Page 32 of His Reckless Freshman

He scoffs and shakes his head. “Not sure why, but we’re not great at bringing it on game day. We kick ass in practice, though.” He grins, but his smile soon falters and he kind of slumps back in his seat.

I nod and start tapping my pen again.

“I guess it’d just be nice to be celebrated the way the hockey and football teams are, you know? They’re so much more successful than us.”

“I guess it depends on what you call success.” I hitch my shoulder. “I mean, sure, there’s the whole ‘where you are in the standings’ thing, but I’d say a team that works together and likes one another is pretty impressive. Plus, you have fun, right? And people always underestimate the power of enjoying something.”

His eyes seem to light up at my words, his smile filled with appreciation.

My lips twitch and I look down, not wanting to engage for too long. When he looks at me like that, I feel like he’s seconds away from seeing right through me.

Pursing my lips to the side, I skim what I’ve written and check for any other questions. I think I’ve got enough to put together something good. It’s probably time for me to get going and start working on this thing.

My insides twist as I think about the rest of my afternoon and evening, heading back to my dorm, maybe an awkward encounter with Nylah, then finally slipping into bed and reliving… ugh. I don’t want to think about it anymore!

“Hey, are you sure you’re okay?” Ben nudges my foot with his.

“Huh?” I look up, feeling completely exposed for some reason.

I don’t know what my eyes are doing, but they seem to be bugging out, because he’s tipping his head like he’s trying to analyze me. And he looks worried. Or maybe that’s care.

I don’t know!

I just… can’t admit what I’m dealing with right now.

So I shake my head and assure him, “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just… tired, I guess. I had an eventful weekend.” I try to come up with an excuse that will make him stop looking at me like that.

“Ah… so your Friday night date went well, then, huh?” He wiggles his eyebrows at me. “Up all night were yo⁠—”

His words evaporate all of sudden, his smile disappearing, and I can’t figure out why until I notice that my eyes are filling with tears.

10

BEN

Oh shit, is she about to cry?

I was trying to make her feel better.

Was her date bad?

What the fuck did he do to her?

Anger spikes sharp and fast. It’s an effort to hide it, but for her sake, I grit my teeth and get up from my seat, moving around to sit beside her.

That might not be the reason she’s upset. Maybe he was perfect but hasn’t asked her out for a second date yet. I can’t go making judgments until I get more facts.

And having grown up around three sisters, I know the best way to do this is through gentle movements, a soft voice, and a whole lot of quiet listening.

“Hey,” I whisper, scrambling for a paper napkin. I flick it open and hand it to her.

“Thanks.” Her voice is only just above a whisper, and I’m not sure if she wants me to touch her or not.

But it seems wrong to deny her just a little comfort, so I rest my hand lightly on her shoulder. “Is this okay?”

Blowing her nose, she nods, but I’m not sure I believe her, so I rest my forearms on the table and thread my fingers together instead, lightly pressing my elbow into her arm.

“I don’t know if you want to talk about it or not, but if it’d be helpful, I’m a great listener. You can tell me anything, and I won’t breathe a word to anybody. I know you don’t know me very well, but you can trust me.” I let out a soft sigh and am prepared to wait it out. Renee, my middle sister, is the master of the long game, but thankfully Jolie starts talking within seconds.