Page 48 of Reverse Pass

I look to Ben again. “I am really sorry about this.”

“It’s fine.” He shrugs.

But by the time I get done helping Cameron, Ben is gone with no explanation and no text. I can’t help but feel like I’ve made a huge mistake.

SIXTEEN

Violet

By the timeJoss and I are putting out food and the rest of the decorations for the Halloween party, I’m so nervous I’m trying to think of reasons I could hide in my room all night. I feel like I’m trapped. While Cameron is my ex, we have been on semi-good terms lately trying out what it’s like to be friends post-breakup. He hasn’t said or done anything to hurt me in recent history, and if Ben wasn’t here, I likely wouldn’t have thought twice about letting him crash here for a night or two for a conference. But with Ben here, and Cameron acting overly familiar? I hate it, and there’s been no opportunity to take either of them aside privately to explain the situation. And it all feels like a recipe for disaster.

“You all right there?” Joss asks, breaking my concentration.

“What?” I say, blinking as I put another little bit of spider webbing around the cauldron on the table.

“Your face is doing some weird gymnastics right now. Just want to make sure you’re not overanalyzing so hard that you’ve broken something vital.”

“Just wishing I’d been able to talk to one or both of them alone before tonight when we have an apartment full of people.”

“I mean, you could make this wildly simple. Tell Cameron I don’t want him here and tell him to get a hotel.”

“It feels rude,” I protest. “And like I said, if the tables were turned, he wouldn’t do it to me.”

“No, because he wants you back. So of course, he wouldn’t.”

“He didn’t say that.”

“He showed up from out of the country to surprise you. He’s saying it without words.”

“Well, I gave him no reason to expect that I’d be open to that.”

“You’re encouraging it by letting him stay here.”

“I just don’t want to be a jerk.”

“Well, you’re going to be one—either to him or to Ben.” She levels me with a look that says I know the right answer.

“I’d explain everything to Ben if he was here.”

“He’s with some of the guys on the team.”

“What? How do you know?” I stop what I’m doing to look at her.

“He asked if they could come with him tonight.”

“When?”

“When he texted earlier.”

“He texted you?”

“Don’t put me in the middle.” She eyes me warily.

I sigh, because she’s right. They’re friends and roommates too. I don’t need to make it awkward for them.

“Have you tried texting him?”

“Not yet.”