“What?” I looked at her in the reflection of the mirror.
She grinned and then disappeared into one of the stalls.
I’d bolted in here after the almost kiss, so thankful the movie had decided to explode into action at the very moment our lips were about to meet.
I’d wanted that kiss, too, and that totally freaked me out. I flipped on the cold water and splashed some on my face. The droplets inched down my cheeks and splattered against the white porcelain sink below me. Narrowing my eyes, I stared at myself.
What would Emmett say? Would he have liked Preach? Or Alec, would he approve of Preach? I hadn’t mentioned anything to him about Preach. What would I even say? I kind of liked the guy who hit me with his car? Would he point his finger at me and tell me I was messing with fire getting attached to someone before basic training?
“Everything okay?”
I spun around, coming face to face with Willow. I hadn’t heard her come out of the stall.
“Ah…yeah.”
“Not buying it.” Her left eyebrow quirked up, then she turned on the water and let it run over her hands. “You and Preach really seem to be hitting it off. Did I see an almost kiss?”
I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out. I wasn’t sure what to say. Of course there was an almost kiss. I wanted there to be a kiss. We were one explosion away from there being a kiss.
“Spill it and quick, before the guys come looking for us.” She rinsed the soap off her hands.
“I don’t know what’s going on between me and Preach.” I waved my hands under the dryer and waited for the hot air.
“Do you like him?” Willow asked, coming over to the dryer next to mine.
I shrugged. I kinda did like him, didn’t I?
“Well, I know he likes you,” Willow said.
“He does?” My heart started to pound in my chest. “Did he say something?”
“He doesn’t have to say anything. I can see it in his face. Every time he looks at you.”
“Seriously?” I asked. “A week ago, he looked at me like I’d just stopped the winning slapshot in the final game of the state championship.”
“Ooh, hockey terminology. Nice,” she said. “You’re right, in the beginning, he wasn’t super thrilled about how you two met.”
“I’m still not so thrilled by it.” I held up my injured hand.
“I get that,” Willow said, nodding.
“Wouldn’t you be? Things are pretty jacked up for me.”
“Him, too,” Willow said. “No scholarship, no college money, he has no idea what he’s going to do after grad.”
That hit me square in the chest.
“You both lost a lot and have every right to be angry.” She shifted some hair that’d fallen across her forehead.
She has no idea how much I’ve lost.
But, instead of opening up about Emmett, I nodded without saying a word. I’d already blabbed about Emmett to Preach, more than I’d wanted to, especially after he found me crying in the storage room that day. I wasn’t ready to tell anyone else.
“I can tell you something about Preach, though. He may have been seeing red right after the accident, but it’s different now. He’s different. And I really think he likes you.”
I nodded. It was different for me, too. My stomach fluttered at the thought of Preach liking me. He’d told me he’d liked kissing me, but I pushed him away.
I was scared.