy. "Didn't you just spend the night with him?"
"No, obviously I spent the night with Mr. RA."
"What?" The pain in my chest from last night seemed to return. She slept with Miles? I was trying to repress my feelings for him, but I couldn't seem to ignore that pain in my chest. Miles was such an asshole. He had probably slept with one of those bikini-clad girls from the soccer game too. Of course he had moved on. It wasn't like I thought he had been pining over me for five years. The way I have been pining for him. I bit the inside of my lip.
Kins laughed. "Just kidding. Obviously. Geez, I heard that he was a player, but he doesn't seem to be playing the field at all. I literally haven't seen him with a single girl this semester. His reputation is such a lie. I actually heard a rumor that he only has one night stands. Why oh why can't one of them be with me?"
So he had definitely moved on. Probably with dozens of women. If the rumors were true, though, he probably would have already slept with Kins. She was gorgeous with her perfectly smooth blonde hair and perfectly tanned skin. Anyone with eyes could see that. So maybe Kins was right. Maybe all the rumors were a lie. Maybe he is pining after me. I sighed. No, not me. I wasn't Summer anymore. "You slept at Patrick and Eli's place then?"
"Indeed. See. He's clingy. I just spent all night with him and now he wants to have lunch."
I laughed. "At least he likes hanging out with you."
She pressed her lips together. "Is that supposed to be a stab at Eli? Trust me, when he's not with you, he's thinking about you. God, I've never heard someone go on and on as much as him. We're going to have to set both of them straight and tell them we don't want anything serious."
"I never said I didn't want something serious." I pictured the vigilante.
"Ugh. College is about having fun. Not being tied down. You're supposed to be sowing your wild oats."
"I'm pretty sure that's a guy thing."
She shrugged. "Whatever. Just go get your ass in the shower. It's fine if we're fashionably late, though. We don't want them to expect too much from us."
I laughed as she tossed my towel at me. I was pretty sure Kins was all talk. She seemed so smitten with Patrick. And despite the fact that I was avoiding Miles, I didn't want her to be with him. I wouldn't be able to handle that rejection.
***
"Hey, babe," Patrick said as Kins sat down next to him. She smiled as he kissed her cheek.
Definitely smitten. Maybe I could convince her that they were a perfect match.
Eli smiled at me as I sat down. Just a smile. No apology for last night. No kiss. Our relationship had changed ever since I had revealed too much information about my past. I wished we could go back to that night we went stargazing. There had been so much potential. I really liked him. But he wasn't looking at me the way that Patrick was looking at Kins. He was looking at me like he wanted to take care of me. That's why he made me feel safe. That's why Kins said he was boring and too perfect. There wasn't any sizzle.
I shook my head. Safe didn't have to mean boring. I just needed him to realize that I could take care of myself. I didn't want a bodyguard. I wanted a relationship. A real one. One where each person gave as much as they got. I had never had that before.
"What happened?" Eli said as he lightly touched my chin.
Fire and ice. His touch still excited me. Just like Miles' eyes on me did. Or the vigilante knowing my name. Now I wasn't even sure that any of that was a good thing. I was confused. I wanted more, but none of them could give me that. I could never have a real relationship again, despite what Mr. Crawford said. A foundation built on lies would always crumble. I swallowed hard. "I tripped on the way back from the game. It's nothing."
"You've been tripping a lot lately." He looked down at my hands. I had taken off the Band-Aids, but the cuts were still visible.
You've been ditching me a lot lately. I wasn't sure why I couldn't voice my concerns too. But something always held me back. I bit my tongue. I was used to people treating me badly. Maybe Eli wasn't doing it on purpose, but he was doing it. "I'm clumsy. How was boxing practice?" I took a big bite of the salad on my plate.
"Good."
Patrick laughed. "Is that what you call getting your ass handed to you? You should see all the bruises he's sporting."
"Seriously," Kins said. "He's like a punching bag."