Page 72 of Call the Shots (For The Arena #1)
BEAR
THE ALMOST PLANETARIUM EXPERIENCE
June was into me, and she didn’t want to see me with someone else. As far as I understood it, that made us a done deal. Yes, she was apprehensive because she dated my stepbrother, and she was fragile after her breakup, but she needed to know I was all in.
When people move, they drift apart. June would be off-campus soon and I didn’t want her to have any doubts before she left.
I had to tell her. For real.
Fridge helped me plan it out. I harassed Dr. Schulman for the extra credit—basically spilling my guts during his office hours. Then, after hockey practice, classes, and Sémajuste’s meeting, June and I would go to the planetarium. The perfect place to tell her.
“What about this?” Fridge asked, walking into my dorm with a leather jacket.
“You’ll sweat as bad as Montoya,” Nick warned.
“Should I put on shorts?” I grimaced. “My legs are covered in bruises from practice.”
Tallulah smiled. “Keep the jeans on, you look wonderful .”
I mumbled a thank you and grabbed snacks from the kitchen, stuffing them discreetly in my pockets. Just some granola bars and candy bars, things we could eat on the train since it was a straight shot to the museum.
“Why do you and June share food?” Nick eyed me. “It’s gross.”
“I think it’s sweet,” Tallulah murmured.
Nick cleared his throat. “Well, I didn’t want to say that and give him a big head over it.”
I pushed my bedroom door open, searching for my wallet, stopping when I saw Montoya. He was at my desk, his hand propping open my notebook.
The notebook.
Montoya’s eyes darted to mine, and he recoiled away from it.
I shut the door. “What the fuck are you doing?”
“Sorry, I’m sorry?—”
June and I shared a bedroom, but she never touched it, I didn’t think Montoya would go through it.
“That’s private,” I said incredulously.
Montoya was burning bright red. Fuck, I was embarrassed too—I had details of our first kiss in there, songs that made me think of her. Shit I wrote down because I didn’t want to forget. No one was supposed to go through it.
“Did King actually break a guy’s arm in three places?” he whispered.
Oh, fuck .
Swearing under my breath, I stuffed the notebook in my dresser and grabbed him by the shirt.
“Yeah but this is top secret information. You can’t tell anyone . June trusts me—you didn’t get that permission—fucking swear it.”
“I won’t tell anyone—I swear.”
I ushered him out of my bedroom. “Don’t look through my shit again.”
Montoya was just a kid, but I didn’t like anyone touching that notebook. It’d become important to me. There was so much of June and me between the pages.
The guys asked why I was pissed but I left the dorm, needing some space to stop from really yelling at Montoya. I had to pick up my crap from our study session anyway.
Footsteps entered the hallway, and it was too much to hope that they’d leave me alone.
“Why do you look fancy?” Elijah asked.
I held in the groan. “I’m going to the planetarium.”
“ Ooh. I get it, you’re taking June.”
Denali sighed. “Sorry she’s dragging you to shit.”
I glanced back, irritated. “I asked her to go.”
“Why? You’re in the perfect setup. Getting laid, no labels, no relationship, no obligations—you’re living the dream, why would you ruin that? What more could you want?”
“Denali.” I glared. “Shut. The. Fuck. Up.”
Montoya poked his head out of my dorm. “Bear, do you want your speech?”
That fucking kid.
I shoved the last of my shit in my bag, but Elijah caught on. “ Speech? You’re telling her?”
“Telling her what?” Denali said.
“The intricate secrets of making your dick whirl like a helicopter—he’s telling her he wants to have bear cubs, dumbass!”
“June doesn’t want kids until her thirties now,” I muttered.
“Oh, man.” Elijah sucked in a breath. “We’ve got to go.”
“Go? Go where? ”
“Kid’s Toy’s going!”
“No,” Montoya replied. “I already asked, Bear said no.”
“We’ll all go!”
I shot daggers at Elijah. “It’s June and me—no one else is coming!”
The door to the stairs opened, Laki, Buttons, and Charlie coming through in gym clothes. Elijah told them to get ready for the planetarium and I snarled that they weren’t invited. Elijah spoke over me, urging them to their rooms.
Sully opened his door, and Elijah yelled at him about the planetarium. He sniffed his pits. “Uh…I need a shower first.”
“Hurry up!” Elijah barked. “We’re leaving in ten!”
“The fuck you are!” I glared. “None of you are going!”
Fridge and Nick came out with Tallulah, asking about the mass message Elijah sent before more doors opened.
My teammates lumbered out with their phones and wallets, ready to hit up the museum too.
It spiraled out of control, especially with Elijah telling everyone in graphic detail why I was taking June.
“Bear, here’s how your date will go.” Elijah crossed his arms. “You’ll get red—like you always do with her—stutter with some bullshit, it should be your slam dunk, instead you’ll break an ankle. That’s why we’re coming. We’ll make sure you do it.”
I was furious. I didn’t need twenty sweaty dipshits to make sure I told June I had feelings for her. “You’re supposed to be my fucking friends!” I thundered. “You can’t do this to me!”
The room quieted.
Pickles cocked his head. “Are we friends?”
I realized I’d never made that public acknowledgment before. I gazed around the room. Holy shit. They were my best friends.
“Yeah, we’re friends, asshole,” I said gruffly.
“More of a reason for us to go!” Elijah shouted and the room cheered—fucking pricks. He clapped me on the back when the elevator opened again. “We’ll make sure you tell June!”
“Tell June what?” a soft voice asked.
I whirled around.
June .
My teammates went nuts, everyone hung on me like a pack of hyenas. I wasn’t prepared—no—I was prepared, Montoya had my speech, and I—I?—
What if Elijah’s right?
June gazed at me with those soft green eyes, prized pieces of sea glass. What if I looked into those eyes, held her hand, and said nothing? What if I begged Dr. Schulman for a chance, just to fuck this up?
“I’m in love with you,” burst out of me.
Her eyes shot wide.
The guys stayed silent for a couple of seconds before they grabbed each other’s shoulders and mine, shaking me, shouting out stupid shit like ‘ that’s right, Bear’ and ‘ go ahead and tell her, big dog! ’
I couldn’t get to my speech, so I adlibbed. “I’m in love with you,” I repeated, stumbling through the words. “It’s that once-in-a-lifetime love that makes you feel like you’re starting your life because I want my real life to start with you.”
Fridge threw a thumbs-up sign behind June. I ignored him.
“I don’t care that you dated my stepbrother!
And I don’t care about Paisley! The nudes leak had to happen for me to get here, because you and I were supposed to meet—it’s destiny.
” I pointed between the two of us. “We’re written in the stars.
I know it. I can feel it. We’re supposed to be together—I’m in love with you, June. ”
June stepped backwards like a cornered animal, stricken. “Bear, no?—”
The room fell silent. The smiles on my teammates’ faces melted off and I stared at her, definitely mirroring her expression.
June said no.
My insides crumbled to dust, and I was distantly aware that I was nodding. “Oh.”
“Everyone, out of the hallway!” Denali barked.
Fridge ushered the rest of them away and June stammered an apology before she grabbed my arm, pulling me to our room.