Best Friends Forever

Chapter Thirteen

"You're sure you're okay with this?" I asked with a sideways glance at Dahlia.

"I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't," she replied with a shrug.

"Yeah, but..." I bit my lip and fidgeted with my hands. "I don't want you to think I'm forcing you to do anything."

"You're not," she assured me and put her hand on my shoulder before flashing a surprisingly charming smile at me.

I was struck by how nice her smile was. The way it seemed to lighten up her normally steely gray eyes. Mixed with her warm, heavy hand on my shoulder, I was helpless to do anything but shudder and sigh.

"Besides," Dahlia said as she drew her hand back from me before burying it deep in her pocket. "We're just going bowling. It's not that big of a deal."

As soon as Dahlia said that I seemed hyper aware of the loud noises from the bowling alley all around us. The crash of pins. The high pitched beeps and screeches coming from the arcade. Loud, half drunken conversations carried on by the old boys in the league.

I blinked and shook my head, realizing how deep into that single focused bubble I was getting with Dahlia already.

Not Dahlia. Dalton. I reminded myself. Dalton was the one that asked me out today.

I looked over at Dalton from the side, still smiling gently as he surveyed the bowling alley. He seemed more relaxed than the last time we spoke. I could see that from the way he stood and the easy way he was dressed, in a short sleeved henley, unbuttoned enough for me to see the very top of his binder peeking out.

Something about seeing that reminder of Dahlia underneath the perfectly put together facade of Dalton always seemed to fill me with anxious excitement. As if Dahlia was literally contained under that thin fabric, ready to burst out and assault me with the reality of both our emotions at any time.

"I'm gonna grab shoes if you wanna pick out a lane," Dalton said with a brief graze of his hand on my arm.

"Um, sure," I said and nodded.

"Still in a nine?" he asked with his brows raised.

Of course he knows my shoe size. He's been shopping with me a million times. He's listened to me complain about not finding anything cute in my size. He actually pays attention.

"You got it," I replied with a smile, trying to keep up with the comforting ease that Dalton was able to ooze out so easily.

Once I walked away from Dalton my smile dropped and I let out a sigh. I liked being around him. It was easy to be around him, but something always felt two steps off. Like I knew it was all a play. No more real than the kiss I was forced to share with Anthony Meretti in seventh grade.

Dude you have got to let that one go. No one's first kiss is amazing.

I let out another sigh as I took a seat in front of an empty lane and started putting names into the scoreboard.

Just be thankful that there was a good follow up kiss with Dahlia. Not as many people are lucky to have that. To have... I traced the name of Dalton's name with a wistful sigh. To have them.

"Hey, check it out," Dalton said loudly before holding up a pair of bowling shoes for me to see. "They had the green ones you always thought were lucky."

I was a little surprised that Dalton remembered this, but I also wasn't. As I had already confirmed to myself earlier, Dalton always paid attention. So of course, he would remember my odd bowling superstition.