The Reckless Collision

Ray.

~~~

"Friends, huh?" I asked, a smile tugging at my lips. I leaned back against the couch, trying to act casual, though my heart was racing. The last thing I wanted was to be her friend. "I don't have a girlfriend, you know. You might've missed that little detail last night." I raised an eyebrow, gauging her reaction.

She was way more buzzed than I was, and part of me wanted to say "sorry" because I ambushed her at a vulnerable time. Somewhere between Rory's house and her apartment I specifically mentioned I am single but I guessed she missed that part.

"Blame it on all the booze, but I've been single for the last five months." My tone was light, even chipper, but inside, I was desperate to see if this information would change anything between us.

Samantha blinked at me, her expression caught somewhere between confusion and skepticism. Did she even hear me last night? Or maybe she was just too busy tuning me out for some reason.

She stood abruptly, the towel she'd wrapped around her hair slipping off as she let her damp locks fall freely over her shoulders. The casual movement made my chest tighten. She was beautiful, even when she wasn't trying to be.

She didn't say anything, just reached for her coffee. I could feel her hesitation as she moved, and I couldn't take my eyes off her. I waited, tapping my foot lightly to the beat of "Lithium" by Nirvana playing in the background. The silence stretched between us, and I couldn't help but wonder what was going through her head. Did my being single change anything for her? Did I still have a chance?

"Does that change how you feel about last night?" I finally asked, unable to keep the impatience out of my voice.

Her bright blue eyes flicked to mine, wide and uncertain. "I don't want to sound like an obsessed fan or anything," she began, her voice trembling slightly. Her words sent a pang of both hope and dread through me. Obsessed fan? Where was she going with this? "But... I noticed some posts and photos of you online. Even if I don't remember every detail from last night, your Instagram is full of pictures of your girlfriend."

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Not anymore." I let a smile slip onto my face, hoping to ease the tension. "After last night, I realized it looked like Courtney and I were still together, so when I got home, I deleted them. And hey, you're definitely not an obsessed fan if you didn't catch all the crazy theories people have been spinning about me." I tried to keep my tone light, but the truth was, I was watching her reaction like a hawk.

I skipped the part where her words: "You have a girlfriend, I don't kiss taken men." Kept me awake half of the night, until Logan came back high, nagging for details and I was forced to tell him what happened. I admit, I was relentlessly mocked by my brother since my dumbass never cleared the socials after my breakup.

Before she could respond, her phone buzzed on the coffee table. My eyes darted to the screen, catching a glimpse of a guy's face Scott. She hesitated, then picked up the phone, swiping to answer as she walked toward the hallway for privacy.

I leaned back against the couch, trying not to overthink it. Why was he calling? I ran a hand through my messy hair and took a sip of my coffee, willing myself to stay calm. This was just a phone call. It didn't mean anything. Right?

Her voice drifted from the hallway, too soft to make out the words, but I caught a sigh here and there. The music played on, filling the silence. I stood and wandered over to the bookshelf, scanning the titles. Her collection was impressive rows of novels lined up perfectly, each one practically begging to be read. My hand brushed against one with a familiar title.