silver springs ~ c. walter

chapter 10 !

Things already felt tense by the time everyone arrived at the lake house. Dorrie had no clue that Jackie was going as well- and was glad to have another friend- but it made for an awkward car ride when Isaac realized he'd be sharing the backseat. Erin and her friends glared at Cole as they got out of the van, but Dorrie immediately ran up to the girl and took her arm. "I need to talk to you."

Erin was glad to finally be on speaking terms again with Dorrie because she'd missed having the girl around. She looped their arms together just as Cole ran up to Jackie and put his varsity jacket around her shoulders. "Ditto. We have so much debriefing to do."

The girls went inside and grabbed some beers and Dorrie told her she'd meet her in the kitchen in five minutes. She needed to make sure Jackie settled in first. But, before she could do anything, a hand gripped her waist and pulled her into a chest.

"Dorrie, baby, I'm so glad you're here," Dylan said, clearly already a few drinks in.

The girl in question forced a smile, turning around to talk to the boy. "Really? Because earlier it seemed like you didn't want me here at all." And then she noticed the number on his coat. "Dylan, why are you wearing number 19?"

"Of course I want you here, you're my girl." If there was one thing Dylan was sure of, it was the fact that a few drinks made all of his anxieties fade into the background of his mind. He was elated to see Dorrie and all he wanted to do was spend as much time with her as possible after blowing her off that morning. "And I have a new number now. Because I'm the official QB."

Dorrie sighed, knowing Cole would freak out as soon as he saw. "I'm glad that you're the official quarterback. That's amazing news."

Dylan was glad to hear her say it, but knew there was something else behind her eyes. "But?"

She regretted saying it the moment it came out. "But this might not have been the best time to break the news to Cole."

And with the mention of the Walter boy, Dylan's mood turned sour. He wanted Dorrie to be happy for him and not concerned for Cole. "Why? Because I'm finally succeeding in something he's not?"

"Dylan, don't be crass. It's still a fresh wound."

"It's been ten months, Dorrie. If he can't handle it, that's his problem. It's not my fault that Coach can't retire numbers."

"Okay," she sighed, giving up on the slight argument. It had been a few minutes and she still needed to check on Jackie. "I'm going to go get something stronger."

Before she could leave, Dylan grabbed her hand and pulled her into a lingering kiss, wanting her to stay. But when he looked into her eyes, he didn't see the usual joy and affection that he loved. Instead, he saw sadness and helpless fear. Like she was watching something fall apart and there was nothing she could do to stop it. "Come back in a few, we're playing some games," he murmured, sending her a smile that she quickly tried to return.

Dorrie got into the kitchen and nearly sighed in relief when she saw it was empty. All thoughts of helping Jackie left her mind when she realized she might have a moment to herself. She sunk into one of the chairs and put her face in her hands, ready for the facade she'd meticulously curated throughout the drive over to fall for just a moment. It hurt that the only times Dylan seemed like he wanted to be around her or genuinely cared what she thought were when he was drunk. She didn't know what else to do to make him want her, and she definitely didn't ever want to be a girlfriend who had to beg for a sliver of attention from her boyfriend. The boy she had agreed to date, the boy she had started to fall in love with, had been replaced by a complete stranger. The last thing she wanted was to start a fight while she was at the lake house and everyone was drunk, so she sat alone at the kitchen table and let herself grieve the loss of someone who wasn't really gone.