Page 123 of The Backup Plan
She froze. “Do I do that?”
“I’ve seen times you won’t take motivation from anyone but yourself. And maybe that’s good when you’re chasing your own goals and ideas, but you’d be shit in a huddle because you won’t let anyone tell you that you’re doing all right and you should keep going.”
“How do you make friends without a team?” she challenged. “All of your friends are from football. I talked to Shay at every party and I thought we were getting along, but then Gia said she’s really Cam’s friend, so maybe that doesn’t even count.”
“Shay’s fantastic, and if she’s a friend, she’s a friend. Screw what Gia said.”
“All the football people are your friends or his. Where do I get someone who’s just my kind of person to hang out with?”
He flicked the side of her head. “You did, you idiot. You picked Cam off a couch in the art building when you had no idea he played football and he had no idea you were my sister. That’s your space together, and I’ve heard you ramble when you get all art-happy. He’s seen you like that as a friend, and he’s still around as more than that. Do you feel you have to tone yourself down around him?”
Her cheeks burned with a sudden blush.
Justin groaned. “Not like that. Don’t make me think about that.”
“There have been a few times I thought I was getting a little needy, but you know me. I throw up red flags for myself and ignore them. It’s funny how nice it is to just be quiet with him sometimes. I don’t have to try. He’s so busy, and some days all we really have is that hour from ten to eleven. Once in a while, we spend it looking at the ceiling and breathing. Not trying to fit in a big conversation or work on a project. Just being still.”
“Drawing waves.”
“I draw waves. He plays with imaginary clay, or chisels.”
“I can’t imagine you being that quiet with anyone when you’re not working. That’s something pretty special.”
“I think it is.”
“You made a friend. He can’t be your only friend, obviously, but you’re figuring out what makes a good friend for you. Maybe now you just need to meet the girl version of Cam.”
“That’s who we’ll set up with Isaac, since we’re besties now.”
“I’ll share him with you.”
“I’ll share Cam with you.”
“I want you to stay friends with Mindy, so I’m ducking out of that one. She agrees.”
Avery had just lifted her fork to her untouched pancakes and dropped it with a clatter.
“I talked to her a few days after the bonfire,” he continued. “And she was willing to hear me out. She told me how you offered to tell her anything she wanted to know. That’s so like you, just like when you said you’d try to get another advisor. You want to dive in and help the people you care about, even when it’s uncomfortable.”
“I didn’t want to get in the middle, and I’m sorry, but I thought maybe I could help explain. Was that too much?”
“You weren’t too much. It meant a lot to her.”
“But you’re not going to give that another try?” Avery bit hard on her lip to stop it from quivering.
“Mindy and I spent a few weeks having fun talking about pinball and pilsners and making out. I was probably more into her than she was into me, and she deserves a guy who can hold his liquor and carry his own baggage. She liked the version of myself that I put together to impress her. It’s pretty clear I need to work on myself before I try and have a real relationship.”
“Whatever. She dumped you.”
“She dumped me.”
“Do the work anyway.” She jabbed a butter knife at him. “And don’t say after football season.”
“One day at a time. That’s all I’ve got in the tank right now.”
Avery opened her mouth to demand he make an appointment at the counseling center, or at least come to one of hers, and shut it again to collect her thoughts.
She waited.