Page 79 of Foul Territory

“You don’t have to remind me. I feel like shit about it. I thought I was doing the right thing by being friends with both of you. I will be spending the rest of my life making it up to her.”

“I have to ask though, why now? What’s changed?”

“She asked me the same thing. She thinks it’s because she’s moving away. Maybe it does have to do with that a little.” I can’t ignore the slither of fear that once she leaves for North Carolina I will lose her for good. “Truthfully? I miss her. She has always been this bright light. Without her, I’ve been miserable.”

Talking to her almost every night in the private chats has built a bridge between what we used to be when we first became friends and what we are now but it isn’t enough. I’m greedy for more of her.

“You really have been a miserable ass,” Wyatt says.

Nash laughs quietly to himself. “Is that why you’ve been so grumpy all these years?”

“It’s probably more because he hasn’t been laid in years. That always puts me in a bad mood.”

“It still does,” I say. “You’re impossible to deal with when we’re on the road.”

“Wait, back up,” Nash says, forcing Wyatt to hold his snarky comeback. “When was the last time you slept with someone?”

“I don’t see how this is any of your business,” I mumble. I like to keep this part of my life private.

“Don’t tell me you haven’t been with anyone since Syd,” Nash says, wide-eyed. My silence must be answer enough. “Holy shit. Does she know?”

I shake my head. “I’m not sure what she knows or what she thinks.”

“I can tell you right now she assumes you’re enjoying college life and all the perks of being a star athlete,” Wyatt says.

“Well I’m not.” I’ve never had the desire to be with anyone else. It would have been a waste of time. I understand her need to date other people. I'll never be mad at her about that.

I never felt the same. I knew after our first time together—maybe even before—that it would be her or no one at all.

“I’m sorry I kept you apart for so long. I was looking out for her. I didn’t want to see her hurt. I needed to know you were serious about her.”

“I said the same thing and we both ended up destroying her.” I drop my head and sigh. “I don’t like the way you went about it. You could have just asked me.”

“What would you have said? Would you really have admitted to anything?”

“Probably not.”

“I’m glad you told me now. I’m not sure how you're going to turn it all around for the two of you, but I’m rooting for you." Nash walks over and gives me a hug with a slap on my back.

“Thanks. I need to get going or I’ll be late picking her up.”

“Where areyou taking her?”

“The park,” I say, leaving Wyatt and Nash confused. The park isn’t top tier dating material for most people.

But most people aren’t Sydney. Unless she’s had a complete personality transplant at some point in the last few years, she’s going to love this place.

My palm sweats, weakening my grip on the steering wheel. I didn’t think I would be this nervous for our date. It’s Sydney. We’ve known each other for over a decade. I’m an idiot for assuming we could easily slide back into our old ways or be able to talk like we do when we’re behind our computer screens.

“Where are we going now?” she asks, tapping her thumb on her thigh. Before that she was bouncing her knee up and down.

We stopped on our way out of town and picked up dinner to go at one of our favorite barbecue restaurants. Dinner at the Pierce home was a weekly thing. Once a month their parents let us pick out where we eat. When it was mine or Sydney’s turn we always picked the local owned restaurant.

“It’s a surprise.” I grin at her.

“I hate surprises. You should know this,” she says. Her little pout is cute.

“I know you alwayssayyou hate surprises but that’s a lie. Otherwise you wouldn’t get so upset when they get ruined.”